Lord's Day Questions with proof texts
Link to audio recording of LD 51
Summary (NotebookLM)
Ursinus, in this section of his commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, expounds on the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer: "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." He systematically addresses what Christ means by "debts" (all sins) and how God remits them (through Christ's satisfaction), asserting that this forgiveness is freely given to humanity but not without the necessary satisfaction of divine justice. A major focus is placed on the conditional clause, explaining that our forgiveness of others is not the cause or merit for God's forgiveness, but rather a sign and sincere proof of our true faith and repentance, without which we cannot rightly pray for divine pardon. The commentary also tackles several objections concerning the nature of forgiveness and whether the righteous still need to pray for it, concluding that this petition continually reminds believers of their persistent sins and strengthens their faith.
Chapter Content:
This document provides a comprehensive analysis of the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer, "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors," as detailed in the commentary on Lord's Day 51 of the Heidelberg Catechism. The analysis deconstructs the petition's theological underpinnings, exploring its meaning, purpose, and implications for the believer.
The central findings are as follows:
• The Scope of "Debts": The term "debts" is a comprehensive metaphor for all human sins—original and actual, including those of omission, commission, and ignorance. These sins render individuals debtors to God, both in the obedience they have failed to provide and the punishment they have incurred.
• The Mechanism of Forgiveness: Divine forgiveness is defined as God not imputing sin to believers or punishing them for it. This is not a violation of divine justice, as the debt of sin has been fully paid and the punishment executed upon Jesus Christ. Forgiveness is therefore entirely gracious and free to the recipient, imputed on the basis of Christ's satisfaction, which is apprehended by faith.
• The Necessity of Prayer: Believers are to pray continually for forgiveness, even though they have already received it. This is because forgiveness is an ongoing need due to the sin that "always cleaves" to them in this life. Prayer is the divinely appointed means to desire and receive this continuing grace, which is essential for salvation and deepens repentance.
• The Role of Human Forgiveness: The clause "as we forgive our debtors" does not establish human forgiveness as a meritorious cause for divine forgiveness. Rather, it serves two primary functions: it is a sign of true faith and repentance in the petitioner, and it acts as a source of comfort and assurance that they have received God's grace. The particle "as" denotes a comparison of sincerity and truth, not of degree or equality.
I. The Definition and Scope of "Debts"
The source text establishes that Christ uses the term "debts" to encompass the totality of human sin. This interpretation is supported by Luke 11:4, where the petition is phrased, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us."
• Comprehensive Nature of Sin: "Debts" include all categories of sin:
◦ Original Sin: The inherent sinful nature.
◦ Actual Sin: Specific transgressions committed.
◦ Sins of Ignorance: Wrongdoings committed without full awareness.
◦ Sins of Omission and Commission: Failing to do what is right and doing what is wrong.
• The Two-Fold Nature of the Debt: Sins create a state of indebtedness to God in two distinct ways:
1. Debt of Obedience: A failure to render to God the perfect obedience that is owed to Him.
2. Debt of Punishment: An obligation to suffer the consequences for this failure, as stated in Deuteronomy 27:26: "Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them."
According to the commentary, this state of condemnation can only be resolved through the divine remission of these debts.
II. The Nature of Divine Forgiveness
The forgiveness of sins, or the remission of debts, is presented as a specific divine action rooted in the mediatorial work of Christ.
• Core Definition: To forgive sins is for God "not to impute any sin to us, but graciously receives us into his favor, declares us righteous and regards us as his children." This is analogous to a creditor who blots out a debt entirely, as if it had been paid, and exacts no punishment.
• The Foundation of Forgiveness: God forgives sins not by ignoring them, but because He has already punished them in His Son. The satisfaction for sin was made by Christ, and this satisfaction is imputed to believers and apprehended by faith. Because sin and punishment are "correlatives," the removal of sin through Christ's satisfaction necessarily removes the punishment for the believer.
Theological Clarifications on Forgiveness
The text addresses several potential objections to this doctrine:
|
Objection |
Resolution |
|
Violation of Divine Justice: Does asking God to remit sin mean asking Him to act contrary to His justice? |
No. The order of divine justice is upheld because God does not pardon sin without satisfaction. The prayer for forgiveness is explicitly made "on account of the satisfaction of Christ." |
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Contradiction of "Free" Grace: If forgiveness is based on Christ's recompense, how can it be considered free? |
Forgiveness is not free in respect to Christ, who made the payment, but it is entirely free in respect to us, as God does not demand satisfaction from us. |
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The Role of Merit: If forgiveness is merited by Christ, is it truly a gracious gift? |
Yes. The merit is Christ's alone, not ours. Christ Himself was a free gift from the Father, and His merit is freely imputed to believers "without the intervention of any desert on our part." |
In summary, God remits sins freely for three reasons:
1. He demands no satisfaction from us.
2. He freely gave His Son to make satisfaction.
3. He graciously gives and imputes the Son's satisfaction to believers.
III. The Rationale for Praying for Forgiveness
The commentary outlines three primary reasons why believers must continually desire and pray for the forgiveness of sins.
