Once we believe in and accept Jesus as our Savior, our sins are forgiven and placed on Him. That being the case, how does that mesh with Matthew 6: 14, 15? It says that if we don’t forgive others, God will not forgive us.

That our sins are forgiven at conversion is an objective fact. The above verses come across to me as God wanting us, His representatives, to experience and to display His granting of forgiveness.

In other words, though we’re objectively declared innocent or justified by virtue of being covered by Christ’s righteousness, the reality is that we also remain sinners on the inside. This is where sanctification comes in to help us change; to actually experience the righteousness that covers us. It mustn’t be forgotten that the point of God reconciling us to Him is so that we may be restored to His image; to be like Him.

So from Matthew 6: 14, 15, I see God acting as a Father should. The method He spells out in those verses comes from concern for His children’s growth. From within the scope of sanctification, He is attempting to properly raise us. And like any sane, responsible parent would do, He makes it clear that if we don’t listen and do as He says, there will be consequences. There will be discipline. In this case, it is to deny forgiveness to us when we don’t forgive.

I base this belief on what I know from Matthew 18: 21-34. There, we are told an earthly story that can be compared to the way God operates in His kingdom. In the story, an earthly subject was unable to pay the exorbitant amount he owed the king. He pleaded with the king to not take away from him his wife, children, and possessions as repayment. He asked the king to be patient; that he would repay him. The king was merciful and forgave him the debt.

Afterwards, the subject ran into a fellow who owed him what would be peanuts, in terms of money. The subject grabbed him, paying no attention to the fellow’s plea for patience. He then threw the fellow in prison until he be repaid.

The king heard about the incident. He became furious that the subject showed no mercy, after having been shown mercy. The king then handed over the subject to be persecuted.

Jesus ended the story with the revelation that all within the heavenly kingdom that acted as the subject did, would be treated in the same way. When we don’t forgive, especially when it’s asked for, our heavenly Father will not reward such an act with forgiveness when we ask for it. That kind of discipline, of course, is for our sake. It is intended to have us reflect on the lack of a caring and considerate attitude. It is intended to bring us to repentance and to confess our sin so that He may faithfully clean our insides with forgiveness.

God in this way works to impart within us, His concerned and compassionate nature. It is His way of helping us subjectively experience “Be holy as He is holy.”

One other thing before closing is this question. Will salvation be lost if we don’t forgive? Immediately, I think of James 4: 17. It says that if one knows to do right, but doesn’t do it, it is a sin. Therefore, to not forgive is a sin.

Any sin that is intentionally and habitually committed and ignores the pleading of the Holy Spirit to confess and repent, is an openly, rebellious, cherished sin. Do you think God will allow that person to enter heaven with a heart intent on only doing things his or her way?

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*Read Eternal Salvation is Conditional. Click here.