Matthew 6:14-15 KJV
14) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Compare to,
Colossians 3:12-13 KJV
12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
and,
Ephesians 4:31-32 KJV
31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
So why the difference?
Jesus declared forgiveness from God dependant on whether you forgive others or not.
Paul wrote we are to forgive because we have been forgiven.
Does the Bible contradict itself? No.
Galatians 3:10-14 KJV
10) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us. Until Jesus was crucified, the Law pronounced a curse on everyone, because "the man that doeth them shall live in them", but no one perfectly kept the Law, so no one was justified by the Law. The Law provides right standing with God in return for obedience, but none qualified.
Meanwhile, after the cross, now, the just shall live by faith. Before, the just would live by their works. Now we live by faith.
This means we are justified by God through faith. And now being forgiven, we are to show that Godly mind of Christ in forgiving others.
There is no contradiction here. The cross changed everything.
Much love!
14) For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
15) But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Compare to,
Colossians 3:12-13 KJV
12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
and,
Ephesians 4:31-32 KJV
31) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32) And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
So why the difference?
Jesus declared forgiveness from God dependant on whether you forgive others or not.
Paul wrote we are to forgive because we have been forgiven.
Does the Bible contradict itself? No.
Galatians 3:10-14 KJV
10) For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11) But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12) And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13) Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14) That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us. Until Jesus was crucified, the Law pronounced a curse on everyone, because "the man that doeth them shall live in them", but no one perfectly kept the Law, so no one was justified by the Law. The Law provides right standing with God in return for obedience, but none qualified.
Meanwhile, after the cross, now, the just shall live by faith. Before, the just would live by their works. Now we live by faith.
This means we are justified by God through faith. And now being forgiven, we are to show that Godly mind of Christ in forgiving others.
There is no contradiction here. The cross changed everything.
Much love!
