For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15 (NIV)
Unforgiveness corrodes the container that carries it. Like an acid that eats through the vessel it is housed in, unforgiveness hardens the heart, consumes the mind, taints the thoughts, corrupts the ways and embitters the personalities where it is allowed to reside. It corrodes us from the inside out. To be sure, forgiveness is not only for the forgiven but also for the forgiver. For a Christian, forgiveness of others is mandatory because we ourselves have been forgiven much by God. Indeed, if we are unwilling to forgive, we will not be forgiven as Jesus clearly tells us in our verses for today. When we house unforgiveness in our bodies it taints our perspectives on everything. Forgiveness frees us from all this nonsense. Also, we cannot walk in fellowship with God when we harbor unforgiveness by refusing to forgive others. If He so freely forgives us, how much more so should we be willing to forgive those who have mistreated us. No one was more mistreated than our Lord Jesus.
As believers we stand pardoned by the perfect blood of Christ – all of our transgressions stand forgiven and that is a vast sum indeed. Christ’s sacrifice extends to all our sins – even the vilest – past, present and future - and now they are separated from us as far as the east is from the west. True justice does not bend, excuse or waver. A price must be paid in God’s eyes and a price was paid by the blood of our Savior. Because of this, Christ’s love therefore compels us to forgive others – freely and completely – just as we have been forgiven. Paul writes so beautifully in 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) these powerful words: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Amazing – freed from every sin.
How can we, therefore, as mere humans, deserving of nothing but death for our sins, not willingly and freely forgive those who have mistreated us - considering what Christ has done for us? Christians are to bear a strikingly close resemblance to the Lord Jesus. Christ wants the words and actions of His people to be like His. We are children of the King and our works and words are to point to Him Who forgave His enemies upon the cross for which He was dying for them. A Christians’ forgiveness is based on our being forgiven. One cannot walk in fellowship with God if he continues to refuse to forgive others. Forgiveness is called for by the forgiven.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.** Ephesians 4:32 (NIV)**