Matthew 18:15-17 gives a legitimate process for dealing with someone who has sinned against us, but it is often invoked for trivial things, such as not being spoken to at church or being missed when something is handed out. Human nature is innately selfish and takes everything personally, so we read offense into misunderstandings and unintentional slights. Most of the time the best response is to shrug it off and give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Some people cannot let an offense go, assume it was intentional and worse than it appears, and hold grudges, which only leads to more sin. Offenses should be worked out in patience and love. Those who press these matters overlook the other party involved in all sin, God. Scripture says again and again that sin is against God: the men of Sodom sinned against the LORD, God kept Abimelech from sinning against Him, Joseph refused Potiphar's wife because it would be sin against God, and the prodigal son confessed sinning against heaven. David, who had murdered Uriah and committed adultery with Bathsheba, said, "Against You, You only, have I sinned." His sins against people were real but pale beside his sin against God, whose love and blessings he had cast aside. A ruined relationship with God matters more than a ruined relationship with any person. So even when people sin against us, we must remember that all sin is a slap in God's face, and our first response to sin should be to admit it to Him and restore our relationship with Him.

Our forgiveness of others mirrors God's forgiveness of us, though the sins against us pale in comparison to our sins against our Creator. Yet, He demands that we forgive, as illustrated in the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, warning that He may require our life-debt be paid if we refuse to forgive the smaller debts owed to us. In Luke 17:3-4, Jesus instructs that if a brother sins against you and repents, you must forgive him, even if it happens seven times in a day. He emphasizes that if someone seeks forgiveness, we are obligated to grant it, as our own forgiveness from the Father hinges on this act. Jesus further teaches in Mark 11:25-26 to forgive anyone we hold a grudge against while praying, without waiting for their repentance, so that our Father in heaven may also forgive our trespasses. He warns that if we do not forgive, neither will the Father forgive us. Similarly, Paul in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:13 urges us to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving, just as God in Christ forgave us, bearing with one another even when complaints arise. Jesus Himself set the example by overlooking sins against Him, even before repentance was sought. While His lifeblood drained away, He prayed, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do," addressing His unrepentant torturers. Following His lead, we too should not wait for repentance before forgiving. Forgiving sins against us requires faith, trusting that God, with His perfect balance of justice and mercy, will handle the matter rightly. Despite His divine nature, Jesus, the Word made flesh, endured revilement from His creation yet committed Himself to the Father who judges righteously, overlooking transgressions and leaving justice in His hands. Forgiveness does not mean passivity; Jesus advises in Luke 17:3 to rebuke a brother who sins against us and in Matthew 18:15 to address the fault privately. However, whether the brother responds should not dictate our forgiveness. A Christian, aware of his own unpayable debt, approaches such matters with meekness, valuing the forgiveness of his own sins above the offenses against him. Mourning the damage done to his relationship with God, he finds it a small price to forgive others, and in being merciful, he will obtain mercy.

If we desire God to forgive our sins and treat us as guiltless when we stray, we must extend the same forgiveness to others for the sins committed against us. When someone sins against us, it is primarily an offense against God, the divine Lawgiver, as His law is broken. The sin against a mere mortal pales in comparison to the disregard and defiance of the Most High God's essence and nature. Thus, the forgiveness we offer is on an infinitely lower level than the forgiveness granted by the Creator, who holds the sole claim on the sinner's life. While God's forgiveness can pardon the death penalty, ours cannot, as only He has the authority to uphold or remit such a penalty. Nevertheless, He requires us to overlook the sins of others if we seek His mercy. The debt owed to us by those who sin against us is minuscule compared to the immense debt we owe to God, yet our refusal to forgive can cause our own forgiven debt to be reinstated, demanding payment with our lives. If we hold onto debts against us rather than releasing them to God, we risk not receiving His forgiveness. Though our acts of forgiveness are small in scale compared to His, He demands that we practice this mercy, for if we are to live with Him for eternity, we must learn to emulate His ways now.