God Teaches Us About This In The Parable Of The Unmerciful Servant
Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants.As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him.
Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. At this the servant fell on his knees before him. Be patient with me, he begged, and I will pay back everything. The servants master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
Bible Verses About Forgiveness
These are the Bible verses I turn to when struggling with the challenge of forgiveness. They remind me that Gods forgiveness is so powerful. If we turn to Jesus, we find full forgiveness of our sins, freedom and peace.
Psalm 103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of Gods grace.”
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Daniel 9:9 “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him.”
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he who blots outyour transgressions, for my own sake,and remembers your sins no more …”
Isaiah 1: 18 Come now, let us settle the matter,says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet,they shall be as white as snow though they are red as crimson,they shall be like wool.'”
Micah 7:18-19 “Who is a God like you,who pardons sin and forgives the transgressionof the remnant of his inheritance?You do not stay angry foreverbut delight to show mercy.19 You will again have compassion on us you will tread our sins underfootand hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.”
Hebrews 10:17 Then he adds: Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.
Jeremiah 31: 34 For I will forgive their wickednessand will remember their sins no more.”
Why Do We Have To Forgive
Forgiving others is not only an obligation as children of God, but its also the key to living a full life in Christ. When you forgive, you liberate yourself and the person who offended you. Not forgiving ties you to the past and prevents you from living fully.
Forgiving allows you to:
- Love others the way Jesus loves you.
- Avoid bitterness and resentment take over your life.
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No One Knows The Burdens We Bear More Than Christ
Matthew 11:28-30, Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
You and every person has the freewill, given you by God, to choose to accept or reject Gods forgiveness.
There is only one unforgiveable sin in Gods eyes.
God Not Only Forgives But Also Banishes The Thought Of Our Sins He Is Not Waiting To Bring Them Back Up Next Time We Do Something Wrong We Should Do The Same When We Forgive Others
For His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.
People often forgive imperfectly. Many people say or think that they have forgiven someone, but they are still keeping a mental list, consciously or unconsciously, of that persons wrongdoings and will bring them up next time that person messes up.
Unlike people, God does not keep a list of our sins at the ready. He banishes them. As far from us as the east is from the west is a poetic way of saying your sins are gone forever, and God will not use them to shame you in the future. Gods forgiveness is complete and permanent.
If you want to practice true forgiveness and have healthy relationships, do not keep mental lists of peoples past mistakes. Forgive them and move on.
There are still consequences for peoples actions, and sometimes the consequence is that you need to end a relationship with someone who is not safe. It is still possible to forgive that person and move on with your life without holding onto bitterness against them for the ways they have harmed you.
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All Of Us Are In Need Of Forgiveness
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . From a spiritual perspective, we were all born with a sin problem, eternally separated from God. Wed be lost forever without Him intervening and offering us forgiveness. I often think about how many times Ive messed up. Each and every time, God is there with open arms to offer forgiveness. The same is true in my , particularly in those early years. Yet, every time, my wife offers her forgiveness. Its much easier to extend forgiveness to others when we consider the grace we have been shown.
Go And Reconcile With Your Brother
There have been times when I have been praying and all I could think about is that my relationship is not right with someone.
You try to switch your mind to other things, but it keeps on eating at you. You just have to finally say, OK God I will go make peace. That doesnt mean that we are to hang around people who continually hurt us, but we are to be at peace with everyone.
Many times it truly might not be your fault. Maybe someone took offense of a stupid situation. Maybe someone sinned against you. That has happened to me before many times. Someone slandered me, but I still was the one who sought reconciliation.
Ive heard people say things like I dont need him in my life, but that was pride talking. That should not be our mindset. If possible we should be at peace with all.
11. Matthew 5:23-24 Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them then come and offer your gift.
12. Romans 12:16-18 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
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Forgiving Someone Does Not Mean You No Longer Feel The Pain Of Their Offense
In most cases, the only way you can stop hurting is to stop feeling, and the only way you can stop feeling is to die emotionally. But passionless robots can neither truly love God or others. This may be the primary reason people are reluctant to forgive. They know they cant stop feeling the sting of the sin against them and they dont want to be insincere by saying they forgive when deep down inside they know they didnt.
