God’s Heart of Forgiveness
“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times’” (Matthew 18:21-22, ESV).
In response to Peter’s question about forgiveness, Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant (see Matthew 18:23-35). He communicates a very important lesson about forgiveness and repentance in our relationships with others.
Considering the parable of the unforgiving servant means understanding that we should forgive in light of the gospel. Jesus summarizes this at the end of the Lord’s Prayer: “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).
I believe Jesus’s statement asks an evidence question. There is no way we could ever account for our lifetime of sin: past, present, and future. Being mindful of God’s forgiveness to us, how could we not forgive someone who comes and asks us to forgive them?
Now, this is not always easy. Many people suffer extreme and hurtful situations. However, when we consider that Christ has forgiven us of all our sins that are punishable by death according to God’s holiness, how could we not forgive someone who has wronged us no matter how grievous it is?
In the parable of the unforgiving servant, it is important to understand who God is, his attributes, and the grievousness of our sins. We have committed trespass after trespass against God, yet he pardoned us through the death of his own Son. This is staggering! The very idea of that forgiveness should impact every area of our lives.
The unmerited nature of God’s forgiveness toward us helps us understand our responsibility as Christians to forgive others. When I reflect on God’s forgiveness toward me, I may still feel the pain of someone who has harmed me, but it thrusts me to acknowledge that I must forgive that person. I must get to the place in my heart where I have God’s heart of forgiveness.
Dr. Joshua West serves as director of church relations at Compel International, a ministry that seeks to plant the church where it doesn’t exist. Joshua’s desire is to raise up ministers who will correctly and boldly preach the gospel, glorify God, and teach sound doctrine.