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Matthew 18:27-35

(27) Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. (28) But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. (29) And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. (30) And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. (31) So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. (32) Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: (33) Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? (34) And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. (35) So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
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The well-known Parable of the Unforgiving Servant is a vivid example of the debt someone owes to us when they sin against us compared to the debt we owe to God. Additionally, this parable deals a deathblow to the concept of "eternal security," and it does so in a unique way. The king represents God, and verse 27 says that he forgave the debt—one so huge it was unpayable. That debt represents our sins. Yet, his forgiveness is not absolute! Because of the servant's impatience and hardness of heart toward others, the king actually lays the entire original debt back on the servant and requires him to pay it in full.

Translating this to our own lives, our own immense debt has been forgiven—yet our treatment of others could cause that debt to be fully reinstated. We would then have to pay that debt with our lives. As one pastor and poet wrote, "He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass."

The Bible highlights certain classifications of sin, and they are described in terrifying terms. Within the Book of the Law are warnings against presumptuous sin, for which no atonement could be made (Numbers 15:30; Deuteronomy 17:12-13). Another example is Christ's warning against blaspheming the Holy Spirit, which is something that will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:31-32). In Hebrews, we are warned against willful sin, after which Jesus Christ's sacrifice no longer applies (Hebrews 10:26-27). These are the major areas of danger that we must all avoid.

However, when it comes to not receiving forgiveness from God, Scripture shows that this can happen simply because we do not forgive a brother. Are there debts against us that we are holding onto rather than giving over to God to collect? When it comes to judgment, if we want the balance to tip in our favor and to receive mercy rather than justice, we must do the same thing for our brother.

The scale on which we do these things is minuscule compared to what God does for us, but He wants—requires!—us to practice this. If we will be living with Him for eternity, we must learn to emulate Him now. The God we are striving to emulate is a God of mercy and forgiveness—thankfully.

— David C. Grabbe

To learn more, see:
Sins in the Balance (Part One)