03/24/2025
By Pastor Vinnie Cappetta
"The Cycle of Grace: Living in the Freedom of Forgiveness"
Matthew 6:12-15
"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors... For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
How you respond to those around you directly affects how God responds to you. Jesus makes it clear in Matthew 6:12-15—our forgiveness from God is tied to how we forgive others. This isn’t about earning God’s grace, but rather about living in alignment with it. A person who has made many mistakes but humbly seeks God with a repentant and forgiving heart is closer to Him than someone who has known Scripture for years but refuses to extend forgiveness.
When I first came to know the Lord, I found it unbelievably easy to forgive—even those who had wounded me deeply—because I had experienced the overwhelming mercy of God. But over time, I noticed how easy it was to lose that forgiving spirit in the midst of everyday life. Little offenses build up. Wounds resurface. The temptation to hold onto hurt can harden our hearts before we even realize it.
Keeping Forgiveness Alive
So the real question is: How do we keep a forgiving spirit alive in us?
As we’ve discussed this week, love and forgiveness are inseparable. Without love, forgiveness wouldn’t exist. And without forgiveness, love remains incomplete. That means the only way to truly forgive is to remain focused on loving God.
- We must learn to love God with all our heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37).
- We must remind ourselves daily to be grateful for His mercy—that He does not hold grudges against us when we fail Him.
- We must let God’s love soften our hearts so we can extend that same grace to others.
When we live with this kind of heart, forgiveness becomes not just an act, but a way of life.
The Cost of Unforgiveness
Jesus’ words in Matthew 6:15 are sobering: "But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Unforgiveness keeps us bound. Unforgiveness hardens our hearts and disrupts our fellowship with God, making it harder to experience His grace and peace. In His love, God convicts us, calling us back to forgiveness so we can walk in the fullness of His presence.
If we withhold forgiveness, we step outside of God’s design for us. But if we forgive, we set others free—and in doing so, we set ourselves free. Forgiveness breaks chains, opens hearts, and creates space for God’s presence to move.
Forgiveness as a Witness
When we forgive, people don’t just hear about God's love—they experience it. Most people are not argued into the Kingdom of God. They are loved into it.
So let’s love. Let’s forgive. Because love and grace are contagious—and you never know whose life might be changed because you chose to extend the forgiveness God first gave you.
