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“Settle matters quickly.”
These are not the words of a psychological counselor. They are the words of Jesus Christ, the Judge of all the earth.
Let us look at what the Word of God says:
> “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
> — *Matthew 5:25–26 (NIV)*
Connected to this are three other key statements of Jesus from the same sermon:
> “First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”
> — *Matthew 5:24*
> “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
> — *Matthew 5:9*
> “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
> — *Matthew 6:12*
These verses give us a very serious principle:
Unresolved relational conflicts become spiritual prisons.
Unforgiveness is a form of debt.
Delay in reconciliation is dangerous.
The theme of the song “Settle Matters Quickly” is not sentimental. It is judicial. It deals with God as Judge, with spiritual consequences, and with the urgent necessity of reconciliation and forgiveness in the life of a believer.
We must see where these words occur. They come from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), spoken by Jesus to His disciples and the crowds in Galilee.
In Matthew 5, Jesus is not speaking to pagans. He is speaking to people who:
To such people Jesus says:
In the culture of that time, debtor’s prison was a known reality. A man could be thrown into prison for an unpaid debt and kept there until it was fully satisfied. Jesus uses that familiar scene to illustrate spiritual reality.
Also note:
Jesus speaks of court, judge, officer, prison, and the last penny.
These are legal terms. This is a courtroom picture.
So we have:
The central point:
God takes our relationships seriously.
Unreconciled issues are not harmless.
They trigger a spiritual process that, if not halted “on the way,” leads to a kind of prison—both in this age and potentially in the age to come.
When Jesus adds later, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt. 6:12), He is not speaking about financial obligations alone. He is speaking of moral, relational and spiritual debts—wrongs done, offenses carried, claims we hold against others.
The context is one of:
Let us take two key words from Matthew 5:25 and Matthew 5:9.
### 1. “Adversary” – Greek: *antídikos* (ἀντίδικος)
> “Settle matters quickly with your adversary (*antídikos*) who is taking you to court…”
> — *Matthew 5:25*
The word *antídikos* comes from:
So *antídikos* means:
It is important to realize that the New Testament also uses this same term for Satan:
> “Be alert and of sober mind. Your adversary (*antídikos*), the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”
> — *1 Peter 5:8*
In other words, there are human adversaries and a spiritual Adversary.
Both operate in a legal atmosphere—claims, accusations, rights, and judgments.
When you and I refuse to settle matters with our human adversaries, we create legal ground for the spiritual Adversary. Our unresolved conflicts become evidence in his file.
### 2. “Peacemakers” – Greek: *eirēnopoioí* (εἰρηνοποιοί)
> “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
> — *Matthew 5:9*
The Greek word is *eirēnopoiós* (plural: *eirēnopoioí*):
So *eirēnopoiós* means:
This deepens our understanding:
The lyrics rightly emphasize:
> “Take the first step, swallow your pride
> Make things right before the night arrives…”
That is peacemaking. It is costly. It requires humility. But Jesus says such people will be called “children of God.” Why? Because they resemble their Father, who made peace through the blood of His Son (Col. 1:20).
We will walk through the main themes in the lyrics and connect them to Scripture.
### A. “Make friends quickly with your opponent… before the judge decides…”
This echoes Matthew 5:25–26 almost verbatim.
The picture is of two people on the way to court.
At this stage:
Spiritually, we are all “on the way”:
The warning is: Do not wait until the courtroom.
Jesus indicates a sequence:
1. Adversary hands you over to the judge.
2. Judge hands you to the officer.
3. Officer puts you in prison.
4. You remain there till the last penny is paid.
This is not just a civil process. It describes a spiritual chain of consequences:
Hebrews 12 shows God as a Father who disciplines His children. Unforgiveness, bitterness and unresolved conflict can bring us under that fatherly discipline—sometimes in very painful ways.
