“Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely.”—COLOSSIANS 3:13.

The word “therefore” connects the expression with the preceding verse, which says: “Become kind to one another, tenderly compassionate, freely forgiving one another just as God also by Christ freely forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

A prerequisite for gaining Jehovah’s forgiveness is that we forgive others, as Jesus pointed out in Matthew 6:14, 15: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”

If we are unforgiving, we run the risk that some day Jehovah God will no longer forgive our sins, for Jesus said: “If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; whereas if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:14, 15)

Forgiving others promotes good relations (Ephesians 4:32); it brings not only peace with fellow humans but inner peace as well (Romans 14:19; Colossians 3:13-15); forgiving others clears the way for our sins to be forgiven (Matthew 6:14); also, it helps us to remember that we ourselves are in need of forgiveness. (Romans 3:23)​—9/15, page 7.

But, besides all these things, clothe yourselves with love, for it is a perfect bond of union.”​—Col. 3:13, 14.

Jesus predicated forgiveness of our sins upon our being willing to forgive others.​—Matt. 6:12, 14, 15.

Jesus made the same point in his Sermon on the Mount when he said: “Happy are the merciful,” those practicing mercy, “since they will be shown mercy”​—by God, of course, and often also by man.​—Matt. 5:7; Eph. 4:1, 2, 32; Col. 3:12, 13.

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