Matthew 6:14-15  “if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

When I was a Roman Catholic, I freely confess I was a grudge keeper.  Anyone who crossed me I would not concede the dispute until the person gave me an apology, but the apology would have to be one that I would accept. It would also would have to have some type of restitution or the grudge would go on.  Someone may have insulted me 5 years before, and I would still be holding onto the insult. If I would see the person again, I would make sure they knew what they said and how wrong they were.  This would go for anything, customer service agents on the phone who said something I didn’t like would hear my profane wrath. I was quite mean-spirited despite externally always showing I was a “good person”, again only to those who hadn’t crossed me or were enabling me in my mean-spiritedness, most likely those who were also as bitter and mean-spirited.

Because Roman Catholics are not taught what true forgiveness is, they really are incapable of showing this type of forgiveness to others. I know personally some in my own family, decades long Roman Catholics who are just like I was, still sad and hardened grudge keepers.  I ask where is the efficacy in Roman Catholicism, if grudge keeping is the result?

Grudge keeping is NOT a mark of a new life in Christ!  Why? Because if you had been released from your own sin debt by Jesus Christ, you know God does not keep an on-going grudge against you.  So how could you keep a grudge against any offender is the question?  And I believe Jesus is pointing out this mark of a new born Christian in Matt 6:14-15.  If you are still a rebel of God, you will find it impossible at times to forgive others.  Some will not even know you are still keeping a grudge as the matter had passed many weeks, months, years ago.

                     It is safe to say that hardened grudge keepers have not been saved,                         they need the Gospel!

Imagine if God kept a grudge after He said we were forgiven. No one would be saved!  If you are a grudge keeper, examine your faith in Jesus Christ, examine the church you are attending. Ask yourself WHY you are like this still.  Could it be possible that your sins have not been forgiven?  If Jesus Christ paid your entire sin debt, and your eyes and ears are open to realize the ENORMITY of this truth, you will find it impossible over time in your sanctification to hold any grudge.  A saved sinner decades long in this declaration should not be holding bitter grudges in other words, if the Holy Spirit is guiding you, and you are clamoring and clinging to God’s word, grudges will be going against your very nature.