Lord’s Day 51
Q126. What does the fifth request mean?
"Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" means: Because of Christ's blood, please do not hold any of our sins against us — we are poor sinners, and evil always clings to us. And forgive us, just as we are determined to forgive other people, showing that your grace is working in us.
Scripture Proofs — King James Version
Psalm 51:1–7
Psalm 143:2
Romans 8:1
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
1 John 2:1
Matthew 6:14–15
Matthew 18:21–35
Parent Guide
Discuss this question together
Discussion Questions
- 1
What are we asking God to do when we pray "forgive us our debts"?
- 2
Why does the prayer connect God forgiving us with us forgiving others?
- 3
Is there someone you need to forgive right now?
Illustration
If you owed a friend a hundred dollars and could not pay it back, you would feel a weight on your shoulders every time you saw them. Forgiveness lifts that weight. God lifts the weight of our sin through Christ's blood. And because we know what it feels like to be forgiven, we can forgive others.
Application
If someone has wronged you and you are holding onto that hurt, pray this week: "God, help me forgive them the way you have forgiven me." Because our forgiveness of others does not earn God's forgiveness but flows from it, forgiving someone is an act of gratitude.