Jesus Himself didn't have any debts toward God the Father, but He teaches us that we should pray for this, why? Because we do have debts to God!
Now, we haven't borrowed any money from God, so we're obviously not talking about that kind of debt. We're talking about moral indebtedness.
When someone commits a crime, they are required to go to prison as a form of punishment. Sometimes we say the criminal must "pay off their debt to society." We understand that crime racks up debts against the community that can't be paid back with money.
Same goes for God the Father! It is possible to rack up debts against God that can't be paid off with cash. In fact, not only is it possible, all of us have done it! All of us have committed crimes against God, and we call that "sin". The Bible says that all have sinned! That means all of us have a debt to God that needs to be paid.
Debt needs to paid! It is either paid by the person who racked up the debt, or by someone else who wears the cost.
Good news is that God knows we can't pay back our debts, so "He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross." (Col 2:13–14).
Jesus stepped in to take away our sin debt! It was nailed to the cross with Jesus! Now our debts are cancelled!
You don't need to fulfil any special qualifications to get this debt-forgiveness. You don't need to fill out any forms or go to any interviews! You only need to ask God to take the sin away: "forgive us our debts."
In doing this, asking this sincerely, you are trusting that what Jesus did on the cross was real and effective. You are believing that Jesus the Son of God was truly able to pay that debt in your place. Asking to have your sin-debt forgiven means believing in Jesus and what He said.
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn 1:8–9).
"In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us" (Eph 1:7–8).
Forgive us our Debts
Forgiveness is arguably the most important need that you have.
By default most of us don't think this way, but it is hugely important for us, and that's why Jesus teaches us to ask from our Heavenly Father:
"...forgive us our debts..." (Mt 6:12).
Jesus Himself didn't have any debts toward God the Father, but He teaches us that we should pray for this, why? Because we do have debts to God!
Now, we haven't borrowed any money from God, so we're obviously not talking about that kind of debt. We're talking about moral indebtedness.
When someone commits a crime, they are required to go to prison as a form of punishment. Sometimes we say the criminal must "pay off their debt to society." We understand that crime racks up debts against the community that can't be paid back with money.
Same goes for God the Father! It is possible to rack up debts against God that can't be paid off with cash. In fact, not only is it possible, all of us have done it! All of us have committed crimes against God, and we call that "sin". The Bible says that all have sinned! That means all of us have a debt to God that needs to be paid.
Debt needs to paid! It is either paid by the person who racked up the debt, or by someone else who wears the cost.
Good news is that God knows we can't pay back our debts, so "He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross." (Col 2:13–14).
Jesus stepped in to take away our sin debt! It was nailed to the cross with Jesus! Now our debts are cancelled!
You don't need to fulfil any special qualifications to get this debt-forgiveness. You don't need to fill out any forms or go to any interviews! You only need to ask God to take the sin away: "forgive us our debts."
In doing this, asking this sincerely, you are trusting that what Jesus did on the cross was real and effective. You are believing that Jesus the Son of God was truly able to pay that debt in your place. Asking to have your sin-debt forgiven means believing in Jesus and what He said.
"Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the LORD does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit" (Ps 32:1–2).
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 Jn 1:8–9).
"In [Jesus Christ] we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us" (Eph 1:7–8).
Samuel Lindsay