by Vincent Charles

Created on: August 12, 2009   Last Updated: August 13, 2009

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15 (NKJV). The ability to forgive others is the key to being forgiven by God. There are many lessons throughout the Bible that declares this very truth.

Matthew 18:21-35, Peter asked Jesus if his brother sins against him, should he forgive him seven times, and Jesus replied, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Jesus told a parable about a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. A man who owed him 10,000 talents (equal to three billion dollars), was brought to him. When the king saw that his servant could not pay his debt, the king commanded that he be sold along with his wife, children and all their belongings so that the debt could be paid. The servant fell to his knees and begged the king to have some patience with him so that he could pay the debt. However, the king was moved with compassion, and completely forgave the debt that this man owed. After the king released him, he went immediately to a fellow servant and grabbed him by the neck and demanded that this man repay the debt of 100 denarii (equal to five thousand dollars). Because this man could not repay his debt, the first servant threw him into prison, until he could repay the debt in full. Other fellow servants observed what had just happened and were grieved, so they reported the incident to the king all that had been done. Verse 32-34 says, Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. Jesus concluded this parable with this truth in verse 35, So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.

It is vital to a Christian's salvation to forgive others who have offended them in one way or another in their past, present and future. Until one forgives others, they are still in sin because God cannot give remission of their sins. Habakkuk 1:13 (NKJV) says, You are of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on wickedness. Therefore, God cannot perform a good work in the life of a Christian, until he or she

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