Forgive and It Shall Be Forgiven


		Home Articles

			Forgive and It Shall Be Forgiven

Forgive and it shall be forgiven; for if we do not forgive, then neither will we be forgiven. 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 (Matt. 6:14-15). This teaching has been handed down to the believer, but has its meaning, in part, in how it has been frequently taught in blind faith? What does it mean to say that we will not be forgiven? Scripture plainly says that if we confess our sins, God will forgive us.


	Forgiveness is part of the repentant prayer when we invite God in our lives and become what is called born again. So, either we are or are not forgiven. According to Scripture, when we give our lives to God, we are forgiven. But part of this repentance means forgiving others. After we have given our lives to the Father through our Savior Jesus who died on the Cross for our sins and we have repented of our sins, we must also forgive others who have sinned against us. As Jesus said, "if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." If we come to a point in our Christian Faith that we are not forgiving of others and if we do not forgive should we depart from this life, will we answer for our own sins we have committed against the Father until our sins have been paid? This answer has been taught within the lessons of purgatory in the Catholic Church and is under much debate amongst other Christian denominations. There are three solutions to this answer. The person who does not forgive is eternally lost. The person who does not forgive can not ever be lost and so remains eternally with God. The person must pay back their sin and only then can be with God. The first solution is contradictory to what Jesus taught in that it denies that all our sins can be forgiven, except the unpardonable (Matt. 12:31), which would include the sin of not forgiving others (Psalm103:3: "who forgiveth all thine iniquities"). The second solution is also contradictory to what Jesus taught since He said that a person is not forgiven of their sin should they not forgive others and Scripture teaches that sin separates the soul from God (Isa.59:2). The latter of these three, of course, speaks of the ideology of purgatory and should be examined to see if it has any Scriptural possibility. Martin Luther was a monk and former Catholic Priest who began a movement later known as the Protestant Reformation. This Reformation took place in the 16th century, which was over 1500 years after the time of Christ. He taught against the traditional teaching of the Catholic Church on ideas such as the repentance of sins in its affect on the soul in the after life (known as purgatory). Since his teaching on this subject was hundreds of years after the beginning of the church, it is important to go back to the early history of the church and find the original teachings in reference to sin and its repercussion on the soul in the matter of forgiveness toward others. The best place to start research is within Scripture itself. If we reference the previous statement by the Lord with further study of Scripture, we can get a better understanding of what Jesus taught on this selfsame subject. In Matthew, Jesus tells a story about a man who does not forgive his fellow labourer (Matt. 21:18-35). Both men are servants of a King and the one who would not forgive another servant had previously asked the king to forgive him of a much larger debt. When the king found out this servant did not forgive his fellow servant, he made the servant pay him back all he owed until the debt was paid in full. Jesus ends the story by saying: And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses (Matt. 18:34-35). The unforgiving servant of the story had asked forgiveness for his many sins and was forgiven. But later, when he encounters someone who owes him a small amount in contrast to what he owed the king, he would not forgive him. In the process his forgiveness of debt was removed. The man was "delivered to the tormentors" until the debt was paid. Compare this story to the belief in purgatory. Both teach forgiveness in so far as others indebted are forgiven in return. Both show "payment" must be received if forgiveness is not. And both show a return to their Master once the debt is paid. God is the Lord. The adversary is the enemy (Luke 12:58-59). In prison is the "tormentors." And prison is the pit. If we do not properly deal with our enemy and sins in this life, the absolution is prison. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FurtherScripture study... Matthew 18 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven. 23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon,one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt,because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses. *Luke 12* 58 When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art in the way, give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. 59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite. *Matthew 6* 9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Works Cited Strong, James. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Hendrickson Publishers, Incorporated, 2009.