1. For Salvation: The forgiveness of sins is a prerequisite for salvation, and God confers this benefit only upon those who desire it.
2. For Repentance: The act of praying for forgiveness serves as a constant "admonition" and reminder of the "remains of sin which still cleave even to the most holy," thereby making repentance more earnest and deep.
3. For Receiving Blessings: Without the remission of sins, other divine blessings "are either not given, or else they are given to their destruction." The wicked may receive gifts, but they contribute to their condemnation rather than their salvation.
The text also clarifies why those who already have forgiveness must still pray for it. It argues that believers possess forgiveness "as it respects the beginning thereof" but not "wholly." Because sin is a continual reality in the life of the regenerate, forgiveness must be continually sought and received. God's design is to grant this ongoing forgiveness on the condition that "we daily desire this continuance."
IV. The Significance of "As We Forgive Our Debtors"
The concluding clause of the petition is explained not as a condition for earning God's favor, but as a vital component that shapes the prayer and comforts the believer.
• Dual Purpose of the Clause:
1. To Pray Rightly: It ensures the petitioner approaches God in "true faith and penitence," of which love and forgiveness toward one's neighbor are an essential sign.
2. For Comfort: It provides assurance. When a believer finds "this witness of Thy grace in us, that it is our full purpose heartily to forgive our neighbor," they can be certain of their own forgiveness from God.
Analysis of Key Objections
The text systematically dismantles several common misinterpretations of this clause:
• The Standard of Forgiveness ("As"): The particle "as" does not signify an equality of degree. The prayer is not that God would forgive us as imperfectly as we forgive others. Instead, "as" signifies a comparison of truth and reality. The meaning is that God will as "truly and certainly" forgive us as we truly and certainly forgive our neighbor from the heart.
• Human Forgiveness as a Cause: The phrasing in Luke 11:4 ("for we also forgive") does not imply that our forgiveness is the meritorious cause of God's forgiveness. Our forgiveness is described as an "argument and proof" that we have been forgiven by God. It cannot be the cause because:
1. It is imperfect.
2. Even if it were perfect, it is an obedience already owed to God and therefore cannot merit anything additional.
• The Problem of Remembering Injuries: The text argues that one does not truly forgive if they retain a recollection of injuries while "making any resistance thereto." While it is difficult to bury all remembrance of offenses, true forgiveness is achieved when one does not "cherish it, but resist the remains of sin" and refuses to give indulgence to desires for revenge.
• The Case of Paul and Alexander (2 Tim. 2:4): Paul's statement, "the Lord reward him according to his works," does not contradict the principle of forgiveness. The commentary distinguishes three types of forgiveness:
1. Forgiveness of Revenge: This is required of all people and is the subject of the fifth petition. Paul forgave Alexander in this respect.
2. Forgiveness of Punishment: This belongs to the magistrate and should not be remitted without just cause. Paul desired God, the ultimate judge, to execute justice if Alexander persisted in sin.
3. Forgiveness of Judgment: God does not require us to judge wicked people as honest. Paul did not sin by maintaining an accurate judgment of Alexander's character while he remained unrepentant.
How does this theological petition define the nature of sin and forgiveness?
The theological petition, "And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors" (the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer), defines the nature of sin primarily as debt and forgiveness as the non-imputation of sin, achieved through the satisfaction made by Christ.
The Nature of Sin (Debts)
Christ uses the term "debts" to comprise all our sins. This category includes both original and actual transgressions, as well as sins of ignorance, omission, and commission.
Sins are called debts because they establish the sinner as a debtor to God. This indebtedness arises in two specific ways:
In respect to the obedience which we have failed to render.
In respect to the punishment which we are bound to pay in consequence of our failures.
When a person sins, they fail to give or perform what they owe to God, and thus remain a debtor bound to make satisfaction by punishment. This state of sin leads to a state of condemnation, from which deliverance is impossible unless God remits the sins. Furthermore, the sources emphasize that even the most holy believers in this life still have the remains of sin which continually cleave to them.
The Nature of Forgiveness (Remission of Debts)
Forgiveness is fundamentally requested "for the sake of Christ’s blood". Forgiveness occurs when God acts like a creditor who blots the account from his books without exacting punishment.
Theological Definition of Divine Forgiveness:
Forgiveness is defined by what God does and does not do, based on Christ's work:
Non-Imputation and Punishment: God forgives our debts when he does not lay them to our account, nor punish us on account of them. This is because He has already punished them in His Son, our Mediator.
Justification and Favor: Forgiveness means that God does not impute any sin to us, but graciously receives us into His favor, declares us righteous, and regards us as His children.
Basis: This declaration of righteousness is made out of God’s mere grace and mercy for the sake of the satisfaction which Christ made in our behalf, which is imputed unto us and apprehended by faith.
