Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Take the example of David and Uriah. If Uriah had opened the letter containing his death sentence and he decided to forgive David, his act in doing so does not move the needle in heaven one iota. David will have to admit and confess to doing the wrong, and then God, and God alone could offer pardon. But on a man to man, horizontal level, Uriah could choose to bury the hatchet and not pursue charges with Morgan and Morgan.
In other words, only God could wipe a person’s slate clean, but we, on a man- to man level, could decide to let things slide. This is what was made plain to Moses as he asked God to wipe away the sins of the people who had made and worshiped the golden calf. Let’s pay close attention to the following passages, for they reveal the prerogatives of God alone, as it pertains to the issues of forgiveness and pardons.
Exodus 32: 30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, you have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the Lord; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin, and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
Exodus 32:33 And the Lord said unto Moses, whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!