MacArthur's Ten Biblical Reasons for Forgiving Others

John MacArthur stated that forgiveness frees people from the past. It is liberating, exhilarating, and healthy. Forgiveness relieves tension, brings peace and joy, and restores relationships. In addition to its personal and societal benefits, there are at least ten biblical reasons for forgiving others. 

1. Believers are never more like God than when they forgive
   
2. The sixth commandment, “You shall not murder” (Ex. 20:13), does not just forbid murder but also anger, malice, lack of forgiveness, and desire for revenge
3. Whoever offends another person offends God more, because all sin is ultimately against Him
4. Those who have been forgiven of great sin against God must forgive the lesser sin of others against them
   God freely forgives believers’ massive debt to His holiness—a debt they could never repay even if they spent eternity in hell. Therefore they must readily forgive the sins by which others offend them. To refuse to do so is reprehensible, insensitive ingratitude that makes a mockery of God’s forgiveness of them
5. Believers who refuse to forgive forfeit the blessing of fellowship with other Christians
6. Failing to forgive results in divine chastening
7. God will not forgive believers who refuse to forgive others
   The Lord was not, of course, referring to the eternal forgiveness of justification (Acts 10:43; Rom. 3:23–24; Col. 1:14; 2:13; Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Titus 2:14; Heb. 7:25; 1 Peter 2:24) but to the temporal forgiveness of sanctification
8. Failing to forgive others renders believers unfit to worship
9. To refuse to forgive is to usurp God’s authority
10. Offenses against believers must be recognized and embraced as the trials that mature them

Source:  2 Corinthians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003), Page 50.