Anchor My Faith

The Importance of Forgiveness

Scripture: Matthew 6:14-15; Mark 11:25

In the previous lesson we finished looking at the prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples. In this lesson we will look at the importance of forgiveness.

^{Mk 11:25} “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone. ^{Mt 6:14} For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ¹⁵ but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

The disciples have just been given an outline on how to pray and now Mark emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, that was mentioned in the prayer, by saying, “whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone.” The importance of forgiving others their trespass against you is connected to how our Father responds to us. How we deal with the issue of forgiveness reveals the attitude of our heart towards our Father.

If we are truly thankful that through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross our Father is able to forgive us our trespass against him, should we not be willing to forgive those who trespass against us? Forgiving others validates a thankful heart towards God and releases his continual forgiveness toward us as we request it. But, if we do not forgive others that reveals a heart that is not truly thankful for what God has done for us, and as we are unwilling to forgive, then when we seek forgiveness from him it will not be readily available. A good illustration of this is found at Matthew 18:23 – 34 and was covered in lessons H415 and H416.

Having served in Asia over an eight-year period and have been followed by the police with a close call one time when teaching in an underground seminary, I have had the opportunity to learn from those who have suffered for their faith. I hear them say that it is an honor to suffer for their faith in Jesus. Their view is that if Jesus was willing to suffer and die for them, then the least they can do is to suffer and possibly die instead of denying him. After turning their need for justice over to God, they are then free to love and forgive those who are causing them to suffer.

I am learning from them that it is impossible to demand justice and at the same time offer forgiveness. When the need of justice is surrendered to God then he is free to provide us with the ability to love and forgive and to endure suffering, even severe torture that is beyond what the flesh could normally endure. A very good illustration of this is found in the movie “Tortured for Christ.” This is a movie of the time Richard Wurmbrand, a Romanian Christian minister of Jewish descent, who spent over thirteen years in prison being tortured for his faith in Jesus Christ. The movie clearly reveals his forgiving and loving heart toward those who were causing him to suffer so and illustrates the point of this lesson.

Conclusion

James tells us that “judgment is without mercy to [the] one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment” (James 2:13). If we are unwilling to show mercy through forgiveness, then should we not expect God to withhold mercy when judging us? Showing mercy through forgiveness provides freedom and an opportunity for the person to experience conviction of their evil and thus mercy is seen to triumph over judgment.