Forgiveness of Debts Owed

by Doy Moyer

It seems that in the “forgiveness debate” (that sounds odd), people can easily talk past each other. The discussion really hinges on what is meant by “forgiveness.” To further clarify the nature and nuances of forgiveness, please note the phrase used by Jesus in His model prayer: “and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12).

This suggests that we can view sin and forgiveness in terms of debts owed. When I sin against God, I owe Him a debt that I cannot repay. I need forgiveness of that debt. When someone sins against me, that person owes me a debt (and vice versa). With that in mind, consider:

1. Only God can truly forgive sins (Mark 2:1-8). One of the reasons for this is that it is God’s law that one breaks, not mine. I am in no position to forgive sins this way. We cannot forgive one’s sins as they stand before God. Even if someone has sinned against me, I cannot actually forgive his sin. Only God can do that. I am not in a position to forgive the debt that one owes to God for sin. This is God’s realm, and none other’s. It would be wrong, then, to think that my forgiving another equates to God forgiving another. We are talking about two distinct matters.
2. When someone sins against me, the one who sinned has incurred a debt against two parties: God and me. Though I cannot forgive the debt owed against God, I can forgive the debtor of what he owes me. We are to forgive the “debtor,” which places the emphasis on the person over the debts owed to us. This I must do, for, as Jesus teaches, there are eternal consequences. If we have not forgiven our debtors, God will not forgive us (Matthew 6:14-15). The consequences for failing to forgive are clearly spelled out by our Lord.

To say, then, that I am forgiving a debtor is simply to say that I am releasing the debtor of anything he owes to me personally. Since I cannot forgive the debt owed to God, then my forgiving my debtor says nothing about whether God releases the debt owed Him. That is a separate issue that only God can handle. Whether a person repents or just says, “I repent,” no matter how many times (and we know how tempting it would be to think they don’t mean it after so many times), we are to forgive (Luke 17:3-5). And anytime we stand praying before God, we are told to forgive “anything against anyone” so that God will forgive us (Mark 11:25-26). These are not in conflict. The point is that we are to release debts against us personally. This is not optional.

Jesus indicates in both Matthew 6:14-15 and Mark 11:25-26 that we are to forgive our debtors even before we ask God to forgive us of our debts. Reread the passages. It is “as we have forgiven,” not just “as we will forgive.” If I have not forgiven one who owes me, then I have no right to ask God to forgive me of what I owe Him. This is serious business. Note, again, that Jesus calls them our debtors; how can we forgive our debtors if they do not actually owe anything? If I am holding debts against others while asking God to forgive me, I already know that God won’t forgive me. My forgiveness from God is conditioned upon my forgiveness of others (see also Matthew 18:21-35).

What I’m trying to draw attention to here is that there is a difference between the forgiveness God gives and the forgiveness I can give. I can only forgive a debt owed to me and nothing more. Only God can forgive the debts owed to Him. He knows their hearts. He knows if they have truly repented. We are to forgive based on the fact that God forgives us, and we are to forgive before we ask for forgiveness. God, on the other hand, does not forgive because he needs forgiveness. He is always the Forgiver in this scenario. That is a marked difference.

If we understand this difference, then perhaps some of the disagreements can be avoided.