"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6:14-15

This post will take us back to the post from December 7, when we explained what is meant by these words at the end of the Lord’s prayer. Unless one knows the primary teaching about God’s forgiveness of sinners, these words could be understood to teach that God’s forgiveness of us is dependent (earned) on our forgiveness of others. That is contrary to the Christian faith! Our forgiveness by God is by God’s grace alone, received through faith alone, in Christ alone (referring to His death and resurrection). It is not based on anything we do, but rather on what Christ has done for us.

Paul’s words in Ephesians 4 also sorts out the problem many have with the following verses immediately after the Lord’s Prayer.

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.’” Matthew 6:14-15

I trust you can see the inherent question: “Does Matthew 6:14-15 teach that God forgives us on the basis of how we forgive others?” Or stated a little differently: “Is my forgiveness by God (salvation) determined by my forgiveness of others?” The obvious answer is NO! If it were so, no one would be forgiven or saved because no one forgives as we need to be forgiven.

Instead, as is the case with other required works of righteousness, they cannot earn or merit God’s grace, but they do validate that one has been changed as a result of having received God’s grace. In other words, God does not forgive us because we forgive others, rather, we are to forgive others because God has already forgiven us.