The Power of Forgiveness
Mark 11:22-24 is no doubt familiar to anyone who has read the Gospel of Mark. It has been used as a proof text for walking by faith and not by sight. Multitudes of messages have been preached and manifold believers have been encouraged by these words, spoken by none other than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
However, I want to focus on what follows. Preachers have been fond of saying, “A text without a context is nothing more than a pretext.” What that means is that neglecting to include truth from before and after a text can be a problem. Lack of context can lead people to a conclusion that is not only different than intended, but it can also at times be the opposite of what the Bible is actually saying. With this in mind, let me rehearse what follows Mark 11:22-24, which is Mark 11:25-26: “And when you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven may also forgive you your sins. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.”
These two verses are connected to what comes before them. This is very clearly indicated by the conjunction and. To rightly divide the word of truth, these thoughts cannot be separated. Why, then, are they so often thought of as distinct and separate portions of scripture?
I believe that people are more than ready to claim their rights in the kingdom of God while at the same time neglecting or repudiating their responsibilities. They are quick to lay hold on whatever blessing they see that belongs to them, but they also avoid the corresponding need to extend forgiveness to those who have wronged them. The second principle follows the first. In fact, if the principle of forgiveness is not followed, the principle of faith will not work the way it is intended to work.
When some believers do not receive what they want from God, they often look for someone else to blame for the breakdown. In many cases, their examination should begin with a fearless moral inventory of their own lives—including asking whether they are holding unforgiveness in their hearts toward anyone for any reason.
Mark 11 is not the only time Jesus spoke of the importance of forgiveness. The Lord’s Prayer, recorded in Matthew 6:9-13, also clearly indicates the primacy of forgiveness as a fundamental principle for believers.
Notice Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive men for their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men for their sins, neither will your Father forgive your sins.”
You have heard me say it many times—we have the opportunity to direct divine activity—not because of destiny, but because of decisions. God says, “I’ll do this if you’ll do that.” In this case, it is “I will forgive you if you will forgive others.”
One of the fundamental principles of the kingdom of God is the law of sowing and reaping. We tend to think of that law in terms of farming or finances, but it applies to every category of endeavor. Jesus said in Luke 6:37-38: “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give unto you. For with the measure you use, it will be measured unto you.”
“Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.” You forgive others, and God will forgive you. There are times when people hear this that they say, “Why should I forgive others first—shouldn’t I wait for God to forgive me?”
I am sure that Jesus encountered or anticipated this question—and He answers it in Matthew 18:23-35: “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle the accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But since he was not able to pay, his master ordered that he be sold with his wife, their children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. “So the servant fell on his knees, pleading with him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. “But that same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe.’ “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and entreated him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ “But he would not and went and threw him in prison until he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what took place, they were very sorry and went and told their master all that had taken place.
“Then his master, after he had summoned him, said to him, ‘O you wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?’ 34His master was angry and delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt.
35“So also My heavenly Father will do to each of you, if from your heart you do not forgive your brother for his trespasses.”
The king had a servant who owed him an immeasurable amount of money—more than could be repaid in a lifetime of labor. When the debtor begged for mercy, the king granted it to him—forgiveness for the entirety of the debt he owed. The man who was looking at more than a lifetime’s burden of debt was free!
You would think that the man’s reaction would be one of overwhelming gratitude, and a willingness to treat others the way he had been treated. Unfortunately, the Bible tells us his reaction was just the opposite. He found a man who owed him a relatively small sum. The man begged him for mercy, but the debtor who had been forgiven would not even consider it. He grabbed the man who owed him a debt by the throat—not by the hand or by the arm. This indicates that he was so serious about recovering the debt owed to him that he would threaten someone who owed him money with death. He cast the poor debtor into prison—a fate he narrowly avoided because of the mercy of his king—not because of any virtue that he himself had.
The king found out about what had happened, and called the servant he forgave into account. He said, “I forgave you the debt you owed. Why didn’t you forgive the debt you were owed? You received compassion, and you should have given compassion in return.” The king had the man who would not forgive thrown into prison until he paid an unpayable debt. In other words, he would never get out—his torment would be never ending.
Let me reiterate Matthew 18:35: “So also My heavenly Father will do to each of you, if from your heart you do not forgive your brother for his trespasses.”
The point is clear. We owed God a debt we could never pay. We had no ability to compensate Him for what we legitimately owed Him. He forgave us the debt because the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross paid our debt in full. Whatever injury or injustice has happened to us at the hands of others could never approximate the debt we owed. Therefore, our only response must be to forgive others as we have been forgiven.
Here is the result of anyone’s refusal to offer forgiveness to those who need it: God says, “As soon as you pay me that debt you owe me, I’ll make them pay you the debt they owe you.”
Matthew 18:34 says the king delivered the man who would not forgive to the tormentors. Without going into detail about what that means, I want to emphasize that lack of forgiveness results in torment. I believe that one primary reason so many people live in so much torment today is because of their failure to recognize the importance—the necessity—of forgiveness.
There are two main objections that arise regarding the subject of forgiveness. First is that people will argue that if they forgive someone, that person will not have to suffer any consequence of their wrongdoing.
I will remind those with this argument that God forgave them, and they did not have to suffer the consequences of their sin, which ultimately would have been separation from God for eternity in a place called hell.
The second objection is this: “I don’t feel forgiveness toward them.” Forgiveness is not a feeling—it is a decision. You can make the determination to forgive someone regardless of how you fell about them or about what they did.
