One of the most difficult thing to do is to forgive those who have sinned against you. It is very challenging to forgive especially when you think that you are right and they are wrong. Jesus demonstrated to us his immeasurable love, understanding, and forgiveness. And just as how He forgave us, we also ought to forgive others.

Remember the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant in the Bible (Matthew 18:21-35)?

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

When we withhold forgiveness from others, we let Satan win over us and we became a slave of our bitterness. In the parable, the master has forgiven the servant for his debt, but the servant didn’t know how to forgive others, so in the end he had to bear the consequences of his unforgiveness.

Are there any people in your life that you couldn’t forgive until now? It is time to be released from the slavery of unforgiveness and start loving people as Jesus does. Forgive them and be free.

Watch full video below to understand more about the poison of unforgiveness.

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