Matthew 6:14-15- For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespass, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Nothing new here, just a reminder. We are expected to forgive each other the way Christ forgave us. We know eternally speaking our sins are forgiven because of what Christ did on the cross. The world will tell us that we do not have to forgive or someone has to ask for forgiveness in order to receive it. However, when it comes to how Christ forgives, it's quite the opposite. Christ forgave us all our trespass, eternally speaking. Forgiveness is what Christianity is based on. We did not have to ask for this forgiveness, Christ simply gave it to us.

The verse above is referring to temporal forgiveness. Even though God has forgiven us eternally, we still need forgiveness now for our tresspasses. Therefore, we are ordered to ask for this forgiveness in prayer (1st John 1:9). Now when it comes to forgiving each other, and receiving temporal forgiveness from God, it's conditional. "If" we forgive, God will forgive us. That sounds like a good deal to me, for I transgress often. "If" we do not, then he will not. I don't know about you, but I don't want to tempt the Lord. We must forgive, and quickly. For I am in need of the Lord's forgiveness, daily.

In Christ, Elder Ray Blanchard