If you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matthew 6:14-15).
There was a king who suffered much from his rebellious subjects. But one day they surrendered their arms, threw themselves at his feet, and begged for mercy. He pardoned them all. One of his friends said to him, “Did you not say that every rebel should die?” “Yes,” replied the king, “but I see no rebels here” (https://ministry127.com/resources/illustrations/forgiveness). Friends, it’s easy to play fast and loose with forgiveness until we have messed up horribly, ruined cherished relationships, and need someone to forgive us. Jesus has something to say about our readiness to forgive those who sin against us, and demonstrate desire to be forgiven. In Luke 17:3-4, He said, “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ forgive him.”
I will never forget reading about what happened at a set of revival meetings in Texas years ago. Dr. John R. Rice, a great evangelist who is now with the Lord, was to preach revival services at a Baptist church in Woodbine, Texas. Division and fighting among the membership reached fever-pitch, and nothing the pastor did could turn the church toward forgiveness. So, with a broken the hear, the pastor resigned and left. The associational missionary for the county, hoping to see the church revived and prospering in God’s work once again, asked Dr. Rice to come and preach the revival services. Upon his arrival, the preacher found the whole community divided and full of anger. Deacons had participated in fist fights that reached nearly every home. Many people promised never to return to the church. Dr. Rice never found out most of the details of the division. Nevertheless, with a burden in his soul, he preached against sin, urged God’s people to clean up their lives, and pleaded with them to make peace with their neighbors. Night after night he preached. Those who had been angry at others were now angry with him. One morning, a woman in the community started to make a telephone call to tell Dr. Rice just what she thought of all his meddling in their affairs. But her nineteen-year-old son stopped her and said, “Mom, you are wrong! I have just been out in the woods to pray. I know Brother Rice is right. If we Christians do not get right with each other, we can never have real revival. I for one am going to try to get right.” His mother hung the phone up and never made the phone call. In the next service, Dr. Rice called for a time of testimony. With tears streaming down her face, one woman rose to beg forgiveness of another woman with whom she had quarreled. The other woman swiftly got up and ran to meet her. They put their arms around one another and wept in the aisle. Confessions came from all areas of the congregation. The deep moving of God Spirit was evident as people began to make restitution, ask forgiveness, and seek Christian fellowship again. News spread like wildfire throughout the community. The next night the church building was overflowing with people. Many came to church who had not been there in months including some who had vowed they would never set foot in the building again. From the very beginning of the service, the Holy Spirit was working powerfully. Dr. Rice preached the Gospel, and, at the invitation, men and women accepted Jesus as their Savior with tears streaming down their faces. The revival services went on for four weeks. Dozens of people were saved, hundreds of Christians were revived, and people came from miles around to fill that church (https://ministry127.com/resources/illustration/bitterness-hinders-revival).
All of us think others should forgive us our faults, failures, and sins; yet, when the shoe is on the other foot, we often find it difficult to extend the same grace and mercy. Withholding forgiveness and holding grudges is like drinking poison. The combination kills us slowly from the inside out. I’ve read that people in alcohol and drug recovery often say, “Don’t let that person live rent free in your head.” Their encouragement is to not hold on to resentments over people who have hurt you. Instead, let the hurt go (https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2024/november/man-lives-rent-free-in-ny-hotel.html). The Bible presents forgiveness as a cherished and expensive commodity. It is to always be preceded by true repentance and Godly sorrow. When we sin against God and others, we are to allow ourselves to be moved to remorse and confession, and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. Moreover, when people display genuine regret and contrition for their sins against us, we are to respond urgently with grace and mercy.
How do we know their repentance is real? By their subsequent action of course. In Acts 26:20, we find the admonition: repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance. Therefore, when repentance is real, it is demonstrated by a change in behavior toward the good, right, and holy. We find, thus, that we are to receive forgiveness from others whom we sin against, when we truly repent, and we are to extend forgiveness to others who demonstrate true repentance. Our adherence to this biblical mandate is not without consequences. Until true repentance occurs, we are to remain in the state of readiness to forgive and even pray for the one who has sinned against us. Remember Jesus command in Matthew 5:44-45: “Pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” Take to heart the admonition of 1 Peter 3:8-9: “All of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing.” Some author known only to God left us an axiom of inestimable value, when he wrote, “When one forgives, two souls are set free” (https://www.godtube.com/blog/24-powerful-quotes-about-forgiveness-to-encourage-compassion.html). Moreover, we would do well to remember Jesus’ firm warning in Matthew 6:14-15: “If you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”
Prior to his death in 2015 from complications related to ALS, Ed Dobson served as senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan for eighteen years. He was also a founding dean of Liberty University. Dobson wrote, “We ask for forgiveness. And we forgive others who ask us. In that way we can experience healing, healing in our souls” (https://www.godtube.com/blog/24-powerful-quotes-about-forgiveness-to-encourage-compassion.html). Beloved, remember that we have been called to a life of holiness which means separation. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, born-again to new life, and promised eternity in heaven are to be living memorials to Christ’s great commandment found in Matthew 22:36-40: we are to love God with our whole being and love others as we love ourselves. Anyone who lives with eyes wide open and unfeigned honesty knows that love and unforgiveness cannot reside together in harmony. Love will push unforgiveness out, and unforgiveness will choke out love. This is why Mother Teresa held that “If we really want to love, we must learn to forgive” (https://www.godtube.com/blog/24-powerful-quotes-about-forgiveness-to-encourage-compassion.html).
Jesus told a parable about a king who wanted to settle accounts with his slaves. One who owed him ten thousand talents was brought before him. One talent was worth a whole year’s wages; therefore, this slave would need ten thousand years to pay back his debt if he could manage to pay back one talent per year. Since this slave could not possibly pay back his debt, the king ordered that he, his wife, and children be sold to pay back what he owed. The slave begged for time to repay the debt which moved to king to compassion. He forgave his slave and cancelled his debt. To his shame, that slave went out and found a fellow slave who owed him one hundred denarii. Keep in mind that one denarii was equal to one day’s wages. So, the slave could have easily repaid his debt over time. He began to choke his fellow slave, and demand repayment. His fellow slave fell to the ground and begged for time to repay his debt. However, the slave had him thrown into prison until he could repay the debt. When the other slaves saw what happed, they were grieved and reported all that happened to the king. According to Matthew 18:32-34, “Summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’ And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.”
Friends, out of shear gratitude to God for His forgiveness of our sins, we should be ready always to forgive those who sin against us, demonstrate repentance, and desire reconciliation. Now, if God’s compassion and forgiveness of us is not motivation enough, remember how Jesus finished His parable of the hard-hearted slave. In Matthew 18:35, Jesus said, “My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart.” So, dear people, the clear teaching of the Bible is to be ready always to ask forgiveness and extend forgiveness.
Will you make this commitment today and follow through?