Forgive as we are forgiven

There is a principle of fittingness or appropriateness embedded deep in the universe. One sees it everywhere in Scripture. Because the people of God are meant to be His intimate and loving bride, when we reject Him we end up falling into bizarre delusions having to do with perversions of true intimacy:

“For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature” (Romans 1:26, ESV).

Likewise, men chose their own punishments. God informed ancient Edom that their punishment would be appropriate to their crime against Israel:

“Because you cherished perpetual enmity and gave over the people of Israel to the power of the sword … therefore, as I live, declares the LORD GOD, I will prepare you for blood, and blood shall pursue you; because you did not hate bloodshed, therefore blood shall pursue you” (Ezekiel 35:5–7, ESV).

I know a woman who is unwilling to forgive. Her husband sinned against her long ago, and though he repented and she chose to stay with him, she has punished him for decades for his sin, until he is now just a shell of a man. But Jesus tells us:

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15, ESV).

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25, ESV).

“‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that dept because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ … So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart” (Matthew 18:32–35, ESV).

Since Jesus repeats this point so many times, why would we take a chance that He will not carry out exactly what He says? Why would we allow ourselves to continue to have a hardened heart toward someone when our own forgiveness by God is at stake?

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them …” (Matthew 7:12, ESV).

There is symmetry in God’s dealings with men. Those who show mercy will be shown mercy; those who do not show mercy will not be shown mercy (Matthew 5:7; James 2:13). Those who are ashamed of Christ before men will find that Christ is ashamed of them (Mark 8:38). God is not unfair, but renders to us as we have freely chosen.

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