From the Book, Rules For Life: According To Jesus

6. Forgive Others 

“I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.  But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. But if you refuse to forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.” 

Mark 11:22-26

No, I’m not losing it. This passage of scripture is repeated because Jesus had a bit more to say about this. 

Picking up where we just left off, we can see that holding a grudge is a big deal with God.  Not only does it stifle your faith power (as just discussed), but it also puts you in danger of condemnation from God! 

Jesus talked a lot about forgiveness. Maybe because it ties in with something else that is very near and dear to His heart: Love. 

Let’s look at a few other verses about forgiveness.

“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.

Matthew 6:14

“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.  Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

Luke 17:3-4

Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”

“No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

Matthew 18:21-22

Did Jesus just contradict Himself? No. Like so many other messages in scripture, He wasn’t speaking literally when He gave either of these numbers (7 or 70 x 7); He was just giving the idea that we need to forgive as often as the person who sinned against us repents. 

And isn’t this comforting? because what He is really doing is showing us the heart of God. No matter how many times we sin against God, He is faithful to forgive us when we confess and repent (1 John 1:9). At the same time, this is a bit concerning because God will clearly hold us to account for our sins if we don’t forgive others of their confessed and repented sins against us!

Can you see how Jesus is leading you to have a clean heart? He even demands it of you. After all, this is a command of His to us—forgive others. 

When we fail (refuse) to forgive, it begins to weigh heavily upon our soul, like a heavy weight that has been placed around the neck or upon the back. We can even begin to suffer physically as a result of not forgiving others. But when we do forgive, all of that weight is lifted and we can again go through life with the joy and peace that we so desperately desire. The command is to forgive others—for their sake and for yours!

Previous – Live By Faith | Next – Remain in Jesus

Sections in this study:
Introduction
1: Repent
2: Be Born Again
3: Place God First
4: Love and Serve One Another
5: Live By Faith
6: Forgive Others
7: Remain in Jesus
8: Live Righteously Before Men
9: Avoid Bad Influences
10: Stay On The Narrow Path
11: Do Not Return Evil With Evil
12: Give More Than Is Demanded
13: Love Your Enemies
14: Check Your Motives
15: Pray Simply
16: Do Not Worry
17: Store Up Treasures In Heaven
18: Do Not Be Judgmental
19: Guard what is Sacred
20: Care For Those In Distress
21: Do Not Swear Oaths
22: Watch out for false prophets
23: Exercise Spiritual Power
24: Have Childlike Faith
25: Do Not Exalt Yourself
26: Settle Disputes Quickly
27: Settle Disputes Between Believers
28: Do not Oppose Brethren
29: Remember Me
30: Be Merciful
31: Make Disciples
32: Be Ready
33: Obey Jesus’ Commands
Closing Comments