Forgiveness

In Matthew 18 Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to a king who was checking his books on his servants. He soon found out one of his servants owed him a lot of money. 10,000 talents to be exact. In those days a talent was 6,000 denarii and one denarius equaled an average days wage so that was a lot of money! When the king realizes that this servant was so far in debt and that he couldn't pay, he commanded that he be sold. Him, his wife, his kids, everything that he had until the debt was paid off. The servant was so afraid he fell down and worshiped and said "If you have patience with me I'll pay it off." What happens next is amazing. The king was moved with compassion and releases him and forgives him his debt. But that same servant left the kings place and saw someone who owed him money, only a hundred pence. Compared to what he owed the king, it was mere pennies. But he laid hands on him and took him by the throat and said give me my money! The guy fell down and said please have patience with me and I will pay. But the servant was not having that. He had the man put in prison until he could pay him. Some of the people who saw went and told the king and the king was shocked. He called back in the servant and said How could you not have compassion on your fellow man when I forgave you your debt which was greater. " Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?" So the king delivered him to the tormentors until he paid off his 10,000 talent debt. "So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Matt. 18:35 Reconciliation. The bible says in Matthew 6:14-15 " 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." God forgives in the same measure that we forgive. Forgiving and remembering is not true forgiveness. God says that He forgives our sins and remembers them no more. How often do we forgive and yet still distance ourselves from that person? Can you imagine if God was like that? If He said, he/she lied to me so I'm never going to be around them ever again! He/she broke my trust so I'll never call him friend anymore. With the same measure we forgive, God will forgive us. Hebrew 6:6 says that each time we sin we "crucify the Son of God again." If God can forgive us for killing His only son, how much more can we forgive those who wrong us. Forgiveness means that you don't hold grudges or keep your distance or stop associating with that person. That's not forgiveness. Forgiveness is remembering no more. It's turning the other check. It's completely restoring the bridge that was broken. That's what God requires of us as Christians. To truly forgive and reconcile ourselves with one another. Wouldn't it be so sad to see Him in judgment, only to hear that He won't forgive us our sins because we never truly forgave each other. Blessings