Forgive us Our Sins

Luke 11:4 (ESV)
and forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation."


Forgive us our sins, as we forgiven everyone who is indebted to us. I suppose that is the thing. Our sin causes indebtedness. When we sin against someone else, there is a naturally inclination to try to make up for it somehow. But it can never really be paid for. The only thing we can hope for is forgiveness. We have been forgiven, therefore we forgive.
Yes even in this prayer, we are instructed to forgive. I really don’t understand when people say men cannot forgive others. Than man does not have the authority to forgive. Really? We are commanded to do so. I’m a broken record on this, but when we forgive someone who has sinned against us, be they husband or wife, son, or daughter, mother or father, employer or employee, pastor or parishioner, we forgive them of sin they have committed first and foremost against God. Sins against us are sins against God, even the second table ones, especially the second table ones. When we sin, we sin against God. It is for this reason the Pharisees questioned who had the authority to forgive sins. They at least understood that all sin is sin against God, and so he was the only one with the authority to forgive. But then it is his authority to do with what he wants, and he gives it to us.