Will God Forgive You If You Don’t Forgive Others? Matthew 6:15 Explained
There’s a religious message that teaches “if you don’t forgive others, God won’t forgive you“. Well, some say we will be punished, or endure a broken relationship with God, but regardless, teachings along these lines are wrong. Very wrong. In this video, we explain the true context of Matthew 6:15 where Jesus says ‘But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions“.
Supporting Scriptures For The Lesson:
Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
Matthew 5:17-20 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus RAISING the BAR on the True standard of the law:
Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that he ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before [the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.
Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
If you have looked with lust, or have been angry – will you cut off body parts? That’s the command on the Sermon on the amount:
Matthew 5:29-30 If your right eye makes you stumble, tear it out and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. If your right hand makes you stumble, cut it off and throw it from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell.
Conclusion – What New Covenant Forgiveness Looks Like:
Ephesians 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Colossians 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
20 Comments
Great message, gave me freedom to pursue forgiveness of others out of love and grace rather than fear of punishment.
Amen. Thanks for making to to share that
The music is interfering with your talking, makes me listen to the music more than you with the music variable tones with changes of chromatic scale confuses the listening mind.
We 100% agree. That was an app we test it out a few years ago, and it was extremely annoying. We only had it on a couple of videos and discontinued use immediately . I’m sorry.
great stuff! let me be clear are you saying God will still forgive you even if you don’t forgive?
Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. NOTE: I am NOT saying God’s heart isn’t that we don’t forgive. It is. But, only getting forgiveness if you forgive is life under law, not grace. 🙂
Please don’t preach this dangerous message. We must forgive others if we want to be forgiven. Please don’t bend and stretch God’s Word to fit your ideology. Jesus said if we don’t forgive others, then the Father cannot forgive us. We cannot enter His Kingdom with hatred and bitterness in our hearts.
Rachel – Your viewpoint lacks any confidence in the cross, and denies the very promise of God that he has ‘taken your sins away’. I sincerely feel very concerned for you and everyone that is attending whatever cult it is that is causing you to not trust Jesus and be wildly confused about what the actual word of God is teaching us. You may think your prideful comment is somehow spiritual and ominous, but it lacks any wisdom and certainly is not being taught to you by the Holy Spirit.
I do not make this comment out of pride, but out of genuine concern for anyone that is misled into thinking that they can withhold forgiveness from others and still be forgiven. The “once saved, always saved” is a lie from the enemy and while God’s forgiveness is readily available, we must choose daily to walk in His ways. I have full confidence that God is ready to forgive us, but we must also heed His Word when He says very clearly that we must forgive others.
This cult theology of being saved one moment and then losing it the next moment is even more evidence that you do not trust Jesus Christ. Your confidence is in your ability to perform perfectly enough to retain your salvation. True Christians put their faith in Christ alone.
Your attitude about being responsible for retaining salvation through human performance is a massive illustration of pride. Let me encourage you to re-examine the promises of God. Right now you do not believe God or Jesus. Do you have a very twisted version of who they are for you. Praying for God to give you wisdom.
I do not believe that good works get anyone to Heaven; I believe that everyone in Heaven is there because of God’s grace. I just believe that when Jesus says we must forgive others so God can forgive us, He is telling us the truth and we should heed His instruction. Why are you saying I am wrong for agreeing with Jesus?
Actaully, I want to help you more. Can I encourage you to just watch the video I’m posting here? I think it will help clear the cobwebs of this bad teaching you’ve been digesting. I think it will change the way you think about Jesus for the rest of your life. And I’m pretty convinced you will actually have a love for Him like never before. I know for a fact it will help you trust him the way you’re supposed to. Here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Gjo880Fc4&t=2s
I use the word cult because even though you use the name of Jesus, you are sharing a cult theology of being able to lose salvation, and you have a deeply inaccurate understanding of the Sermon on the Mount.
I don’t think this makes YOU bad. I am saying the message you are getting is built on errors. Lots of them.
If you watched the video, I explained His context.
Side: Note: Please know that I am not angry.
If you BELIEVE Jesus then why don’t you believe Him when He says He died for your sins. Took them away. Remembers them no more. Why don’t you believe Him when He says He will NEVER leave you or forsake you? Why don’t you believe Him when He says when you are faithless He will REMAIN faithful. All of those can’t be true if we can lose salvation.
Context is VERY important.
YES, Jesus DID say that. He was talking to JEWISH people who were REJECTING Him in exchange for the law. Jesus is literally hitting them upside the head with the true standard of what it’s like to be saved by the law. Under the law, if you don’t forgive you won’t be forgiven. Under the law, you need to cut off your hands and gouge out your eyes if they cause you to sin.
What Jesus said was TRUE. The goal wasn’t to get them to do those things. The goal was to get them to realize their need for HIM. A better covenant founded on better promises. Yet here you are trying to push a Jewish system for salvation on people. And that’s because you don’t understand the context.
Again, let me encourage you to watch the video. I am not being rude, but you really need to see the truth. My guess is you’ve never been taught to understand the new covenant and how secure you really are. Please consider watching it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4Gjo880Fc4&t=1s
Jesus said if your eyes causes you to sin cut it out. Certainly at some time in your life you’ve looked with lust. Have you cut your eyes out?
Jesus said if your right-hand causes you to sin cut it off. Have you cut your hand off? You’re not actually going to tell me you’ve never sinned, are you? In fact, if Christians could not sin, there would never be a need to forgive someone because no one would ever sin against you.
I want you to stop and think a little bit about your double talk.
On one hand, you’re saying if you don’t forgive someone else, God won’t forgive you. So it’s OK for GOD not to forgive you, but it’s not OK for you not to forgive???
