Unforgiveness is a dangerous spiritual condition that separates us from God’s grace and poisons our souls.
Jesus teaches that if we do not forgive others he will not forgive us.
The trap of unforgiveness:.
We often think of hell as a destination for specific, notorious sins. However, scripture warns us that a quiet, hidden sin in the heart can be just as destructive. Unforgiveness is a spiritual prison. It binds us to past pain, blocks our relationships with God, and threatens our eternal security.
The Commandment to forgive:
Forgiveness is not a suggestion or an emotional option for a believer, It is a direct command from Jesus. When we refuse to forgive, we choose disobedience over God’s law to love.
In Matthew 18:21-22 Peter came to Jesus and asked Him, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
And in Colossians 3:13 Jesus tells us to, “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you have a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
The direct danger to our salvation:
The Bible makes a terrifyingly clear connection between our willingness to forgive others and God’s willingness to forgive us. If we close our hearts to mercy, we close the door to God’s mercy for ourselves.
Matthew 6:14-15 tells us, “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins your Father will not forgive your sins.”
The prison of torture and bitterness:
There is a parable in Matthew 18:34-35 about an unforgiving servant. Jesus described a man who was forgiven an impossible debt but he refused to forgive a small debt owed to him. The master of the servant turned the man he had forgiven to the jailer to be tortured. Unforgiveness eats away at our joy and hands us over to spiritual torment.
In Matthew 18:34-35 it tells us, “In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. This is how my Heavenly Father will treat of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
Hebrews 12:25 says, “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Sadly, I learned this too late, I held bitterness in my heart for my mother. It was only when she passed away that I learned this lesson. I had let bitterness and unforgiveness for her destroy my life for many years. Amazingly after I forgave her from my heart, I began healing from the effects of abuse and neglect she caused.
Forgiving someone does not mean that what they did was right, nor does it mean you have to trust them. Forgiveness means releasing the desire for revenge into God’s hands.
If you carry any resentment, bitterness, or unforgiveness in your heart that weight could cost you your soul. Let it go, choose to step into freedom of God’s complete forgiveness.
From Pity to Praise 