Mrk. 11:25-26 ... "Forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven also may forgive your trespasses."
It would indeed be a wonderful world if no one ever made a mistake, if no one's words ever hurt another's feelings, if no one's actions ever intruded into another's life. But this world is far from being a wonderful place. Perhaps just about everyone commits some kind of offense against another every day, and some people have such poor control over their behavior that they commit multiple trespasses day after day. We are informed that "we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man," (Jas. 3:2). Such an offense puts great stress on the relationship between the people involved. If the situation is not soon resolved and the stress relieved, it is possible the relationship will be broken. Friends are then converted into enemies, good will into malice, and happiness into nasty misery.
It is depressing for someone you have offended to refuse to forgive you. But how devastating it would be to the human spirit to think that God would not pardon you when you have offended Him. And to be sure, every one of us offends God each day! We are assured that "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us," (I Jno. 1:8). This statement is directed at our frequent trespasses against God. We cannot deny that we do it, or we make ourselves to be liars of the worst sort. What if God refused to forgive the person who violated His sanctity and dishonored Him? Why, that person would be doomed!
But God is not that kind of being. We treasure the relief offered in the psalm, "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will be keep His anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities," (Psa. 103:8-10). After assuring us that we all sin against God, (I Jno. 1:8), the following verse makes this promise, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." God is not unwilling to forgive us our trespasses, but He is kind and gracious to extend to us that great benefit.
We mus notice, however, that Jesus attaches an important condition to God's magnanimity. He will withhold forgiveness from the person who refuses to forgive another of offenses against Himself. Such meanness and nastiness of spirit is in itself an affront to God that He will not overlook. Perhaps the Bible's best illustration of this is given by Jesus Himself in a parable, (Mat. 18:23-35). A king had a servant who owed him a debt so great he would never have been able to pay it. Then, because the servant begged mercy, the king forgave him the debt. The same servant then went out and found a fellow servant who owed him only a pittance, which in time he could almost certainly repay. But the first servant had no mercy and refused to grant the time necessary for restitution. With violence he had the debtor thrown into prison. When the king heard about it, he was greatly affronted at the meanness of the servant and called him in to face him. He then had this wicked servant thrown into prison also. Then Jesus said, "So also My heaven Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart." Does God accept the worship of Christians who refuse to forgive those who have offended them? The text makes it clear that He will not. If we want God's favor, God's blessings, and God's forgiveness, (and who does not?), then we MUST forgive. What greater motive do we have to induce us to put past offenses behind us and be able to face God with a clear conscience?
