Offering Forgiveness
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
The line in the Lord's Prayer that reads, '[F]orgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,' does not mean that we earn God's forgiveness by forgiving other people (Matthew 6:12). If that were true, then salvation would rest on good works, and faith would be unnecessary. Paul says, 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast' (Ephesians 2:8-9).
主祷文中的“免我们的债，正如我们也免了人的债”，并不意味着我们通过宽恕他人来赢得上帝的宽恕（马太福音 6:12）。如果那是真的，那么得救就在于善行，信心就没有必要了。保罗说：“你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信，这不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的，不是本于行为，免得人自夸”（以弗所书 2:8-9）
Our eternal debt was paid on the cross once and for all. Nothing is outstanding. Forgiving others is not a payment toward our own forgiveness; it's a sign of spiritual life. Once we have received God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts, it follows that we should
By Michael Youssef, Ph.D.
The line in the Lord's Prayer that reads, '[F]orgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors,' does not mean that we earn God's forgiveness by forgiving other people (Matthew 6:12). If that were true, then salvation would rest on good works, and faith would be unnecessary. Paul says, 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast' (Ephesians 2:8-9).
主祷文中的“免我们的债，正如我们也免了人的债”，并不意味着我们通过宽恕他人来赢得上帝的宽恕（马太福音 6:12）。如果那是真的，那么得救就在于善行，信心就没有必要了。保罗说：“你们得救是本乎恩，也因着信，这不是出于自己，乃是神所赐的，不是本于行为，免得人自夸”（以弗所书 2:8-9）
Our eternal debt was paid on the cross once and for all. Nothing is outstanding. Forgiving others is not a payment toward our own forgiveness; it's a sign of spiritual life. Once we have received God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit lives in our hearts, it follows that we should