New Beginnings Ministry
Roots: Forgiveness
  • Holy, Holy, Holy

  • Matthew 6:9-15

    Matthew 6:9–15 TPT
    9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father, dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn. 10 Manifest your kingdom realm, and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is fulfilled in heaven. 11 We acknowledge you as our Provider of all we need each day. 12 Forgive us the wrongs we have done as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us. 13 Rescue us every time we face tribulation and set us free from evil. For you are the King who rules with power and glory forever. Amen.’ 14 “And when you pray, make sure you forgive the faults of others so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you. 15 But if you withhold forgiveness from others, your Father withholds forgiveness from you.”
    Biblical teaching on forgiveness establishes it as foundational to Christian faith and community. The principle operates on reciprocity—your willingness to release others from their wrongs directly determines whether God releases you from yours. Withholding forgiveness from others places you outside God’s forgiveness (Matt 6:14–15), making the practice inseparable from your own standing before God.
    The motivation for forgiving others stems from recognizing what you’ve already received. Christians are called to extend the same kindness and tenderhearted compassion to one another that God demonstrated toward them through Christ
    (Ephesians 4:32 “32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
    This isn’t abstract obligation—it’s rooted in gratitude for grace already extended. The pattern Christ established becomes the measure for how believers treat those who wrong them
    (Colossians 3:13 “13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
    Forbearing: Means Cutting People Some Slack: key virtues: humility, gentleness, and forbearance. It encourages individuals to bear with one another's flaws and differences, recognizing that everyone has their struggles. By practicing these virtues, we can foster understanding and compassion, reflecting God's patience towards us.
    The scope of forgiveness proves remarkably expansive. When Peter asked whether forgiving someone seven times was sufficient, Jesus rejected any numerical limit, instead calling for forgiveness repeated seventy times seven (Matt 18:21–22)—a way of saying the practice should be boundless. This reframes forgiveness from a transaction you complete to a posture you maintain.
    Critically, forgiveness connects to judgment itself. Refusing to condemn others positions you to receive forgiveness rather than condemnation
    (Luke 6:37 “37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:”
    The teaching suggests that the act of releasing others from judgment simultaneously releases you from being judged—a reciprocal dynamic that operates spiritually. Forgiveness, then, isn’t primarily about the person who wronged you; it’s about your own liberation and alignment with how God operates toward humanity.

    Matthew 6:9–12 “9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.”

    Matthew 6:14–15 “14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
    Supporting Texts: Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13; Matthew 18:21–22; Luke 6:37
     Introduction –
    Forgiveness is a Root, Not a Branch  
    - Forgiveness is not a side topic; it is a root that feeds the whole tree of Christian love and community life.
    -  Jesus tied prayer, relationship with the Father (intimacy), and forgiveness together in one framework (Matthew 6:9–15).

    Point 1 – Forgiveness Is the Root System of Love  

    - Jesus makes forgiveness a condition in the model prayer: “Forgive us… as we forgive” (Matthew 6:12, 14–15).
    - Being rooted in love means my love has a forgiveness system under it; if the root is blocked, the fruit dies.

    Point 2 – Forgiveness Flows From Received Mercy  

    - We forgive because we recognize what we ourselves have received in Christ
    Ephesians 4:32 “32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
    Colossians 3:13 “13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”
    - Gratitude for grace turns forgiveness from obligation into overflow.

    Point 3 – Forgiveness Is a Lifestyle, Not a One-Time Act  

    - Jesus tells Peter “seventy times seven,” signaling a continual posture, not a calculated number (Matthew 18:21–22).
    - Being rooted in love means I live in a continual readiness to release, not in a constant rehearsal of offenses.

    Point 4 – Forgiveness Breaks the Cycle of Judgment  

    - “Do not judge… forgive, and you will be forgiven” (Luke 6:37): 
    the measure we use returns to us.
    - Withholding forgiveness keeps us under the same judgment we insist on for others; forgiveness breaks that cycle.

    Point 5 – Forgiveness Keeps the Heart Free in Prayer  

    Jesus directly links answered prayer and relational forgiveness in Matthew 6:15 “15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
    Unforgiveness clogs the root system;
    forgiveness keeps the flow open between you and the Father in prayer.

    Point 6 – Forgiveness Protects Unity and Community  

    In Christian community, love and unity cannot survive where grudges are cultivated and offenses are memorialized.

    - A rooted believer becomes a peacemaker who guards the atmosphere of the group by choosing release over resentment.

    Point 7 – Forgiveness Reflects the Character of Christ  

    - The pattern of Christ’s forgiveness (at the cross and in His dealings with us) sets the standard for how we treat those who wrong us.
    - When a believer is rooted in love, forgiveness is not just what they do; it is who they are becoming in Christ.
    Group Therapy Application  
    - Invite people to identify one relationship where their “roots” are tangled with offense or judgment.  (share about your father)
    - Lead them in praying the Lord’s Prayer slowly, pausing at “forgive us… as we forgive” to release specific names and situations to God.
    Matthew 6:9–15 KJV
    9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. 14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

      • Matthew 6:9–15KJV

      • Matthew 6:9–15KJV

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