In 1 Corinthians 11:29–30, Paul indicates that wrong attitudes, including towards the body of Christ, can even lead to sickness and death. That is a kind of “prison.” You are not free.
Key truth:
Delayed reconciliation increases spiritual risk.
What begins as anger can become bondage.
> “Don’t let anger turn into something you can’t escape”
This is exactly Paul’s warning:
> “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”
> — *Ephesians 4:26–27*
The Greek word for “foothold” (*topos*) literally means “place, territory, legal ground.”
Unresolved anger gives Satan legal territory in your life.
### B. “If you’re bringing your gift to the altar… go make peace first…”
This stanza is built on Matthew 5:23–24:
> “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”
Notice the order:
1. Worshiper is at the altar—this is an act of devotion.
2. He remembers that a brother has something against him.
3. Jesus says: Stop the religious act. Leave the gift.
4. First go and be reconciled.
5. Then come back and offer your gift.
God is saying:
Hosea 6:6 expresses the same:
> “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.”
The lyrics summarize it:
> “God wants mercy, not just sacrifice
> Reconcile fast—don’t let the sun set on your anger”
Many believers struggle in prayer, in worship, in spiritual growth, because there is a blocked relationship:
Jesus tells us: deal with that before you continue at the altar.
### C. “Blessed are the peacemakers… forgive as you’ve been forgiven…”
Here the lyrics draw together Matthew 5:9, Matthew 6:12 and related verses.
> “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
> — *Matthew 5:9*
> “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
> — *Matthew 6:12*
The Bible describes sin as debt:
In the parable of the unforgiving servant (Matt. 18:21–35), Jesus shows:
Jesus ends with this terrifying statement:
> “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”
> — *Matthew 18:35*
That is the same pattern as Matthew 5:25–26:
That is why the lyrics rightly say:
> “Let go of grudges, release the debt
> Love covers a multitude of wrongs”
“Love covers a multitude of sins” is from 1 Peter 4:8.
To “cover” is not to deny sin, but to choose not to expose, repeat, or hold it as a weapon.
When we forgive:
When we refuse to forgive:
### D. “Small things grow bitter if we let them stay…”
This section speaks to the process of bitterness.
> “Small things grow bitter if we let them stay
> A word unspoken can ruin the day…”
Hebrews 12:15 warns:
> “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Bitter roots:
Bitterness:
The lyrics are correct:
> “The prison of resentment only chains your soul
> Freedom comes when you choose to let it go”
Resentment is self-imposed imprisonment.
You may think you are punishing the other person by holding on.
In reality, you are binding yourself.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:26:
> “Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.”
Unforgiveness creates debts that must be paid—often in the currency of:
Deliverance ministries encounter this repeatedly:
### E. “Take the first step, swallow your pride… Settle it now—while mercy is near…”
This brings forward a central principle of Scripture: now.
2 Corinthians 6:2:
> “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
Hebrews 3:15:
> “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…”
The song’s refrain, repeated many times, presses this urgency:
> “Settle matters quickly with your adversary…
> Do it while you are still together on the way…”
There are two time zones in which we may respond:
“While mercy is near” is a powerful phrase. It echoes Isaiah 55:6–7:
> “Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
> Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
> Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them…”
Mercy is offered on the way.
If we refuse it, we meet God not as Savior but as Judge.
To “swallow your pride” is not psychological advice; it is biblical:
> “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
> — *James 4:6*
> “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”
> — *1 Peter 5:6*
Humility is the doorway to reconciliation.
Pride is often the real reason we do not settle matters quickly:
But Jesus places the initiative on you:
In other words:
It is always your move.
We will look at four practical steps, each with a simple proclamation.
### 1. Examine Your Relationships Before You Approach God
Before you worship, pray, or serve, ask the Holy Spirit:
Let Him bring to your mind faces, names, situations.
When He does, do not argue.
That is God’s mercy locating the “adversary on the way” so that you can settle.
