““For if you forgive others their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive you your sins.”
— Matthew 6:14-15
Really tough verses, and we like to water them down in certain schools of thought (particularly can’t ever lose salvation camp—that’s a different conversation than Matthew or Jesus is making here). See Matt 18 for more discussion of forgiveness, since Jesus taught on this more than once.
If—third class condition—more probable future fulfillment. If condition is met, “then” clause is true. What bugs us is the future tense of God’s forgiveness, as if we are earning it.
We become worried that someone on our death bed we may have one grudge we haven’t let go, or we have one ounce of anger toward someone long ago. Don’t think that’s the case.
Options:
A) This could be talking about general every day living, not the one final judgment. Our relationship with the Father will be calloused if we are bitter and resentful toward others.
B) It is speaking of the final judgment. If we have a lifestyle of grudges, bitterness, and anger, it is evidence that we have not received God’s love. The final verdict when we stand before Him will not be good. Matt 18 supports this: those who have been forgiven, forgive.
Who needs to be set free from our anger?
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