Matt.7

[1] Judge not, that you be not judged.
[2] For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

Mark.4

[24] And he said to them, Take heed what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you.

Luke.6 

[31] And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them.
[32] "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
[33] And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
[34] And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
[35] But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish.
[36] Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
[37] "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;
[38] give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back."

The Applications

The applications of this maxim are seen throughout the gospels.  Here we simply list them, including the ones indicated in the above texts.

1. Judging.              For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged.

2. Condemning    Condemn not, and you will not be condemned

3. Mercy.                 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
                         
4. Giving.               Give, and it will be given to you.

5. Forgiving           Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Jesus gave an extended parable to illustrate the last one of these applications.  We present it here so that you can determine the impact of forgiveness on the matter of forgiveness of sin and obtaining eternal salvation.

Matt.18 

[23] Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants.
[24] When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents;
[25] and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.
[26] So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.'
[27] And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt.
[28] But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.'
[29] So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.'
[30] He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt.
[31] When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place.
[32] Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me;
[33] and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'
[34] And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt.
[35]So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.

Or, as the maxim clearly states,

The measure you give will be the measure you get.

When Do We Get It?

The contexts indicates that now, in this life, is when we must give it.  They also clarify when we will get it.  It is not promised now, to this present life in time.  It is promised for the life eternal in the Father's house.  That is the place for conferring all the rewards the Father has promised to those who, by their judging, condemning, mercy, giving, and forgiving, have shown themselves to be "the children of the Most High."  The Father, of course, forgives us the moment we repent, but the full realization of this forgiveness comes not until the Last Day and the entry into the Father's house.

Luke.6

[35] But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the selfish.

Mark.10

[21]  You lack one thing; go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.

[30] . . . who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Mark 10:30 is a seeming exception, because it promises not an "equal measure" but "a hundredfold" and the latter is promised, not for life eternal in the Father's house but to now in this time.  This is a special case that applies to all who have forsaken house and family for Jesus and his kingdom.  The hundredfold consists of brothers and sisters in the Lord and of their lands and possessions that become shared property of all the children of the Father.  The downside of this is that it comes with persecutions. This does not define a reward that comes by the Equal Measure Maxim.  It defines the new set of relationships in this world that results from becoming sons of the Most High.  But when Jesus continues by saying, and in the age to come eternal life, he again points to rewards in the Father's House and the application of the Equal Measure Maxim.  The application of this maxim is limited to those things specifically specified by Jesus, that include the five listed above: Judging, condemning, mercy, giving, and forgiving.  It does not apply to the act of leaving, or forsaking, home and family.  The maxim that applies in this special case is the Hundredfold Maxim of Mark 10:30.


Conclusion

The Equal Measure Maxim is a regulating principle of the kingdom of God.  The above shows how if finds application in a variety of ways.  Some applications pop out without being specified as such.  The Fifth Beatitude, for example, has this maxim as its regulating principle, yet does not specify the equal measure, which it implies.

Matt.5 

[7] Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

We should also note that this maxim has obvious implications for salvation doctrine.  If you would be forgiven of your sins, forgive!  If you would be given treasure in heaven, give!  If you would not be judged or condemned at the Last Day, then do not judge or condemn!  If you wish to receive mercy on that day, then be merciful!