Lets suppose that Barbara discovers that her husband Bill has had an affair. The agony and deep feelings of betrayal are intense. Although Barbara seeks extensive counseling, she eventually separates from her husband for a season. Upon their reconciliation, she forgives him, but is under the assumption that for her to do so means she must never again feel the pain of his adultery. Then one evening she sees Bill smiling and talking to another woman at church. Although it was nothing more than innocent friendliness, the anguish and suspicion of his betrayal comes rushing back into her soul. She berates herself and questions her own sincerity: Whats the matter with me that I cant get over this? Barbara has to learn that the pain of her husbands adultery will probably never entirely dissipate, but that doesnt mean she hasnt truly forgiven him.
Why Must We Forgive
The best reason to forgive is simple: Jesus commanded us to forgive. We learn from scripture in context to forgiveness that if we don’t forgive, neither will we be forgiven:
For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
We also forgive so that our prayers will not be hindered:
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
In summary, we forgive out of obedience to the Lord. It is a choice, a decision we make. However, as we do our part “forgiving,” we discover the command to forgive is in place for our own good, and we receive the reward of our forgiveness, which is spiritual freedom.
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First And Foremost Lets Focus On What Forgiveness Is Not
Forgiveness doesnt mean you should forget the incident ever happened.
Forgiveness doesnt mean you have to continue to include the person in your life.
Forgiveness doesnt mean you are excusing the behavior and action.
Forgiveness doesnt mean you will not have feelings about the situation.
Forgiveness doesnt mean there is nothing further to work out and everything is hunky-dory.
Forgiveness doesnt mean you need to necessarily tell the person that he or she is forgiven.
Forgiveness is NOT something you do for the one that wronged you is something you do for YOU!
What Does Jesus Say About Forgiveness
Jesus himself stressed the importance of forgiveness, but he was doing so in a culture that stressed very legalistic ideas. The problem with legalism is that it forgets or bypasses the spirit in which the law was given. Forgiveness from a legalistic perspective is a matter of balancing the books and making sure that a debt is paid or cancelled. From a spiritual perspective, forgiveness is about restoring the pathways of communication and love.
Look at Matthew 18:15-22 as an example. In verses 15-20, Jesus lays out a conflict resolution process that seeks a state of forgiveness between the parties involved. The ideal result of this solution is the meeting of two people seeking a state of forgiveness, and Jesus says that he is there also. What a beautiful moment that people can share not only with each other, but with God. Where else can we specifically do something and know that God joins us in that moment? Seen in this light, forgiveness is sacramental.
Peter hears Jesus give this instruction, but his legalistic side kicks in and he asks in verse 21 how many times he has to forgive someone before he can write them off. Seven times?
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Forgiveness Is Part Of Gods Nature
Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in steadfast love .
God is love and He delights in unchanging love. Forgiveness is needed when a barrier of sin has been raised up towards Gods steadfast love. The first thing is to learn to accept Gods forgiveness and what it has cost Jesus to forgive us. When we have seen and experienced that, we have taken an important step. It does cost us something to forgive others when we are hurt. A natural human reaction would be to strike back to hurt them in return. Its even more difficult when they dont accept our forgiveness. However, keep in mind, forgiveness wasnt an easy thing for Jesus, and it takes a step by faith for us too.
Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive .
Paul was aware that we have to bear one another, but nevertheless, we are commanded to forgive each other. Thank God, its not a commandment we have to obey in ourselves, but we forgive through the obedience of faith . We know we can forgive because we have become partakers of the divine nature .
Forgiveness Is What Makes The God Of The Bible Unique
Where is another God like You, who pardons the guilt of the remnant, overlooking the sins of His special people? You will not stay angry with Your people forever, because You delight in showing unfailing love. Once again You will have compassion on us. You will trample our sins under Your feet and throw them into the depths of the ocean!