And this isn’t about you agreeing with Jesus. This is about a cult theology that completely does not understand the context of the sermon on the mount. In fact, ask yourself, why can’t you find a single mention of ‘forgive or you won’t be forgivnen AFTER the cross?
You claim that you don’t believe that God works and gets people into heaven, but that completely flies in the face of everything you’re writing.
You’re literally saying we need to be able to perform so perfectly and if there’s a single person who has sinned against us and we don’t forgive them, then God won’t forgive us. Let’s take this to its full completion. You’re literally saying that if a woman had her child’s life violated and then killed by a pedophile, and if she was angry and suddenly died then God would revoke her salvation.
And as for this cult theology about ‘losing salvation’ consider this. God says we have ETERNAL salvation. Eternal literally means with OUT an end. So, if we can lose salvation then by default you are calling God a liar. You’re saying salvation is not eternal but conditional.
Again, I want to encourage you to run for the hills from whoever’s teaching you this bad and unbiblical lies. It’s all a lie and leaves no room for really trusting in Jesus. 100% of your message has a focus on YOU. You may not realize it, but that is exactly where your affections are. On YOURSELF.
The true gospel message is that it is ALL about Jesus and His perfect performance. You’re not in and out of forgiveness. It is a ONCE for ALL time salvation. What would we call someone who did not forgive someone? We’d call it a sin. What did Jesus do about sin? He died for it. Did it work? Do you really think you believe it? Because it certainly doesn’t seem like you do.
And also I will challenge you to find even one verse in all of the scripture or somebody was saved one moment, and then Hellbound the next. Just one. Here’s the problem with the theology you teach, you can’t find supporting scriptures. As such you should not be pushing such a message.
Sir, I’m not sure where you are getting this idea about a cult from, as I’m basing this belief on what Jesus says in this passage. I’m not trying to be combative or arrogant or make you angry, I just genuinely want to understand what is so deranged about believing Jesus’ words.
I’m not trying to make forgiveness sound easy, because it’s not. My argument isn’t that it’s easy, just that it is necessary. (Again, I’m basing this off of what Jesus said.) In fact, forgiveness can feel impossible at times, and that’s when we have to rely on God’s strength and help, because we can’t do it on our own. His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and when we accomplish something impossible because of God, He gets the glory and praise, and it strengthens our relationship with Him. Forgiveness isn’t a gift we give to someone else necessarily; it’s a stage in the healing process where we let go of a burden God does not want us to carry, and I don’t believe that anyone dies without having had the chance to accomplish that.
why are you trying to justify unforgiveness? who is the person that you wont forgive?
I take the assumption that you didn’t watch the video and you’re just trying to be combative. The post was hardly about the justification for unforgiveness. You have to commit intellectual suicide to walk away with that idea. But I forgive you.
A few months ago I did 8 or so short 2min video teachings on Rom 4:5 and sent it to my “large” audience, my one friend 😂”Now to him who does not work but believes Him that justifies the ungodly his faith is counted as righteousness.”
Now previous to this if you asked me are we saved by grace through faith NOT of works I would have emphatically said YES! Not long after I met that friend with a fellow believer and he was saying we are saved by grace but must then “follow” Christ and keep his commandments if we really believed / to be saved.. And I found myself strongly refuting what in a obscure way I also previously believed. I would have also said; if you don’t forgive you will not be forgiven and will be lost. But that is works. The scripture I had read over and over to do the video kept ringing in my ears “work not” I now had a dilemma. No one was trying to convince me. The video teaching I did was now in my own heart and kept saying to ME the only value God recognised was the “faith” of the “ungodly” and HE counted it as (same value) as righteousness. It was given because he worked NOT but believed This really shook me to my core. You see I believed as long as you lived and did not kill or fornicate be in Unforgivennes etc after you believe you are safe. But that IS salvation by works. If the ungodly man was accepted while ungodly how can he now not be accepted if he shows no improvement. For his faith justified him. This brought me another dilemma. Works therefore could not emphatically”prove” salvation. Scripture says ; NOT by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us….” Not of works means not of works and goes against self righteousness that’s lurking in our heart. .So if I forgive someone after believing then my good work of forgiving actually rewarded me with God also forgiving me and saved me from damnation. But scripture above just said: “not of works of righteousness (forgiving) which we have done. For example many Christians who believe they are saved because their evidence is that they “walk in the Spirit.” But the same will often admit they “struggle” with anxiety. But this is sin. The sin of fear. The Bible is very clear. Do not fear. But they practice it. Year after year.
But they say they are just “struggling”. “Struggling” with lust watching pornography? Struggling with impatience being unkind to your neighbour. No by their own standard this is not “struggling” but by your “fruit” one can determine you are not saved. Can we see where it can go. Now if I applied my old thinking. They the “anxiety sinners” the fearful should be thrown it the lake of fire re Revelations with those who don’t forgive. It does not say if you struggling with it then all’s fine. It says do not fear. Do not!! But you do. But the other sin that those so called believers are doing “not forgiving” they are the ones who say “Lord Lord but don’t do what I say..” But in fact they (me) do the very same things but we think we are obeying Jesus commandments and we “prove” our love by it. But infact we (I) was actually decived and do not understand grace and really gave value to my works (forgiving) which actually count for nothing with regard to the free gift of salvation. I have now realised more deeply the almost indescribable richness of His mercy; “if by grace then not by works.” And this has brought me even more peace and security and has actually fostered even a greater a desire to live for Christ because I have realised that grace is exactly that – undeserved, Thank you for your message.
Your brother in Christ.
This teaching was excellent. Absolutely cleared up the struggle and confusion with this scripture and the sermon on 5he mount.Content must be applied always to scripture and scripture must always confirm each other. I so understood all you said,so I can explain it to others.THANK YOU!
Amen