Now, that same servant found a man who owed him only $2,000. He grabbed him by the throat, shook him, and demanded he pay all. The man fell on his knees and sked forgiveness, saying he would pay back all he owed the servant, but the servant threw this man and his family into prison. When friends of the King heard what this servant had done, they told the King Who called for the servant. The King then said, “you wicked man! I forgave you all your debt just because you asked me. Could you not have had mercy on your debtor and forgiven him?”

Then the King commanded his servant to be turned over to the torturers until he had paid all his debt. “So, will my Heavenly Father do to you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

Choosing Forgiveness

These are words from our Lord Himself. The King is Father God. The servant is each one of us. We so quickly forget we have been forgiven for all our sins; past, present, and future, but we are quick to pick up an offense when someone says or does something that hurts us. When we do this, we step out from God’s umbrella of protection. We become targets for the fiery darts or attacks of the devil and his evil forces. (Ephesians 6:16.)

The way back up under God’s protection is to repent of our rebellion. Forgiveness is ours! It was lovingly purchased by Jesus on the cross. When Jesus died for our sins, we were instantly forgiven of everything, but we must receive this gift of forgiveness and apply it to everyone in our life.

Forgiveness is necessary to receive all the blessings God has for you. When we walk in forgiveness, we will experience all 9 of God’s virtues or character traits. They are listed in Galatians 5:22, called The Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.