Matthew 6:15 teaches that God’s forgiveness toward us and our forgiveness toward others are tied together. Jesus says that if a person refuses to forgive those who have wronged them, the Father will not forgive that person’s own wrongs. The verse was spoken by Jesus during the Sermon on the Mount, and he was speaking to the crowd of his disciples and listeners gathered on a hillside in Galilee.
But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6:15 (WEB)
What Matthew 6:15 Means
The verse begins with “if,” which makes it a conditional statement. Jesus is describing a pattern he expects to see in the life of a follower: someone who has received mercy will show mercy. The phrase “trespasses” refers to offenses, the wrongs people do against us and against God. When Jesus speaks of “men,” he means other people in general, not a select group.
The second half of the verse is the hard part. It says that a refusal to forgive will be matched by God’s refusal to forgive. This is a serious warning, but it should be read in its setting. Jesus is not saying that a single lapse in patience or a moment of anger cancels God’s grace. He is speaking about a settled heart that holds on to grudges and will not let go of the debt someone owes.
What the verse does not promise is that forgiveness is earned by forgiving first. Elsewhere in Scripture, God’s forgiveness is presented as a gift received by faith. The verse shows that a heart unwilling to forgive is a heart that has not really received God’s forgiveness, because it has not taken in the mercy that makes forgiveness natural.
The Context of Matthew 6:15
Matthew’s Gospel was written for a community of Jewish Christians and likely from the late first century, traditionally attributed to Matthew the tax collector who became one of Jesus’ twelve apostles. The Sermon on the Mount, in chapters 5 through 7, sets out the character and conduct Jesus expects from people who live under God’s rule. The Lord’s Prayer appears in the verses just before this one, and it includes the request, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.”
Verses 14 and 15 expand on that prayer. Jesus has just taught his listeners to ask for forgiveness and to pair that request with their own forgiveness toward others. Reading the verse in this light shows that it is not a separate rule added to the prayer, but an explanation of what the prayer already means. The verses that follow, about fasting and hidden devotion, address the inner motives of the heart, which is the same concern running through this whole section.
Key Phrases in Matthew 6:15
Ephesians 4:32
And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
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Paul connects forgiveness directly to God’s forgiveness in Christ, showing that the believer’s willingness to forgive flows from having been forgiven. This verse helps readers see Matthew 6:15 as a call to imitate the mercy they have received.
Colossians 3:13
Bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
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This passage shows the same pattern in a different setting, urging believers to bear with one another and forgive as the Lord forgave them. It reinforces the link between God’s forgiveness and the way we treat those who have wronged us.
A Short Prayer From Matthew 6:15
Father, you have forgiven me more than I can repay, and I thank you for your mercy toward me. I confess that I often hold on to hurts and keep track of what others owe me. Soften my heart where it has grown hard, and help me to release the debts I have been carrying against the people who have wronged me. Give me the courage to forgive as you have forgiven me, and let your grace flow through me to others. Amen.
