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The central theme of these lyrics can be summed up in one phrase: the flow of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a mere theological concept. It is a spiritual law in the kingdom of God. It is a flow—first from God to us, then from us to others. If we block that flow at any point, it is blocked back to us.
Let us look at what the Word of God says. The core statement is from the lips of Jesus Himself:
> “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.”
> (Matthew 6:14–15, NIV)
Everything in these lyrics revolves around this divine condition. God’s forgiveness to us is inseparably linked to our forgiveness of others. Many Christians struggle, not because God is unwilling to forgive, but because they are blocking His forgiveness by their refusal to forgive.
The lyrics also weave in three other central passages:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
“Having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”
The parable of the unforgiving servant, where a man forgiven an unpayable debt refuses to forgive a small one.
The teaching is consistent, clear, and uncompromising: we reap the forgiveness we are willing to give.
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First, we must place these statements of Jesus in their proper setting.
### Matthew 6:14–15 – The Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 6:14–15 comes immediately after what we call “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9–13). Jesus is speaking to His disciples in the Sermon on the Mount—His foundational teaching on kingdom living.
In that prayer we say:
> “And forgive us our debts,
> as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12)
Out of all the petitions in the prayer, Jesus picks only one to explain further—the petition about forgiveness. That alone shows its importance.
Right after “Amen” to the prayer, He continues:
> “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you…” (v.14)
In other words, He is saying: *This part you must not misunderstand. Your own forgiveness depends on it.*
So the context is not evangelistic preaching to the crowds. It is discipling instruction to those who claim to follow Him. The warning, therefore, is for believers.
### Ephesians 4:32 – Life in the New Man
Paul in Ephesians is addressing a church—born-again believers filled with the Holy Spirit. In chapter 4 he tells them to “put off” the old man and “put on” the new. In that context he commands:
> “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (NASB)
The standard is not human decency. It is “just as God in Christ forgave you.” That is supernatural. That means our pattern for forgiveness is the cross.
### Colossians 2:14 – The Legal Debt Canceled
To the Colossians, Paul unfolds the legal aspect of our salvation. He uses the language of a written record, a legal indictment, a “charge of our indebtedness.” This “record” stood against us and condemned us. God did not simply ignore it. He canceled it and nailed it to the cross.
In other words, your entire file in heaven was taken, stamped “Paid in full,” and permanently removed. This is the measure of the forgiveness we have received.
### Matthew 18:23–34 – The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
In Matthew 18, Peter asks Jesus:
> “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” (v.21)
Jesus answers:
> “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” (or “seventy times seven”).
Then He explains with a parable. A king settles accounts:
Jesus ends with this frightening 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)
The teaching is not obscure. It is terrifyingly clear. Forgiveness is not optional in the kingdom. It is a condition for continuing in God’s forgiveness.
---
To understand the force of these Scriptures, we must examine a few key words.
### 1. “Forgive” – ἀφίημι (*aphiēmi*)
The common Greek verb translated “forgive” in Matthew 6 is ἀφίημι (aphiēmi). Its basic meanings include:
So when Jesus says, “If you forgive others,” He is literally saying, “If you release others,” “if you send away their sins,” “if you let go of the debt they owe you.”
Unforgiveness, then, is holding on to the debt. It is retaining it, keeping it on your books. You say in your heart, “You still owe me. I will not let this go.”
Forgiveness, in the biblical sense, is not a feeling. It is a deliberate act of the will, by which you:
This clarifies the repeated refrain in the lyrics: *“If you hold on to the wrongs they’ve done… then don’t expect forgiveness from above.”* The Greek verb itself carries this idea: forgive = let go; not forgive = hold on.
### 2. “Debts” – ὀφείλημα (*opheilēma*)
In Matthew 6:12, Jesus uses the term:
> “Forgive us our debts (ὀφειλήματα, *opheilēmata*), as we forgive our debtors (ὀφειλέταις, *opheiletais*).”
The root idea of ὀφείλημα is something owed—an obligation, a debt. Sin is portrayed as a debt. Every wrong creates an obligation. Either the offender pays it, or someone else does.
The gospel proclaims that Jesus paid our debt. Colossians 2:14 echoes the same legal, financial picture. There was a written record of everything we owed to divine justice. God canceled it. How? By transferring it to Christ on the cross. He paid it in our place.
This deepens the lyric line:
> “He canceled the record of debt that stood against us
> Nailing it to the cross, setting us free
> How can we who’ve been forgiven so much
> Withhold forgiveness from anyone else?”
If God has torn up our entire account, the largest possible debt ledger, who are we to keep even one item on someone else’s account?
