Freed to Forgive: Living Out Grace from the Heart

Matthew 18:21–35

There’s a simple but profound truth in Jesus’ teaching that we often overlook until life forces us to face it: we cannot live in the freedom of God’s forgiveness while holding others captive to our unforgiveness.

In Matthew 18:21–35, Peter comes to Jesus with what sounds like a fair and generous question: “Lord, how many times must I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? As many as seven times?” (v. 21). In Peter’s mind, seven was above and beyond. The rabbis taught that three times was enough. But Jesus answers, “I tell you, not as many as seven, but seventy times seven” (v. 22).

Jesus wasn’t giving Peter a new math equation for forgiveness. He was giving him a new heart posture.

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1. Forgiveness Begins with Remembering What We’ve Been Forgiven

The story Jesus tells next reminds us that we’ve all been like the first servant — standing before a King, buried under a mountain of debt we could never repay. Ten thousand talents was more than any laborer could earn in multiple lifetimes. Yet, in compassion, the King forgave the entire debt.

That’s the beauty of grace: we are forgiven not because we earned it, but because our King is merciful.

And that mercy is meant to change us. When we truly grasp the weight of what Christ has released us from — every sin, every rebellion, every selfish act — our hearts begin to soften toward those who have wronged us.

Unforgiveness grows when we forget the cross. But when we remember the mercy of Jesus, it becomes impossible to cling tightly to resentment.

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2. Unforgiveness Locks Us in the Prison We Build for Others

The servant who had been forgiven much went out and found someone who owed him a small debt — just one hundred denarii, a few months’ wages. But instead of showing mercy, he demanded payment and threw the man into prison.

What a powerful image of how unforgiveness works in our own lives. We think we’re punishing others by withholding grace, but we’re really chaining ourselves.

Warren Wiersbe wrote, “The world’s worst prison is the prison of an unforgiving heart.”

When we hold grudges, we carry emotional debts that drain our joy, our peace, and our prayers. We replay the offense, nurture the hurt, and justify the bitterness — all the while losing sight of the freedom Christ already gave us.

But God calls us to a better way — not because forgiveness is easy, but because it’s freeing. Forgiveness doesn’t mean pretending the wrong didn’t happen. It means trusting God to handle justice while we release the burden of revenge.

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3. Forgiveness Flows from the Heart, Not Just the Lips

Jesus ends the parable with a sobering warning: “So also my heavenly Father will do to you unless every one of you forgives his brother or sister from your heart” (v. 35).

This isn’t about earning God’s forgiveness; it’s about reflecting it. When we refuse to forgive, it reveals that we haven’t truly experienced grace at a heart level.

Forgiveness isn’t a one-time event — it’s a continual decision to live out what we’ve received from Christ. Some days that may mean releasing someone again in prayer, choosing to let go of the offense when it resurfaces, or asking God to change our feelings before our forgiveness feels complete.

And when we do, something beautiful happens: the same grace that once set us free begins to flow through us, setting others free too.

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Something to Remember

Forgiveness is not a feeling—it’s the daily decision to live in light of the mercy we’ve received. When we forgive, we echo the heart of our King who first forgave us.

As we look ahead to this coming Sunday and our final message in this series, “The Good Samaritan” from Luke 10:25–37, we’ll continue exploring how grace takes shape in real life—how love moves from words to action. If forgiveness reflects God’s mercy toward us, compassion reveals His mercy through us.

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