Heidelberg Catechism for Children (51)

This Lord’s Day discusses the fifth petition.

Question 126: Which is the fifth petition?

Answer: “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”; that is, be pleased for the sake of Christ’s blood, not to impute to us poor sinners our transgressions, nor that depravity which always cleaves to us; even as we feel this evidence of Thy grace in us, that it is our firm resolution from the heart to forgive our neighbor.

This petition is about our debts. What are debts? One often reads in the newspaper that someone has committed a crime; for example, he may have murdered someone. The criminal must then appear before the judge. The judge declares him to be guilty, for he has transgressed the law. He has deserved punishment, and, according to the law, the debt must be paid. In former days the murderer often was put to death. That is what he deserved.

Now God is the Judge of all people. We have all sinned against the Lord and have transgressed His holy law. It is something we do continually. Every day we sin against the Lord; therefore, we are all guilty. Do you know what makes this even worse? It is that we have come into the world as sinners. We were born with wicked and sinful hearts, hearts that are not willing to obey God, not willing to love Him and honor Him. This wickedness of our hearts is always there, in all that we do. We call this our original sin.

Our sins are crimes; indeed, they are transgressions committed against the Holy God, against the highest Majesty. Our sins are great and many. Therefore, the punishment which we deserve is also the extreme punishment, that is, the punishment of death. This is what is stated in the law of God. We have deserved eternal death, which is eternal suffering in hell. This punishment shows how great and how many our transgressions, our debts before God, are.

God is a just Judge. What He says, He also does. The punishment must be meted out for each one of us. We can never pay our debt unto God, however, and it increases more each day. Yes, we have become poor sinners, something which we must often consider. We must ask the Lord to cause us to feel in our hearts how terrible our condition is, for then we will truly begin to pray for forgiveness, and we will then pray with all our heart.

Forgiveness? What is that? If God forgives, the debt is all taken away. The Lord will then no longer think about it. It could also be said that the debt is no longer on a person’s account, and therefore there is no punishment for the person himself. Can our debts be forgiven? Is God not just? Must there not be a punishment for sin? Indeed, God is and remains just. He can forgive sins, but it is possible only because the Lord Jesus gave His blood, meaning that He gave His life. He died and bore the punishment of death for all His children. On the cross, Jesus suffered what they were to suffer eternally. He assumed their debt and made the complete payment. He is their Surety.

Do you then see that God is righteous? The punishment has been applied. God is also merciful and gracious, for He Himself has provided that our debts could be paid. Therefore He gave His only begotten Son unto death. Such a great mercy is incomprehensible. Now you can understand why the Lord Jesus is called the “Trespass Offering.” He offered Himself. His offering is of such value that all our debts can be forgiven. Even the greatest sinner can receive forgiveness, and for that reason each of us may pray, “Forgive us our debts.” God is just, but He is also merciful. Whoever truly comes unto Him as a poor sinner with all his debts, and who from a true heart prays for forgiveness, will receive forgiveness from the Lord.

Now let us look at the second part of the petition: “As we forgive our debtors.” A person who has received the forgiveness of sin will also forgive those who have wronged him. Do you know what often takes place? If someone has done something to you, you are angry. You think, “Just wait; I will get even with him.” There is then a desire for revenge in your heart, and you do not want to forgive him. However, if this is true in your heart, can you then yourself ask the Lord for forgiveness for all the wrong that you have done? We may ask the Lord for the forgiveness of our sins, but the Lord wants us also to forgive others. If the Lord forgives the sins of His children, they will say, “The evil that we do against the Lord is much more than the wrong which others do to us.” The merciful God then also gives mercy in their hearts. The Lord desires that we forgive others. If you cannot do so, you may ask Him for the spirit of forgiveness. The Lord Himself is merciful. He can also grant us mercy in our hearts, and then it is no longer difficult to forgive others.

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