Just a simple question since it seems your bible is quite different from the one I have. How can an unbeliever have the same Father as Jesus? Jesus says when you pray say,
"Our Father, who art in heaven"
"hallowed be Thy name"
"Thy kingdom come"
"Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven"
Please explain how an unbeliever, one who has not already been forgiven, can petition for these things when he does not even understand what holiness is, what the kingdom is about, nor does he care what God's will is? All of this before he even gets to the forgiveness part and why would an unbeliever even care whether God forgives him or not?
Who is talking about unbelievers? Did I say unbelievers recite or sing the Lord's Prayer? I am not talking about Buddhists or Muslims! I am a Christian. I talk to other Christians about Christianity, and to non-Christians who ask.
We recite the Lord's Prayer in every Divine Liturgy. Who is praying in the church if not the Christ-believers?
The Lord's Prayer says (in original Greek) "Forgive us...as we have forgiven." It doesn't get much clearer than that, BD.
Our Lord expects us to forgive our enemies so that we may ask for forgiveness for our traspasses against the Lord.
The biblical story about a man who failed to forgive someone who owed him money is clear on that as well. We must show mercy to ask for mercy, even if our enemies don't.