Forgiveness Is a Kingdom Law
Jesus Christ left no room for misunderstanding when He declared: “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.” (Matthew 6:14–15)
These words of Jesus should never be received as mere suggestions left to our discretion; in reality, they are a dictate, a royal decree issued by the King of the Kingdom, declaring an unchanging law of His Kingdom. The question every believer must answer is this: How can anyone who has received unlimited mercy refuse to extend mercy to another?
The Father has forgiven us of our debt that we could never hope to repay; our debt has been cancelled through the sacrificial death of His Son. What offence committed against us could ever compare with the guilt from which we have been redeemed? Therefore to receive the Father’s forgiveness while withholding forgiveness from someone else is a contradiction of the Gospel itself.
Those who have truly experienced His mercy will become vessels through which that same mercy flows. An unforgiving heart exposes a deeper spiritual problem. It reveals that the magnitude of the Father’s grace has not been fully understood. We cannot sincerely thank Almighty God for cancelling our immeasurable debt while insisting that another person continue to pay theirs.
Jesus reinforced this truth with the parable of the unforgiving servant. A man who had been forgiven an impossible debt immediately seized a fellow servant over a comparatively insignificant one. The Lord’s conclusion is both solemn and unavoidable: “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.“ (Matthew 18:35)
Notice that Jesus did not speak of outward words alone, but of forgiveness from the heart. Genuine forgiveness is not superficial. Every disciple must therefore examine their own heart.
- Is there someone who remains unforgiven?
- Is there bitterness that has been allowed to take root?
- Is there resentment that has quietly replaced the mercy the Father has shown?
The cross removes every excuse for an unforgiving spirit. At Calvary, justice and mercy met together. The One who had every right to condemn chose instead to pray: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34). Those who claim to follow Christ cannot ignore His example or reject His command. Forgiveness is not optional for those who belong to the Kingdom of God. It is the evidence that the mercy of the Father has truly transformed the heart.