“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors"
Meditation 3: “Debts” is Legal
Though we know to pray for our forgiveness, it is important to full understand why. As God’s creation we are supposed to obey Him. When we don’t we “steal” His glory (Rom 3:23) by exalting ourselves.
This type of behavior is unpleasing to God. Being a just God He “pays us” for these debts (Rom 4:4) in a judgment of death (Rom 6:23). Just like having no money but needing to pay, we owe God glory that we cannot produce. Thus we must be forgiven by God this debt. God can do this because Jesus paid it for us (1 Pet 1:18-19). We can pray for forgiveness of our debt in confidence because it has been paid for us.