Question 126-127

 Question 126: What is the meaning of the fifth petition?

Answer: "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." This means, because of the merits of Christ's blood, that we, poor sinners, be forgiven of all our sins and that the evil that constantly torments us be removed. And as a proof of God's grace within us, we ask that we forgive our neighbors, as we forgive ourselves.

『Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.』 καὶ ἄφες ἡμῖν τὰ ὀφειλήματα ἡμῶν, ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀφήκαμεν τοῖς ὀφειλέταις ἡμῶν

If we translate the Greek Bible again, 『Let us forgive our debtors, as we forgive our debts (hos kai ὡς καὶ)』 The English translation of hos kai is as also, so it is translated as ~, but hos should be seen as a relative pronoun.

Debt signifies sin. The Korean Revised Version translated the latter part of the Greek text forward and the former part backward. First, God forgives our debts, and then we forgive those who owe us debts.

God judged His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross for his atoning death. Those who die in union with His Son will also be considered judged by God. Therefore, since believers have received such immense grace, they too are called to forgive their neighbors who have wronged them.

Question 127: What is the meaning of the sixth petition?

Answer: "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." This means that since we are too weak to defend ourselves even for a moment, and since our mortal enemies—the devil, the world, and our own flesh—are constantly attacking us, we pray that the Lord, by the power of the Holy Spirit, uphold and strengthen us so that we may not be defeated in the spiritual struggle but may powerfully resist the enemy until we achieve final and complete victory.

Romans 7:21-24 "Therefore I find it to be a law, that when I want to do good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. What a wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"

Even among saved saints, the old fleshly self and the new spiritual self coexist within their hearts. Therefore, spiritually, the fleshly mind and the spiritual mind are at war.

There are two instances where God uses Satan to tempt believers. The first is the temptation after the believer receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Similarly, Jesus was tempted by Satan after his baptism. These temptations are about legalism, humanism (faith in ups and downs), and gnosticism. God grants faith to those who pass these temptations.

The second is the thorn of Satan that falls upon the saints. When the saints struggle with the flesh and continually stumble, Satan gives them the thorn. Paul prayed three times for a way out of the thorn, but God turned away.

The way to be saved from evil is to pray to win the battle of the flesh. Evil is the greed to become like God, and this is the mind of the flesh. Romans 8:6-8, "For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor indeed can it. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God."

So Paul urges us to fight and overcome the flesh. Romans 8:12-13: "Therefore, brothers, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."