Unforgiveness

By Don Krow with updates from Eileen Plemmons

“How many times do I have to forgive my fellow believer who keeps offending me? Seven times?” (Matthew 18:21 & 22)

In the Hebrew this implies “7 times in 1 day?” Jesus answered, “Not seven times, Peter but seventy times seven times!”

We must have an attitude of forgiveness that is limitless, continual and goes on and on. Jesus is our example and as He hung on a cross, He said; “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing” (Luke 23:34). In the Greek, this prayer implies He said it more than once.

If we are honest with ourselves, most of the time we are offended because we didn’t get the outcome we desired. Jesus tells a parable about unforgiveness, it’s found in Matthew 18:23 – 35:

There is one who owes a very large sum of money to the king and cannot repay. This person begs for mercy, and receives it! Then, that same person assaults a friend for money owed, which is a comparatively small amount. The king finds out and; “In a fury of anger, the king turned him over to the prison guards to be tortured until all his debt was repaid. In this same way, My heavenly Father will deal with any of you if you do not release forgiveness from your heart toward your fellow believer.” Is this too harsh?

In this illustration the word “compassion” is used several times. What is “compassion”? It is really the act of communicating passion toward an individual or group of people. You feel for them and put yourself in their place. Then from your heart, mercy flows towards them.

This story is really a parable of how Father God forgives us our sins and trespasses through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ, His Son. So, if we have been forgiven such a great debt, shouldn’t we return the favor and forgive our brothers and sisters in the faith who have wronged us?

The consequences for NOT doing so are eye-opening! We forfeit OUR forgiveness from Father God! Christians have been forgiven all our sin, past, present, and future sins. The wages of which is death and separation from God for eternity. Please, decide to forgive one another as God in Christ has forgiven you.

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