---
Now we will examine the themes of the lyrics, in the light of Scripture.
### A. The Condition of Forgiveness
> If you forgive those who sin against you
> Your heavenly Father will also forgive you
> But if you hold on to the wrongs they’ve done
> And refuse to let mercy flow from your heart
> Then don’t expect forgiveness from above
> The door stays closed when we close it on others
This stanza reflects Matthew 6:14–15 exactly. Forgiveness from God is not unconditional in the ongoing Christian life. Initial justification is by faith alone. But Jesus is here speaking about the continuing relationship with the Father.
The spiritual law is plain:
The image of “the door” is biblically accurate. In Matthew 7:2, Jesus says:
> “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
When you lock the door of mercy toward others, you are locking yourself behind that same door. You create your own spiritual climate. The measure you use becomes the measure used toward you.
This is not God changing His character. It is God applying to you the standard you insist on applying to others.
### B. The Prayer We All Pray – And Its Hidden Demand
> We pray “Forgive us our debts
> As we forgive our debtors” every day
> Those words carry weight—they echo in heaven
> If we say them but don’t live them out
> We’re asking God to treat us the same
> Measuring back the mercy we refuse to give
Whenever you pray the Lord’s Prayer, you are effectively asking God:
“Forgive me in the same way, and to the same measure, that I forgive others.”
If you are holding bitterness, resentment, accusations, then—whether you realize it or not—you are asking God to hold your sins in the same way.
The phrase “They echo in heaven” is theologically sound. Our words matter in the spiritual realm. Jesus said:
> “By your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:37)
When you mouth the words “as we forgive,” heaven treats that as a standard you have willingly established.
This is why many believers remain under a sense of condemnation and spiritual heaviness. They are binding themselves with their own words and attitudes.
### C. The Pattern of Forgiveness – God in Christ
> Be kind to one another, tenderhearted
> Forgiving each other just as God in Christ forgave you
> He canceled the record of debt that stood against us
> Nailing it to the cross, setting us free
> How can we who’ve been forgiven so much
> Withhold forgiveness from anyone else?
Here the lyrics quote Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 2:14 almost directly.
Notice the order:
1. God in Christ forgave you – that is the objective historical fact.
2. On that basis, you forgive others.
Forgiveness is not primarily an emotion. It is a response to a revelation: *“I have been forgiven an immeasurable debt.”* The more clearly you see the cross, the more impossible it becomes to cling to someone else’s small offense.
Colossians 2:14 shows the legal transaction:
That is total, final, irreversible cancellation. God does not leave part of your debt outstanding. He does not keep a “backup copy” of your sins. He removes the entire legal basis for condemnation.
The lyrics then ask a searching question: “How can we who’ve been forgiven so much withhold forgiveness from anyone else?” The answer, spiritually, is: we cannot do so without denying the very grace that saved us.
To cling to resentment is to say: “What was done to me is greater than what I did to God.” That is a form of pride and unbelief.
### D. The Unforgiving Servant – Reaping What We Sow
> The servant owed a debt he could never repay
> Yet the master forgave it all in amazing grace
> But that same servant grabbed a fellow servant by the throat
> Demanding every penny—unforgiving, cruel
> So the master handed him over until the debt was paid
> We reap the forgiveness we’re willing to give
This stanza summarizes Matthew 18:23–34.
The first servant’s debt (ten thousand talents) represents our sin against God—immeasurable, unpayable, hopeless. The second servant’s debt (a hundred denarii) represents what others have done to us—real, painful, but small by comparison.
The critical point in the parable is this:
> The master reinstates the debt he had forgiven.
That explodes a sentimental view of grace. Jesus is teaching that refusal to forgive can bring back under judgment that which was once forgiven.
At the end the unforgiving servant is “handed over to the torturers.” Many believers live tormented—mentally, emotionally, sometimes even physically—because they are imprisoned by their own unforgiveness.
Bitterness is spiritual poison. Hebrews 12:15 says:
> “…that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Bitterness never stays private. It spreads, defiles, and opens the door to demonic oppression. Unforgiveness is one of the major legal grounds evil spirits use to torment Christians.
The lyric line “We reap the forgiveness we’re willing to give” echoes Galatians 6:7:
> “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
If you sow mercy, you reap mercy. If you sow harshness, you reap harshness. You establish your own measure.
### E. The Ongoing Nature of Forgiveness – Seventy Times Seven
> Let go of the hurt, release every chain
> Open your heart—let His mercy remain
> Forgive from the depths as you’ve been forgiven
> Seventy times seven, again and again
> Only then will heaven’s forgiveness flow free
> Unblocked by the grace we choose to release
Here we return to Jesus’ answer to Peter: “seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:22).
