The accounting and financial sector often deals with debts. A debt is a loan amount plus interest, and debt interest is calculated at an interest rate associated with an allotted time. In the case of an individual who has a huge debt that he cannot repay, there is a way to recover his personal economic activity. It is debt relief [cancellation]. The debtor will pay only a certain amount of debt and the remaining debt will be forgiven. This causes the creditor to lose the amount of debt that is forgiven because it is not repaid.
Of course, there are many complex requirements for a debtor to be relieved of his debt, and his claim may not be accepted because it goes through a court and the court upholds cancellation decision, considering the attitude of the debtor. It is difficult to receive debt cancellation, but for the debtor, it is the only way out. In fact, a similar system is in the Bible.
“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay … The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.”Mt 18:23–27
Even when a portion of debt is forgiven, it is a loss for the creditor. If everything is forgiven, it must cause a huge damage to the creditor. Who on earth will allow this?
Jesus taught us the spiritual cancellation—forgiveness of sins, through the parable. In this world, a portion of debt or the interest of original amount is forgiven, but in the heavenly system, sinners’ punishment is forgiven. Since the object of pardon is not goods but sins, it will have a very disadvantageous effect on the creditor ethically.
The Bible testifies that mankind committed sin against God in Heaven, and the wages of sin is death (Ro 6:23). In other words, only when we die will our sins disappear. However, even if we become free from our sin through our death, it is meaningless because we no longer exist then. We are unable to bear our sins.
However, God forgave all our sins like the king in the parable who forgave a huge debt of ten thousand talents. If all our sins are forgiven through unconditional cancellation, it means there will be no reward for God, the victim of our sins. Despite that, God paid for all our sins through the blood of the New Covenant. This means God will be in the place of the debtor for us who are in danger of eternal death. God, who knows we are unable to pay off our debt, shed His precious blood to completely pay for it instead of us (Heb 9:22).
God is the victim but forgave our sins and paid instead of us. The reason such an unusual system can be applied is because God is our Parents. Who on earth would sacrifice for sinners and pay for their sins? It is only their father and mother. Parents give unconditional love to their children, even their life.
Heavenly Parents established the law of the forgiveness of sins by giving Their life. That is the Passover of the New Covenant. God said, if we keep the Passover, He will pay for our sins unconditionally (Mt 26:26). Likewise, the Passover contains the sacrifice of God who took our sins just because we are His children.
Many misinterpret the relationship between God and us as master and servant or creditor and debtors, thinking that we get salvation in the way of give and take. However, we have seen God’s sacrifice for us even to the point of death. If we have realized this, we cannot say we are forgiven through our deeds of giving something to God. At the mere fact that God shed His blood to forgive the heavenly debtors who cannot be forgiven nor repay debt, we can realize that God is truly our spiritual Father and Mother.
Were the sins we had committed in Heaven light that we could be forgiven? Never! It was so heavy that only our Heavenly Parents could pay it off. To repay for Their grace even a little, we ought to take part in leading all people to the forgiveness of sins and covering the faults of our brothers and sisters just as God forgave our sins without any cost. Let us give eternal thanks to Heavenly Father and Mother for restoring our right to become heavenly children and granting us the eternal Kingdom of Heaven.