UNFORGIVENESS WILL SEND YOU TO HELL!!

Each and every person ever born onto this earth will also, one day, exit this earth.

Many Christians may be lulled into the false assurance that just because they have professed Jesus as Lord all their lives that they are Heaven-bound.

However, if they harbor unforgiveness or any form of resentment to any degree; they may be shocked and horrified when, that one day, they pass into eternity.
The Lord Jesus clarified many times that a state of unforgiveness will disallow us from entering Heaven. 


Unforgiveness may be thought to include the emotional states of "holding a grudge" or having a noted dislike for someone. It can also be extended to include negative feelings, irritation or anger towards another; these emotions are all displays of unforgiveness towards our "neighbor".

Scripture tells us that entrance to Heaven is barred when one has an unforgiving heart. It is a Kingdom principle and cannot be altered inasmuch as gravity on this planet cannot be altered.  

That is why Jesus warned us many times of the eternal consequences of unforgiveness. 

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in Matthew conveys our relationship with the Father and with others. Jesus paid our debt that He didn't owe and that we ourselves couldn't pay. 

Because of this, the Father has forgiven us this unpayable, unsurmountable debt just as the "certain king" forgave the debt of the servant who owed much.

However, like the debtor to the king who was forgiven so much but in turn refused to forgive the servant who owed to him a much lesser debt, so are our actions when, as believers, we choose not to forgive.

Just as the king's response to the unforgiving servant was to then revoke the cancellation of the large debt that the servant had owed, so too will we be treated if we do not forgive our "brother from" our "heart".
 

Matthew 18 :21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" ²²Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. ²⁵Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

 ²⁶"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' ²⁷The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

 ²⁸"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.

 ²⁹"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'

 ³⁰"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.

 ³²"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' ³⁴In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

 ³⁵"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."

Preceding the above parable note that Peter had asked of Jesus: 

²¹.. "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" 

Jesus's response was that we are to forgive  "not seven times, but seventy-seven times." As such, even when we encounter a repeat offender we are to repeatedly forgive, with sincerity from our heart.

In the Lord's Prayer, when Jesus instructed us exactly how and what to pray, He reiterated how it imperative is for us to forgive:

^{Matthew 6:12} And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 

This model prayer given to us by our Lord and Savior charges us to examine and address the matter of forgiveness in our hearts on a daily basis.
 

No matter what the offense perpetrated against us whether real or imagined, purposeful or by accident, we are to not only offer but also display true heartfelt forgiveness.

Bearing feelings of unforgiveness never harms the source/perpetrator. It only harms the one harboring it. 

In fact, the object of the unforgiving attitude is usually virtually unaware and totally unaffected while the one holding the unforgiveness in their heart is both emotionally and spiritually miserable and in danger of the fires of hell.

To clarify, harboring unforgiveness only hurts humankind while on this planet by removing our peace and for many can actually cause an emotional "hell on earth" as well as the potential of actually literally sending one to hell after death.

Jesus made it very clear that our sins are not forgiven us if we do not forgive others. If our sins are not forgiven, we cannot enter into the presence of God as the holy and righteous God cannot tolerate sin in His presence.

^{Matthew 6: 14}For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

To reiterate, forgiving others is not optional for Christians. It is a Kingdom principle upon which the violation of negates salvation because if we do not forgive others, our sins are not forgiven us.

Especially in these end times, we all need to be mindful of our stance with our Creator, having true forgiveness as He forgave us and giving Him, the one who deserves all the honor, glory and praise, our uppermost priority!!