If you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 6:14-15

Jesus gave us a grave warning concerning unforgiveness. If we choose not to forgive others, God will not forgive us. We all know how very difficult it is sometimes to forgive others who have hurt us deeply. I've heard people say, "But you don't know what they did to me or my family. They don't deserve forgiveness."

You are absolutely right. They don't deserve to be forgiven. And neither to we! Yet Father God chose to forgive us our sins and shortcomings. By denying others their forgiveness, we are telling God we are a better sinner than them. God's forgiveness toward us is not the result of our forgiving others, but it's based on our realizing what forgiveness means.

Ephesians 4:31-32 tells us to, "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

In God's mercy, He chose to send His only Son, Jesus, to pay the ultimate price for our sins. We were forgiven the moment He gave His life on the cross, carrying our sin and shame with Him to the grave. Then He rose from the dead, presenting His innocent blood before the Father. The work was complete. Now it's up to you and me to accept His payment for our sins.

Unforgiveness is just as deadly as murder, rape, incest, or any other horrible act toward others. King David was a man after God's own heart, yet he committed adultery, got the woman pregnant, then murdered her husband. Saul had many Christian put to death for their faith before Jesus got a hold of his life and changed him dramatically. He became Paul a great apostle for the Lord, suffered much for the Kingdom, and wrote the majority of the New Covenant.

We, as sinners, are all on the same playing field so to speak. We all fall short of His righteousness. Ask God to help you recognize any unforgiveness in your life. Make a choice today to have mercy on others as Father God had mercy on us. Don't allow Satan to trick you into holding a grudge or unforgiveness in your heart. Choose to forgive. Only then will we be truly free of our own sins.