Article June 3, 1905 Issue

Our Debtors

MARION P. HATCH.

Among the countless good things that Christian Science has brought to the world is an understanding of these words in our Lord's Prayer, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Now we know that our debtors are the errors which we believe to be true, and that they are our debtors because they owe us for all their seeming power. Are you fearful? there is a debtor of your own creating—for no error can continue to exist for any man except through his instrumentality. The same with anger, pride, envy, selfishness, or sickness,—all your debtors if you give place and power to them. Christian Science shows how, through the reflection of divine Love, the forgiveness–destruction—of our debtors is brought about, also that it is our work, and that we should always remember when we pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors," that we are asking a conditional favor—the forgiveness of our debts as we forgive our debtors. This is a vital point, for our debts and our debtors are identical, and to expect an answer without having done our part is useless.

Jesus said in the eighth chapter of John, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye disciples indeed." As Christian Scientists we know these words of the Master to mean that only by understanding and demonstrating the truth as he was doing, can men destroy—forgive—their debtors. The destruction of sin along the lines thus indicated is the every—day work of Christian Scientists, and thus they continually preach the gospel of the kingdom of heaven as did Jesus and his disciples, "with signs following."

Immediately after the Master gave us the Lord's Prayer, he said, "If ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." We learn in Christian Science that as we forgive—destroy for men, through our understanding of Truth—their debts,—their belief in sin as expressed in sickness, sin, impatience, etc.,—these trespasses are destroyed by our heavenly Father. But if we disregard this work,—fail to see the unreality of all forms of error for ourselves and for our fellow—men, and consequently fail to comprehend the allness of God,—neither will our understanding of our heavenly Father, what we know of Him, be sufficient to forgive—destroy—our trespasses, and until this condition is overcome, our "debts" and our "debtors" remain.

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