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Matthew 18:21-35

Forgiveness
²¹Then Peter came and said to Him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?"

²²Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.

²³"For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.

²⁴"When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him.

²⁵"But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.

²⁶"So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.'

²⁷"And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.

²⁸"But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, 'Pay back what you owe.'

²⁹"So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, 'Have patience with me and I will repay you.'

³⁰"But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.

³¹"So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened.

³²"Then summoning him, his lord said to him, 'You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.

³³'Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?'

³⁴"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him.

³⁵"My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

1. Our Need for Forgiveness
   Psalm 103:11-12
   ¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
            So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
       ¹²As far as the east is from the west,
            So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
   Psalm 130:3-4
   ³If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,
            O Lord, who could stand?
       ⁴But there is forgiveness with You,
            That You may be feared.
   Micah 7:18
   ¹⁸Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity
            And passes over the rebellious act of the remnant of His possession?
            He does not retain His anger forever,
            Because He delights in unchanging love.
   
2. God as a Forgiving God
   Colossians 2:13-14
   ¹³When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,
   
   ¹⁴having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
   
3. God expects us to forgive to the same degree He has forgiven us.
   Ephesians 4:32
   ³²Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
   

Those who show mercy will be given mercy...

Are we willing to do for others what God has done for us?


When we refuse to forgive we are:

1. forgetting our own sin
2. failing to trust God
3. not conforming to Christ
4. denying the commands of God
5. thinking we are better than God