Proclamation 1:
“I accept the priority of reconciliation in my walk with God. I choose to examine my relationships and obey Jesus before I present my gift at the altar.”
### 2. Release Debts Through Forgiveness
Forgiveness is not:
Forgiveness is:
Pray something like this, naming the person and the specific offense:
“Lord, I choose by an act of my will to forgive ______ for ______. I release them from my judgment. I tear up every claim, every debt. I place them into Your hands. They owe me nothing. I give up my right to punishment, explanation, or repayment.”
You may not feel anything at first. That is not the issue.
Forgiveness is a decision, not an emotion.
Proclamation 2:
“In the name of Jesus, I release every person who has sinned against me. I tear up every IOU. I forgive as I have been forgiven.”
### 3. Take Concrete Steps Toward Reconciliation
Sometimes forgiveness is purely internal—especially when contact would be unsafe or unwise. But often, Scripture directs a practical step:
Jesus said, “First go and be reconciled to them” (Matt. 5:24).
Paul adds, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Rom. 12:18).
Note the two qualifications:
Your responsibility:
Proclamation 3:
“I choose to be a peacemaker. As far as it depends on me, I will take initiative to make peace, to apologize where I have been wrong, and to seek reconciliation.”
### 4. Close the Door to the Adversary
After forgiveness and steps toward reconciliation, you must close the legal door in the spiritual realm.
In Ephesians 4:26–27, Paul says anger can give the devil a *topos*—a place, a right. Having removed that ground by forgiveness, you now declare Satan’s claims cancelled.
Pray something like:
“Father, in the name of Jesus, I have forgiven. I have released every debt. I now declare that Satan has no further legal right over me in this area. I command any spirit of bitterness, resentment, anger, or accusation to leave me, and never return, in Jesus’ name.”
Proclamation 4:
“By the blood of Jesus and the word of God, I close every door I opened through unforgiveness and bitterness. The adversary has no more legal claim over me in this area.”
### Scriptural Proclamation
Speak this out loud, deliberately, before God:
“I proclaim that I am a child of God, called to be a peacemaker.
I accept the words of Jesus: ‘Settle matters quickly with your adversary while you are still on the way.’
I affirm that if I bring my gift to the altar and remember that my brother has something against me, I will first go and be reconciled, then come and offer my gift.
I declare that I will not let the sun go down on my anger, and I will not give the devil a foothold.
I choose to forgive others their debts, as God in Christ has forgiven me.
I renounce all bitterness, resentment, and grudges.
I refuse the prison of unforgiveness.
By the authority of Jesus Christ and the power of His blood, I step out of every spiritual prison built by anger and unpaid debts, and I walk in the freedom of peace and reconciliation.
Blessed are the peacemakers: I choose to be one of them, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
### Prayer
“Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the Judge of all the earth, and You are also the Lamb of God who took away my sin.
Your words warn me to settle matters quickly, while I am still on the way. Today I choose to obey.
Holy Spirit, search my heart. Show me every broken relationship, every unresolved offense, every hidden root of bitterness. I open myself to Your light.
Father, I confess that I have often preferred sacrifice to mercy, worship to obedience, and pride to humility. I repent. By Your grace, I choose the way of the cross. I choose to forgive. I choose to seek peace. I choose to humble myself.
Where I have held others in the prison of my resentment, forgive me. Where I have given the adversary legal ground through anger and unforgiveness, I renounce that ground now. Let the blood of Jesus speak a better word over my life.
Strengthen me to take the first step—to make the call, to send the message, to ask forgiveness where I have been wrong, to offer forgiveness where I have been wounded. Make me a true peacemaker, a true child of God.
I ask You, Lord, to release me from every spiritual prison connected with unforgiveness. Let the chains fall. Let the torment cease. Fill me with Your peace, and let Your love cover a multitude of sins.
I receive Your mercy now, while it is near.
In the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord and my Judge,
Amen.”
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