How important is forgiving?
This is one of the biggest subjects that we have to deal with concerning the way we relate to one another. If we don't forgive each other, how can we expect God above to forgive us. We need God's grace and forgiveness if we ever expect to get to heaven. Therefore we need to show it to others. This is what true Christianity is based on. If we can't forgive our brother and sister then the love of God is not in us and we will die in our sins. Until we understand this, we will not really understand God Himself.
Everybody has done someone wrong and everybody has been wronged by someone. That's a fact of life. There is no way around it. All of us will sin against God. That's a fact of life. There is no way around that. "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)." As Christians, we have to do all we can to forgive those who wrong us. Forgiveness, or the lack thereof, cannot be allowed to hinder our relationship with Him. Jesus spoke more of forgiveness than any other topic. This is a lesson we, the offended, must learn on deeper and deeper levels until the very core of our being is changed into love.
Not Convenience, But Conviction
The Bible teaches that we must, individually, deal with our own sin. I can't go to God for yours and you can't go to God for mine."The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son; the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:20)"It can truly be hard to face our sin, but we can't be healed or go to heaven if we don't. When Jesus died on the cross, He took our punishment upon Himself. Isaiah prophesied concerning the Christ, "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5)". We, as Christians, are commanded to forgive one another. It is not just a matter of convenience with us, it is also a matter of conviction.
God hates sin so much that only shed blood can atone for it. In the days of the Old Covenant, God required the sinner to sacrifice certain animals for certain sins. This is because only by shedding blood can we understand the extreme consequences of the price of sin. The shedding of blood is a vivid illustration that all sin will end in death. We look at the way God punished people for sins during Old Testament times and become relieved that He doesn't punish like that today. Well, I got news for you. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. The blood of Jesus Christ is the only reason why we have this grace wherein we stand. The sins He hated then, He hates now. There is no little sin and there is no big sin. Thank God for the blood of Jesus!
What does forgiveness have to do with the blood of Christ? If we don't understand the reason why Jesus shed his blood and have faith in it, we can't get remission for our sins. The blood of Christ is essential for us to get t heaven.
"Consider mine affliction and my travail; and forgive all my sins. (Psalms 25:18)"