You Don’t Need to Forgive (Chantilly)

Forgiveness is Difficult—Understand It

Colossians 3:13b CSB – Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.

Matthew 6:14-15 CSB – “For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. ¹⁵ But if you don’t forgive others your Father will not forgive your offenses.

Matthew 6:12 CSB – And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

1 Peter 4:8 CSB – Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Corinthians 13:5d CSB – [Love] does not keep a record of wrongs.

Matthew 18:22 CSB – “I tell you, not as many as seven,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven

John 3:16 CSB – For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 6:23 CSB – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Forgiveness Begins with Seeing People Made in God’s Image

Genesis 1:27 CSB – 

So God created man
in his own image;
he created him in the image of God;
he created them male and female.

Matthew 18:28-29 CSB – “That servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him, started choking him, and said, ‘Pay what you owe!’

²⁹ “At this, his fellow servant fell down and began begging him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ ³⁰ But he wasn’t willing.

True Forgiveness Means Giving Up the Right to Personal Justice

Why Forgive?

Matthew 18:30-33 CSB – But he wasn’t willing. Instead, he went and threw him into prison until he could pay what was owed.³¹ When the other servants saw what had taken place, they were deeply distressed and went and reported to their master everything that had happened. ³² Then, after he had summoned him, his master said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’

We forgive because of Jesus Christ

Colossians 3:13b CSB – Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.

We Forgive to Be Freed from the Chains of Bitterness 

Matthew 18:33-35 CSB – Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ And because he was angry, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured until he could pay everything that was owed. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart.”

Hebrews 12:15 CSB – Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.