Do we have to forgive others to be forgiven?

Leon ♦ December 10, 2023 ♦ Leave a comment

Does God require us to forgive other to be forgiven? My answer would be yes.. But not in the way you might think. In the book of Matthew Jesus gave his sermon on the mount. He gave us the Lords prayer, and in it we read.

Matthew 6:10-12  “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. At the end of the prayer he states, “For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

This seems to say in black and white, if we do not forgive others of their sins, God will not forgive us of ours. This seems to be a rather large burden to bear. I thought by believing in Jesus, and his finished work on the cross, my sins were forgiven. Isn’t that what Jesus came into the world to do? The Psalmist looking forward in time to Jesus day, had this to say concerning our sin.

Psalm103:12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

In the Book of Hebrews Paul is explaining a new covenant or agreement God has with his people. He quotes from the book of Jerimiah.

Hebrews 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. He goes on to say, “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”.

The old covenant was based upon works, but the new is based on Jesus, and his sacrifice for sin on our behalf. It concludes with, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” God does not find us guilty of sin, because Jesus paid the price for our disobedience by being obedient and righteous for us. So back to the sermon on the mount. How can we be forgiven on the one hand, and yet our forgiveness is based on how we forgive others? God has given us, as his children, a great deal of power and authority. Eternal life itself is in our power to choose. We can choose to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, or we can choose not to. Adam and Eve chose to eat the forbidden fruit. We make choices every day, and God allows us to make them all.

Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Our decisions have consequences. When we accepted Jesus into our lives, we became children of God. We also became one with God!

John 17:20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

God is in us. God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And that Holy Spirit dwells in us. It is the Holy Spirit that dwells inside of us that convicts us of sin, when we do not forgive others. When we truly have a heart of forgiveness toward those that have done evil to us, or hurt us in the most painful way, we will begin to be able to forgive ourselves of sins and offences we have committed throughout our lives. I can remember with great detail things I have said and done since the time I was a child, that have been hurtful and damaging to others in my life. Often to the very people I claimed to love the most. When such thoughts or negative feelings I have toward others creep into my mind, I get rid of them. I prune the bad, evil and unprofitable fruit and cast it into the sea. I try and focus as Paul instructed us, in this way. “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” Jesus taught us to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. This is often referred to as the Golden Rule. By using this simple but infinitely powerful commandment, we will forgive others and in turn begin to truly forgive ourselves.