Not only is forgiveness at the heart of the biblical story, but the unearned nature of Gods forgiveness is unique. Other worldviews require you to earn your way to God or a higher state of being. Whether its by being particularly good or particularly religious or mastering certain practices, you need to do something if you want to get to that worldviews ultimate goal.
The Bible clearly states that Gods forgiveness is free. He already did all that needed to be done so we can be forgiven and have a relationship with Him forever.
In most worldviews, good works come before you can get the ultimate goal of the worldview. In Christianity, good works come after. All you need to do is to ask God for forgiveness, and He grants you relationship with Him forever in heaven.
Because of the forgiveness we receive, we are commanded to do good and forgive others. Good works are an outflow of forgiveness, not a requirement for obtaining it. There truly is no other God who forgives like the God of the Bible.
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God Forgave Us In Christ By Canceling The Debt We Owed Him That Is To Say We Are No Longer Held Liable For Our Sins Or In Any Way Made To Pay For Them
The way we cancel the debt of one who has sinned against us is by promising not to bring it up to the offender, to others, or to ourselves. We joyfully resolve never to throw the sin back into the face of the one who committed it. We promise never to hold it over their head, using it to manipulate and shame them. And we promise never to bring it up to others in an attempt to justify ourselves or to undermine their reputation. And lastly, we promise never to bring it up to ourselves as grounds for self-pity or to justify our resentment of the person who hurt us.
God Knows We Need To Be Forgiven Because He Created Us
You have experienced the feeling of guilt on more than one occasion during your life.
Guilt is meant to help you make a morally upright decision.
God, who created you, knows all things and knows where and when sin will come into your life.
Which is why His Forgiveness is a Gift, the Greatest Gift, Salvation and Forgiveness of Sin through the blood of Jesus Christ!
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Forgiveness Is Rarely A One
It is most often a life-long process. However, forgiveness has to begin somewhere at some point in time. There will undoubtedly be a moment, an act, when you decisively choose to forgive. It may well be highly emotional and spiritually intense and bring immediate relief a sense of release and freedom. But that doesnt necessarily mean youll never need to do it again. You may need every day to reaffirm to yourself your forgiveness of another. Each time you see the person, you may need to say, Self, remember that you forgave _______!
There may well be other myths concerning forgiveness, but those are probably the most important ones. Lets turn our attention now to the essence of true forgiveness.
Bible Verses About Forgiveness And Healing
Forgiveness, whether you’re seeking it for yourself, trying to forgive others, or begging God for pardon is hard. Nevertheless, the road to recovery and healing starts with you forgiving others, yourself, and God’s mercy. Here are nine bible verses about forgiveness you can use to start forgiving others.
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God Can Fix Any Relationship
Allow God to work in you and the other party and make a broken thing beautiful. Go to Him and pray that His hands move in your life. God is faithful to move.
25. Jeremiah 32:27 I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?
I want to add that sometimes we sin against people and we are ashamed of our actions. We might say, sorry to the offended person, but guilt still remains. Many people say that you have to forgive yourself, but that statement is not found in the Bible.
We can either trust in Gods mercy and forgiveness in Christ or we can believe Satan and his lies. Confess your sins, let go, and move on. Trust in the Lord and ask Him for help with this situation and also with understanding His grace.
The Importance Of Forgiveness Even When Its Hard
If someone were to ask us what the Bible says about forgiving others most of us would likely find ourselves reiterating Jesus words in Matthew 6:14-15.
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
For the person who has been hurt, that is hard instruction to swallow. That could be for a number of reasons. Sometimes the hurt just seems too big to let go of. Some people equate forgiveness to weakness while others see it as passive and unhealthy in terms of boundaries.
To be honest, I have been each one of those people at one point or another in my life. Forgiveness no matter what side of the equation youre on is hard. I wouldnt doubt thats why Jesus made sure to teach and emphasize the importance of forgiveness in the Bible.
To put it simply, it matters.
Together, lets explore scripture to discover why.
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