The Debt You Don’t Have to Repay: A Lesson in Grace and Forgiveness
When we rightly divide the Word of Truth, we discover the liberating difference between the conditional forgiveness taught under the Gospel of the Kingdom and the unconditional, finished forgiveness given to us under Grace. In Matthew 18:21–35, Jesus tells the parable of the unforgiving servant: a man forgiven of an impossible debt of 10,000 talents, yet unwilling to release his fellow servant from a mere 100 pence. The King, angered by this hypocrisy, revokes his mercy and delivers the servant to the tormentors. To Israel under the Law, this was a sobering warning—“Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37). Their forgiveness was conditional, revocable, and tied to their performance. Jesus Himself concluded, “So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses” (Matthew 18:35).
But when we turn to Paul, the Apostle of the Gentiles, we see the glorious shift brought by the Cross. Forgiveness is no longer a transaction waiting to be revoked; it is a finished fact. Paul writes, “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). Notice the tense—hath forgiven you. Colossians 2:13 confirms it: “And you, being dead in your sins… hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” Under Grace, God cannot “un-forgive” you, because Christ already bore the torment for your debt. The ledger is not merely canceled—it is paid in full at Calvary.
This truth brings peace to the believer’s heart. You no longer live under the pressure of performance, fearing that one moment of bitterness could undo your salvation. Instead, you rest in Christ’s perfect performance. You forgive not to earn God’s mercy, but because you already possess it in abundance. You are spiritually wealthy, with an infinite supply of forgiveness in your account, and from that wealth you can release others from their “100 pence” debts against you. And when you stumble, remember: God is not waiting to put your sins back on you. He already placed them on Christ, and He is satisfied with that payment.
So, my friend, you are not a servant trembling before a King’s audit—you are a son or daughter resting in a Father’s completed grace. Let this truth free you from fear, fill you with peace, and inspire you to forgive generously. As God has forgiven you through Christ, so walk in that light, extending grace to others—not out of debt, but out of the riches of His love.
