December 14, 2013 – Catechism 2838 – 2841

I think there might be a lot of people out there very surprised that God will not forgive your sins unless you forgive people that sinned against you.  People are resistant at putting restrictions on God and many non-Catholic Christians don’t want to put any requirements on us or conditions on God’s redemption.  The understanding is the God doesn’t NEED us to do anything for us to be saved.  I completely agree that God doesn’t need our help.  But look at the prayer (a prayer that all Christians say and was the one taught by Christ).  It doesn’t say God needs it, but this is what God REQUIRES.  How can you think Faith Alone and no works required when FORGIVE OTHERS is in the only prayer God taught us to say?  It is doing something.

And it makes complete sense.  God wants to be in your life, the very center of your life, but will not force Himself in.  You must make room for Him.  Sin keeps Him out.  If you have sinned or been sinned against, there is a barrier there that God won’t knock down.  You need to knock it down, you need to open that door, you need to empty your heart so that God can fill it.  But when you are hanging on to the wrongs other have done to you or filling it with your own sin, there is no room for Him.