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Matt. 6:12

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Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 29, 1875

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 46, No. 5.

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Matt. 6:12.

By Jos. Clarke

“And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”
It appears from this text that unless we possess a forgiving spirit we cannot expect that God will forgive us our sins; for, indeed, most of us need daily the forgiving grace of God; and if he should for one day hide his face from us in anger, we would faint and die.
The world know not how much they owe to the special influences of God’s Spirit for the quiet and peace and happiness they enjoy. Few realize how the forbearance of God is continually tried; few can realize how he endures with sinful man.
Often, we hear people doubt or deny the special providence of God, when, at the same time, he is keeping a strict record of every idle word, and every skeptical expression; and still he waits, and invites all to approach his mercy in humble confession and penitence; can we possibly find fault with our contemporaries, for their wrongs, while God is so forbearing with us?
Jesus set us a very noble pattern in asking his Father to forgive his foes, even while they were killing and tormenting him. Only think of it; before they even thought of repentance, he implored God to forgive them, and, no doubt many of those who cried out to crucify him, were among the converts on the day of Pentecost, in answer to this prayer.
If we harbor an unforgiving spirit toward others, we tacitly say to God that we wish his frown and secret curse to ever rest upon us and all our interests; and if we remember the wrongs of others, we say to God, “Do not forget our sins, but ever keep them in thy mind, and remind us of them on every convenient and proper occasion.” JOS. CLARKE.