Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive?  As many as seven times?"  Jesus said to him, "Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.  "For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves.  When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made.  So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'  And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt.  But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, 'Pay what you owe.'  Then his fellow slave fell down and pleaded with him, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'  But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he would pay the debt.  When his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.  Then his lord summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me.  Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?'  And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he would pay his entire debt.  So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

Receiving God's forgiveness, as with receiving his healing, is always for a purpose.  That purpose is so we have the power to forgive others from our heart.  The sinful woman spoken of in Luke 7.37-47 loved much because she had been forgiven much.  "The one who has had a greater debt canceled loves more."  (Luke 7.41-43)  Nowhere does Scripture say we shall have our sins forgiven if we but seek God's mercy.  Instead, Jesus tells us plainly "if you forgive, your Father will forgive you; if you do not forgive, your Father will not forgive you."  (Matthew 6.14-15)  As holy and salutary seeking God's mercy is, it is but the first step.  The next act is to use the Father's mercy as an impetus to love and forgive others from our heart, for it is ultimately in the heart where the chains must be loosened.  And let us never forget the holy angels, our fellow servants, who are witnesses before God of all our actions or inactions.