Principles for Life in the Kingdom of GodSýnishorn

REGULATIONS AND ARGUMENTS FOR FORGIVENESS

MAIN IDEAS

• For Christians, the first step in resolving a conflict is a direct approach to the one with whom you are having the conflict.

• If that step is not successful, you must not abandon the resolving of the situation, but must resume discussions with him, this time involving two or three other persons.

• If still nothing is resolved and no peace is reached, the dispute must be brought before the church, and if that person ignores even the mediation of the church, it is now clear that we are not dealing with a true believer.

• Forgiveness sustains unity, both on earth among ourselves and spiritually between us and God, therefore, forgiveness is not optional for the Christian.

• The indebted servant who could not pay his debt represents every sinner. Asking for forgiveness, he prostrated himself before the king, so much so that the king forgave the entire debt.

• It was therefore expected that the servant would also forgive the much smaller debt of
his debtor, by carrying into the kingdom his king’s example of forgiveness of debt. Unfortunately, the servant did not forgive his debtor, thus exposing his lack of gratitude.

• The king reacted by bringing the ungrateful debtor back under punishment, for forgiveness is a condition imposed by God on His Kingdom.

The subject of forgiveness is treated very seriously by JESUS, both for the fact that it is virtually impossible not to be hurt at some point by someone and because of the enormous consequences of nonforgiveness from a physical, emotional, and spiritual perspective.
The best motivation and a good argument to help us offer forgiveness is the deep feeling of gratitude for the forgiveness we ourselves have received through the goodness of God. I should never refuse the forgiveness of a fellow man who has wronged me. The fact that I myself still look for God’s forgiveness every single day is also an argument for me to forgive, by giving to my brother the gift I expect from God: forgiveness.
The lesson we need to learn from JESUS’ teaching is that we must always forgive anyone who offends us, no matter how badly they have hurt us, whether they are conscious of it and apologize, or, perhaps, they do not even realize that they have wronged us. Only in this way will we get to enter the Kingdom.