The Test Of Forgiveness

The Test of Forgiveness

Read: Matthew 6:14-15

“If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”

Matthew 6:14-15

“It is idle for us to say that we know God has forgiven us if we are not loving and forgiving ourselves.”

—Martyn Lloyd-Jones

IN WORD We’re steeped in the belief that our salvation is accomplished by His grace through our faith in His blood sacrifice—nothing else. When we come upon a verse like this, we balk. It’s conditional. It tells us that our forgiveness is dependent on an action of ours, as though we might earn salvation. Is that what Jesus is really saying? Do we earn our forgiveness by forgiving others? Or is Jesus making another point?

If someone has really taken the Cross personally— understood the reality of its message and applied it to his or her life—that person will understand forgiveness in a way that prevents judgmental attitudes toward others. It is not possible to simultaneously appreciate the magnitude of God’s forgiveness while withholding forgiveness from others.

Jesus told a parable that illustrates this truth. In Matthew 18:23-35, a king forgives his servant a huge sum of debt. The servant, in turn, goes out and demands payment from a minor debtor. The servant had not really learned from the king’s generosity. He had not taken it to heart. Likewise, our attitude toward others is a litmus test of our acceptance of God’s forgiveness. If we’ve accepted His, we demonstrate it to others.

IN DEED Take the test. Use these verses in Matthew 6 as your measure. Have you really seen the Cross as yours? To answer that question, you must ask yourself how you view others. Do you forgive easily, as one who has been forgiven much? Or do you hold grudges? If the latter is true, reexamine your understanding of what Jesus did for you. Know the depths from which you came to God. Then sympathize with others where they are.