Further Study Notes _For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses._ Matthew 6:14, 15, _“Ask, and ye shall receive.”_ The assurance is broad and unlimited, and He is faithful who has promised. We sometimes fail in faith because Infinite Wisdom does not come to our terms. When for any reason we do not receive the very things we ask for at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears, and that he will give us those things that are best for us. His own glory is a sufficient reason for sometimes withholding what we ask for, and answering our prayers in a manner that we did not expect. But we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will come, and we shall receive the blessings we need most. ST August 21, 1884, par. 6 *We need to examine our hearts as a preparation for coming before God in prayer, that we may know what manner of spirit we are of. If we do not forgive those who have trespassed against us, our prayers for forgiveness will not be heard.* _“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”_ When as sinners we approach the mercy-seat, *we cannot express the sentiment of this petition without forgiveness in our hearts for all who have done us an injury.* Upon this petition Jesus makes a comment: _“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”_ ST August 21, 1884, par. 7 On another occasion Jesus enforced the duty of forgiveness still more earnestly. Peter asked, _“How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?”_ In reply, Jesus related a parable of a certain king who forgave his servant a debt of ten thousand talents, but who revoked the pardon, and commanded this servant to be delivered to the tormentors, because in his dealings with his fellow-servants he did not carry out the same righteous principles that had been manifested in dealing with him. After he had received so great mercy, he would not, in his turn, forgive a small debt of a hundred pence, but, on the contrary, treated his debtor with great severity. Our Lord concludes in these impressive words: _“So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”_ ST August 21, 1884, par. 8 _“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.”_ *We must cherish a kind, forbearing spirit. It is solemn mockery to engage in acts of religious worship with hearts full of envy, malice, and bitterness toward our fellow-men. The God who sees every action and understands every motive of the soul, a Being of infinite purity and exhaustless goodness, mercy, and truth, regards the prayers of such persons with abhorrence.* ST August 21, 1884, par. 9
Further Study Notes
_For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses._ Matthew 6:14, 15,
_“Ask, and ye shall receive.”_ The assurance is broad and unlimited, and He is faithful who has promised. We sometimes fail in faith because Infinite Wisdom does not come to our terms. When for any reason we do not receive the very things we ask for at the time we ask, we are still to believe that the Lord hears, and that he will give us those things that are best for us. His own glory is a sufficient reason for sometimes withholding what we ask for, and answering our prayers in a manner that we did not expect. But we are to cling to the promise; for the time of answering will come, and we shall receive the blessings we need most. ST August 21, 1884, par. 6
*We need to examine our hearts as a preparation for coming before God in prayer, that we may know what manner of spirit we are of. If we do not forgive those who have trespassed against us, our prayers for forgiveness will not be heard.* _“Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”_ When as sinners we approach the mercy-seat, *we cannot express the sentiment of this petition without forgiveness in our hearts for all who have done us an injury.* Upon this petition Jesus makes a comment: _“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”_ ST August 21, 1884, par. 7
On another occasion Jesus enforced the duty of forgiveness still more earnestly. Peter asked, _“How oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?”_ In reply, Jesus related a parable of a certain king who forgave his servant a debt of ten thousand talents, but who revoked the pardon, and commanded this servant to be delivered to the tormentors, because in his dealings with his fellow-servants he did not carry out the same righteous principles that had been manifested in dealing with him. After he had received so great mercy, he would not, in his turn, forgive a small debt of a hundred pence, but, on the contrary, treated his debtor with great severity. Our Lord concludes in these impressive words: _“So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.”_ ST August 21, 1884, par. 8
_“Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer.”_ *We must cherish a kind, forbearing spirit. It is solemn mockery to engage in acts of religious worship with hearts full of envy, malice, and bitterness toward our fellow-men. The God who sees every action and understands every motive of the soul, a Being of infinite purity and exhaustless goodness, mercy, and truth, regards the prayers of such persons with abhorrence.* ST August 21, 1884, par. 9