Matthew Chapter 6:14-15 - Forgive and You Shall Be Forgiven

“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” — Matthew 6:14–15, KJV

These words come immediately after the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). Jesus emphasizes that receiving mercy from God and extending mercy toward others cannot be separated in the life of His disciple.

To forgive does not mean pretending that the offense never happened, calling evil good, or necessarily restoring trust without repentance and change. Forgiveness means releasing personal vengeance and refusing to nurture bitterness, hatred, or a determination to make the offender pay. Justice may still be necessary, and healthy boundaries may still be appropriate.

Jesus’ warning in verse 15 is deliberately serious. A persistently unforgiving heart contradicts the mercy that a disciple asks to receive from God. Those who understand how greatly they have been forgiven should become people who are willing to forgive.

Jesus illustrates this principle powerfully in the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21–35: the servant received enormous mercy but refused to extend mercy to another.

Personal Application

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to forgiveness is continually rehearsing what someone did to us. Jesus calls us to place the offense into God's hands.

Forgiveness may be a decision that must be reaffirmed whenever the hurt resurfaces:

“Lord, You have shown mercy to me. Help me extend mercy to them. I release vengeance into Your hands and refuse to allow bitterness to rule my heart.”

Forgiveness does not always change the person who hurt us, but it keeps their offense from governing our hearts.