This does not mean you keep a ledger up to 490. It means you stop counting. You adopt an attitude of continual, unlimited forgiveness, because that is how God deals with you.
“Forgive from the depths” echoes Matthew 18:35: “from your heart.” True forgiveness is not mechanical. It is not lip service. It reaches the inner man—your thoughts, your memories, your emotional reactions.
“Let go of the hurt, release every chain” matches the meaning of aphiēmi. You send away the debt. You remove the chain by which you have tied both yourself and the offender.
Then notice the line: “Only then will heaven’s forgiveness flow free, unblocked by the grace we choose to release.” The flow of God’s grace is objective, but its experience in your life can be blocked. The blockage is in you, not in God. When you release others, you unblock the channel through which God’s grace flows to you.
There is a spiritual circulation system in the body of Christ. God’s love, mercy, and forgiveness are like blood. They must keep moving. If they are dammed up in one part of the body, that part becomes diseased.
---
We must now ask: how do we apply this in practice? I will outline four clear steps that you can take, and also turn them into proclamations.
### Step 1: Face the Command Honestly
First, we must accept the absolute authority of Jesus’ words.
He does not say:
He says:
> “If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:15)
This is not a suggestion. It is a condition. Many remain bound because they argue with this command, or they try to qualify it: “But you don’t know what they did….” God knows fully. He still requires forgiveness.
Proclamation 1:
“I acknowledge that Jesus commands me to forgive. Forgiveness is not optional for me as a disciple. By God’s grace, I choose to obey His Word.”
### Step 2: Identify Those You Have Not Forgiven
Second, we must be specific. Unforgiveness is rarely vague. It is usually attached to names and events.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you:
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. He will bring to your mind the faces you need to release.
Proclamation 2:
“Holy Spirit, I ask You to shine Your light into my heart. Show me every person I have not truly forgiven. I choose to face the truth, not hide from it.”
### Step 3: Forgive as an Act of the Will
Third, you must forgive by decision, not by emotion. Feelings may follow later, but they do not lead. You speak out forgiveness, name by name, offense by offense.
A simple biblical pattern:
1. Name the person.
2. Name the offense.
3. Renounce your claim.
4. Hand them over to God.
For example:
“Lord, I forgive my father for his anger and harsh words. I release him from the debt he owes me. I give up my right to revenge, to resentment, to repayment. I place him and this situation into Your hands.”
You may need to say:
“I forgive him/her fully and finally. I will not bring this debt up again to demand payment.”
Proclamation 3:
“In the name of Jesus, I choose to forgive every person who has wronged me. I release them from their debt to me. I give up all resentment, all bitterness, and all desire for revenge. I place every offense into the hands of my righteous Judge.”
### Step 4: Maintain a Lifestyle of Forgiveness
Fourth, you must maintain forgiveness. The devil will try to bring back the memories. Your mind will rehearse the pain. At that point you must stand on your decision.
Forgiveness does not mean:
It means:
When the memory comes, you can say:
“I have forgiven that. I will not reopen that account. I declare it paid in Christ.”
Proclamation 4:
“I choose a lifestyle of continual forgiveness. When old memories arise, I will not take back the debt I have canceled. I will walk in the same mercy that God has shown me in Christ.”
---
### A Proclamation of Faith
Say this aloud, slowly and deliberately, as an act of faith:
> “Through the blood of Jesus, God has forgiven me an unpayable debt.
> He has canceled the record that stood against me and nailed it to the cross.
> Therefore, I choose to forgive every person who has sinned against me.
> I release them from their debt, I renounce all bitterness, all resentment, and all desire for revenge.
> I will not judge, lest I be judged; I will forgive, that I may be forgiven.
> I set my will to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving,
> just as God in Christ has forgiven me.
> As I let mercy flow out from my heart,
> I open the door for God’s mercy to flow into my life without hindrance.
> I declare that the flow of forgiveness in me is unblocked,
> in the name of Jesus. Amen.”
### A Short, Powerful Prayer
“Lord Jesus,
You died to pay the debt of my sin. You forgave me freely and completely. I acknowledge Your Word: that if I do not forgive, my Father will not forgive me. I submit to Your authority. I ask You now: by the power of the Holy Spirit, enable me to forgive from my heart every person who has ever wronged me. Where I have been bound by bitterness, break every chain. Where I have opened the door to torment through unforgiveness, close that door by Your mercy. Let the same forgiveness that flowed from the cross now flow through me to others. Establish in me a new heart—a heart like Yours, full of mercy. I thank You that as I forgive, I am forgiven, and the flow of Your grace in my life is restored. In Your mighty name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.”
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