It is impossible to receive God's forgiveness and then be unwilling to forgive others.
The problem is, too many people have not yet realized their true spiritual condition (that being poor and needy) as Jesus begins in Matt 5
As those who have realized this, will then mourn over that sinful condition (GODLY sorrow leads to repentance)
Then and only then does the comforter come. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
As long as one compares his or herself to their fellow servants, as the pharisee to the publican, they cannot see the kingdom of God.
Jesus said, if you were blind you would have no sin, but now you say i see, so your sin remains.
The hardest thing i've seen is a person who's never BEEN CAUGHT doing something that society would consider unacceptable, as it allows for a sense of superiority. Remember when Jesus told Simon, "Do you see this woman?", speaking of the prostitute/sinner that washed Jesus' feet with her tears.
He said to Simon, "her sins which are many have been forgiven and so she LOVES MUCH. He who has been forgiven little (In their own eyes) LOVES LITTLE, but he who has been forgiven much, LOVES MUCH.
Unwillingness to forgive puts one on God's throne and He will NOT share His throne. the devil found that out in his pride, and so will anyone else.
In fact, unforgiveness is a form of blasphemy, as it says one claims Christ but denies His character.
Blaspheme means to puncture the integrity of a thing. Kinda like a tire that gets a blowout. That tire has been blasphemed. God's character is LOVE and the most amazing thing i've come across in scripture on this subject is the parallel between 1 John 4 and Matt 7 in regard to "knowing God".
1 John says 7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
The other reference to "Knowing God" is found in verse 23 of Matt 7 and it says. "Depart from Me you who practice lawlessness. (The law is LOVE), I NEVER KNEW YOU.
I've heard it explained away by so many well meaning pastors and teachers as though there are 2 types of forgiveness, but when Paul says "Even AS God in Christ forgave you, so you also must do.", it makes it pretty clear to me that Jesus knew what He was saying in "for IF you forgive others their trespasses your Father in heaven will forgive your trespasses, but IF you don't, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.
It's simply because if i DIED, have been crucified with Christ, then He is now living in me and will ALWAYS forgive.
So i guess the question is really this, who is doing the living?
That can be answered by knowing who is doing the LOVING?
Thanks for your time,
paul and doulos of Jesus Christ