Result: Since sin and punishment are correlatives, the remission of sin does away with the punishment of sin, granting the believer righteousness and eternal life.
Justice and Freeness of Forgiveness:
The order of divine justice is not violated when God pardons sin, because it is not pardoned without satisfaction having been made (Christ’s satisfaction). While the forgiveness is given in view of a recompense (Christ’s merit), it is still considered freely given to us because God does not receive satisfaction from us, but only from Christ. God remits sins freely because He requires no satisfaction from us, freely gave His Son to make satisfaction, and graciously imputes Christ’s satisfaction to those who believe.
The Role of Human Forgiveness (The clause "As we forgive our debtors"):
The petition requires the petitioner to demonstrate a "full purpose heartily to forgive our neighbor". The clause "as we forgive our debtors" is added by Christ for two reasons:
To Ensure Right Desire: That we may rightly desire and pray for forgiveness in true faith and penitence, the sign of which is love to our neighbor.
To Provide Comfort: That we may be assured of the forgiveness of our sins when we extend forgiveness to others.
Crucially, the particle "as" does not signify the degree of forgiveness, meaning God is not limited to forgiving us only to the extent that we perfectly forgive others. Instead, the particle signifies the kind of forgiveness, referring to the truth and sincerity of the forgiveness extended. We pray that God will as truly forgive us as we certainly and truly forgive our neighbor from the heart.
Our forgiveness of others is not the meritorious cause of divine forgiveness, as it is imperfect and we already owe perfect obedience to God. Rather, our forgiveness is merely an argument and proof that God has forgiven us our sins, provided our forgiveness is true and sincere. When we truly forgive others, our faith is confirmed, and we may certainly believe that our sins are forgiven, according to Christ's promise.
The definition of sin and forgiveness can be understood using the metaphor of a financial bailout:
Sin is defined as a mountainous debt we owe to a perfectly just Creditor (God), making us liable for an infinite punishment. Forgiveness is not merely the Creditor deciding to forget the debt (violating justice); rather, it is the Creditor accepting a perfect payment made by a Divine Guarantor (Christ) on our behalf. Once that payment is accepted, the debt is blotted out, and the debtor is not just freed from jail but is declared solvent (righteous) and adopted as family (children), provided they show the genuine commitment to clear their own small debts with their neighbors, proving they understand the truth and reality of the system they have benefited from.
Why is forgiveness of sins necessary?
Forgiveness of sins is necessary for several critical reasons relating to salvation, God's justice, the spiritual state of believers, and the reception of all other spiritual benefits.
1. Necessity for Salvation and Deliverance from Condemnation
The primary reason forgiveness of sins is necessary is on account of our salvation, that we may be saved.
Avoidance of Condemnation: Sin is defined as a debt owed to God due to our failure to render obedience and the resulting need to pay punishment. Because of sin, humanity exists in a state of condemnation, from which deliverance is impossible unless God remits our sins.
Entrance to Eternal Life: Without the forgiveness of sins, we cannot be saved. Conversely, those whose sins are pardoned attain to eternal life.
2. Necessity for Receiving God's Benefits and Favor
Forgiveness is necessary to ensure that other blessings from God do not result in destruction or condemnation:
Condition for Other Blessings: We must desire and receive forgiveness so that we may desire and receive former blessings. Without the remission of sins, these other blessings are either not given, or else they are given to their destruction. The wicked often receive gifts, but these gifts contribute to their condemnation, not their salvation.
Living in God: Forgiveness is prayed for after praying for a supply of food, emphasizing that he who is fed by God may live in God.
3. Necessity for the Ongoing Sanctification of Believers
Even though the godly enjoy the forgiveness of sins in its beginning, continuous forgiveness is necessary throughout life:
Persistence of Sin: We should pray for forgiveness to be admonished and reminded of the remains of sin which still cleave even to the most holy in this life.
Continuance of Repentance: Recognizing persistent sin makes our repentance more earnest and deep.
Daily Need: The godly must desire the continuance of forgiveness because sins are continually found even in the regenerate. God designs that believers should daily desire this continuance of forgiveness for the sins which they commit now or may hereafter commit.
4. Necessity Due to Divine Justice
Forgiveness is necessary because God's justice requires that satisfaction be made for sin:
Satisfaction Requirement: God does not pardon sin without any satisfaction being made, as this would violate the order of divine justice.
Christ's Mediation: We must pray for forgiveness on account of the satisfaction of Christ. God forgives our debts because He has punished them in His Son, our Mediator.
Summary of Roles in the Petition
Because forgiveness is so necessary, Christ instituted this petition to fulfill specific theological and practical functions:
That we acknowledge our sins.
That we thirst and long after the forgiveness of sins, since it is granted to none but such as truly desire it and do not trample underfoot the blood of the Son of God.
That our faith may be exercised, strengthened, and confirmed.