Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."
In Matthew 18:21, Peter asked Jesus, "Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?" Jesus answered Peter with what had to be an unexpected answer in the 22nd verse: "No, not seven times, but seventy times seven."
There are so many people walking around holding grudges against people who have done something to hurt them. There are so many Christians going through life with past hurts and can't seem to get past whatever is still causing them pain. But we must forgive everyone who does something against us.
Forgiving others will free you now and prepare you for an eternal life without pain, ever! Forgiving others takes away that spiritual stronghold the devil has set up to stunt your spiritual walk and growth with the Lord. Forgiving others frees your heart to love, help, bless, and bring someone to Jesus to be saved like you, and this is what the devil doesn't want.
"But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins."
I need to be forgiven even though I try to follow Jesus as closely as I humanly can. There are times I will need to be forgiven, especially on the day of judgment. So, I pray for forgiveness, but I must make sure I'm forgiving others as well.
Forgiving others isn't easy. But it's a requirement. We need help from the Holy Spirit to be able to forgive!
Lord, help me and others have a strong spirit of forgiveness like you did as you hung from the cross. You said, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do." Amen.
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