Forgive if you have anything against anyone. Make the right choice—or I might say, the righteous choice—and walk in the freedom Christ purchased for the sons and daughters of God by forgiving others.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer
However, I want to focus on what follows. Preachers have been fond of saying, “A text without a context is nothing more than a pretext.” What that means is that neglecting to include truth from before and after a text can be a problem. Lack of context can lead people to a conclusion that is not only different than intended, but it can also at times be the opposite of what the Bible is actually saying. With this in mind, let me rehearse what follows Mark 11:22-24, which is Mark 11:25-26: “And when you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven may also forgive you your sins. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your sins.”
These two verses are connected to what comes before them. This is very clearly indicated by the conjunction and. To rightly divide the word of truth, these thoughts cannot be separated. Why, then, are they so often thought of as distinct and separate portions of scripture?
I believe that people are more than ready to claim their rights in the kingdom of God while at the same time neglecting or repudiating their responsibilities. They are quick to lay hold on whatever blessing they see that belongs to them, but they also avoid the corresponding need to extend forgiveness to those who have wronged them. The second principle follows the first. In fact, if the principle of forgiveness is not followed, the principle of faith will not work the way it is intended to work.
When some believers do not receive what they want from God, they often look for someone else to blame for the breakdown. In many cases, their examination should begin with a fearless moral inventory of their own lives—including asking whether they are holding unforgiveness in their hearts toward anyone for any reason.
Mark 11 is not the only time Jesus spoke of the importance of forgiveness. The Lord’s Prayer, recorded in Matthew 6:9-13, also clearly indicates the primacy of forgiveness as a fundamental principle for believers.
Notice Matthew 6:14-15: “For if you forgive men for their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men for their sins, neither will your Father forgive your sins.”
You have heard me say it many times—we have the opportunity to direct divine activity—not because of destiny, but because of decisions. God says, “I’ll do this if you’ll do that.” In this case, it is “I will forgive you if you will forgive others.”
One of the fundamental principles of the kingdom of God is the law of sowing and reaping. We tend to think of that law in terms of farming or finances, but it applies to every category of endeavor. Jesus said in Luke 6:37-38: “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you shall be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will men give unto you. For with the measure you use, it will be measured unto you.”
“Forgive, and you shall be forgiven.” You forgive others, and God will forgive you. There are times when people hear this that they say, “Why should I forgive others first—shouldn’t I wait for God to forgive me?”
I am sure that Jesus encountered or anticipated this question—and He answers it in Matthew 18:23-35: “Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. When he began to settle the accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. But since he was not able to pay, his master ordered that he be sold with his wife, their children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. “So the servant fell on his knees, pleading with him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. “But that same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe.’ “So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and entreated him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ “But he would not and went and threw him in prison until he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what took place, they were very sorry and went and told their master all that had taken place.
“Then his master, after he had summoned him, said to him, ‘O you wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?’ 34His master was angry and delivered him to the jailers until he should pay all his debt.
35“So also My heavenly Father will do to each of you, if from your heart you do not forgive your brother for his trespasses.”
The king had a servant who owed him an immeasurable amount of money—more than could be repaid in a lifetime of labor. When the debtor begged for mercy, the king granted it to him—forgiveness for the entirety of the debt he owed. The man who was looking at more than a lifetime’s burden of debt was free!
You would think that the man’s reaction would be one of overwhelming gratitude, and a willingness to treat others the way he had been treated. Unfortunately, the Bible tells us his reaction was just the opposite. He found a man who owed him a relatively small sum. The man begged him for mercy, but the debtor who had been forgiven would not even consider it. He grabbed the man who owed him a debt by the throat—not by the hand or by the arm. This indicates that he was so serious about recovering the debt owed to him that he would threaten someone who owed him money with death. He cast the poor debtor into prison—a fate he narrowly avoided because of the mercy of his king—not because of any virtue that he himself had.
The king found out about what had happened, and called the servant he forgave into account. He said, “I forgave you the debt you owed. Why didn’t you forgive the debt you were owed? You received compassion, and you should have given compassion in return.” The king had the man who would not forgive thrown into prison until he paid an unpayable debt. In other words, he would never get out—his torment would be never ending.
Let me reiterate Matthew 18:35: “So also My heavenly Father will do to each of you, if from your heart you do not forgive your brother for his trespasses.”
The point is clear. We owed God a debt we could never pay. We had no ability to compensate Him for what we legitimately owed Him. He forgave us the debt because the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross paid our debt in full. Whatever injury or injustice has happened to us at the hands of others could never approximate the debt we owed. Therefore, our only response must be to forgive others as we have been forgiven.
Here is the result of anyone’s refusal to offer forgiveness to those who need it: God says, “As soon as you pay me that debt you owe me, I’ll make them pay you the debt they owe you.”
Matthew 18:34 says the king delivered the man who would not forgive to the tormentors. Without going into detail about what that means, I want to emphasize that lack of forgiveness results in torment. I believe that one primary reason so many people live in so much torment today is because of their failure to recognize the importance—the necessity—of forgiveness.
There are two main objections that arise regarding the subject of forgiveness. First is that people will argue that if they forgive someone, that person will not have to suffer any consequence of their wrongdoing.
I will remind those with this argument that God forgave them, and they did not have to suffer the consequences of their sin, which ultimately would have been separation from God for eternity in a place called hell.
The second objection is this: “I don’t feel forgiveness toward them.” Forgiveness is not a feeling—it is a decision. You can make the determination to forgive someone regardless of how you fell about them or about what they did.
Forgive if you have anything against anyone. Make the right choice—or I might say, the righteous choice—and walk in the freedom Christ purchased for the sons and daughters of God by forgiving others.
Yours for the Harvest,
Dr. Rod Parsley
Founder & General Overseer