What does the Bible say about forgiveness?

Spread the love

Do you want to know how the true forgiveness of God is represented ? Here we will explain to you what is the expression of the meaning of forgiveness according to the bible and how to apply it to daily life. We invite you to stay with us.

Contents hide

1 God is True Forgiveness

2 What does the Bible say about forgiveness?

God is True Forgiveness

One of the first passages of the bible shows that how to act and what to do in cases where the brother hurts you. Let’s see what the word says:

“Know then, brothers: through him the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed, and of everything that the law of Moses could not justify, everyone who believes is justified by him” ( Acts 13: 38-39 ).

Many people have a religion in which the assurance of forgiveness is given through the performance of rites; but this forgiveness, in general, only has the name. We can also hear that we can only obtain forgiveness if we repent enough, or if we believe in a particular doctrine, or if we do not sin; some even say that this forgiveness can be taken away from us.

But that’s not the kind of forgiveness God grants; His forgiveness applies to all sins – past, present, and future – of someone who has believed in the Lord Jesus.

ALSO READ Jesus: the way, the truth and the life - See Detailed explanation

Sometimes, dear children of God, you are not completely convinced that the sins you will commit in the future have also been forgiven. We who believe in Christ are a forgiven people!

Every believer is so totally and eternally forgiven that he can never again be in a position where he can be accused of a sin that calls into question his salvation. God, as a consequence of our faith.

“He has quickened us together with him; He has forgiven us all our sins ” ( 2:13 ).
This assurance of forgiveness does not mean that we are now free to “dwell in sin” ( 6: 1 ).

It is impossible for those who have been born again, for those who have thus become children of God, want to plunge headlong into sin and remain in it. God’s grace will make us hate sin; she will instruct us.

“So that, denying wickedness and worldly lusts, we may live in this world with sobriety, righteousness, and holiness” ( Titus 2: 11-12 ).

Some will object that if we think our forgiveness is complete, it will result in us sinking into sin. But, on the contrary, this truth sets us free and frees us from the bondage of sin.

What does the Bible say about forgiveness?

Let’s take an example from real life. A person and his childhood best friend have a fight. It started as a problem between their respective parents that came to them. They both said things they shouldn’t have, and a once close friendship seemingly faded overnight. Finally, they both apologized, forgiveness was granted, and the wounds healed. But the relationship was never the same .

We have all had situations like this. We have hurt someone or someone has hurt us. It is impossible to have a relationship between two sinners and forgiveness is not a constant necessity. Sometimes we are the ones who need forgiveness and sometimes we are the ones who need to forgive.

Despite its prevalence in our lives, it seems that many of us have a misguided view of forgiveness and its impact, not just spiritually and emotionally, but also physically. In fact, forgiveness has a huge impact on health :

“Whether it is a simple dispute with your spouse or a prolonged resentment towards a family member or friend, unresolved conflicts may be deeper than you imagine, they may be affecting your physical health. The good news: Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can bring great rewards to your health, reducing your risk of heart attack; improve cholesterol levels and sleep; and reduce pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. And research points to an increase in the connection between forgiveness and health as you age. “

God’s forgiveness is essential. To better understand why, we think it’s important to remind ourselves of what the Bible has to say about forgiveness:

1. We all need God’s forgiveness

From a spiritual perspective, we are all born with a sin problem, eternally separated from God. We would be lost forever without Him intervening and offering us forgiveness.

You often have to think about how many times you can go wrong. Each and every time, God is there with open arms to offer forgiveness. The same is true in marriage, particularly in those early years.

However, every time your spouse offers his forgiveness. It is much easier to extend forgiveness to others when we consider the grace that has been shown to us.

ALSO READ offering – the key that unlocks the door of supernatural harvest

“Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” ( Romans 3:23 ).

2. Forgiving others is a prerequisite for our own forgiveness.

This is a difficult verse to process. God is ready and willing to forgive us, but asks that we extend the same forgiveness to others first. If we have resentment and bitterness in our heart, it is time to turn it over to God. Let Him heal us and give us the ability to forgive. Our eternity depends on it.

“Because if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others their offenses, neither will your Father forgive your offenses ”( Matthew 6: 14-15 ).

3. Unforgiveness breaks our fellowship with God.

The Bible is very clear that harboring bitterness in our hearts is sin. And, if we are not actively seeking to kill him, it will break our communion with God. We will not experience all that God has to offer us. That is why God’s forgiveness is important in our lives so that we can reflect it on others.

“So if you are offering your offering at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there in front of the altar and go. First reconcile with your brother, and then come and present your offering ”( Matthew 5: 23-24 ).

4. We owe forgiveness to others even when they don’t ask for it.

How often do we blame someone when they have not apologized? When we get hurt, we expect someone to come up to us and say, “I’m sorry.” Yes, that is the right thing to do, however, the Bible does not put that requirement on God’s forgiveness.

God commands us to be the initiators of the transaction. We should go to our brother or sister and talk about it. It is not an easy thing to do, but it is essential to move forward. We can see this in the next word verse:

“If your brother sins against you, go tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won your brother ”( Matthew 18:15 ).

5. We owe forgiveness to those who do not deserve it.

There are numerous examples that require us to forgive others, even when they don’t deserve it. In addition to this example of Stephen, I think of Jesus on the cross in the midst of his executioners: “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing” ( Luke 23:34 ).

Whenever I find myself having trouble extending forgiveness to someone I consider unworthy, I think about how unworthy I am to be forgiven. However, God saw fit to love and forgive me. Considering the magnitude of that, all the situations in my life where I was reluctant to forgive seem trivial.

“And while they stoned Stephen, he cried out:” Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. ” And falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice: “Lord, do not impute this sin to them.” And having said this, he fell asleep ”( Acts 7: 59-60 ).

ALSO READ:

6. We owe others an unlimited amount of forgiveness. This is how God’s forgiveness is practiced

Forgiving is difficult, but doing it over and over again can seem impossible. But, with God, everything is possible. Jesus is clear in this passage that there is no “last straw ” that justifies us withholding our forgiveness. God does not have a “last straw” for us.

To be clear, this does not mean allowing others to take advantage of your forgiveness. God also gave us the ability to be reasonable and make smart decisions with our lives.

Holding onto resentment only takes our joy, without hurting the other party. We must repeatedly forgive because God commands it and He knows what is best for our lives.

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I will forgive him?” Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, “I do not tell you seven times, but seventy times seven” ( Matthew 18: 21-22 ).

7. There are consequences for choosing not to forgive.

God takes forgiveness seriously and this parable is proof. If we don’t forgive others, there are consequences, eternal consequences! That is a scary thing and it challenges me to evaluate my own heart. That is why it is important to put God’s forgiveness into practice.

“Search me, oh God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts! “( Psalm 139: 23 ) If forgiveness is needed, today is the day to correct it.
“And in anger his lord handed him over to the jailers, until he paid all his debt. So will my heavenly Father do to each one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from the heart ”( Matthew 18: 34-35 ).

8. Jesus, our greatest example, practiced forgiveness.

Now, we don’t know what Jesus was writing on earth about God’s forgiveness. Perhaps it was a list of the sins of the Pharisees. What I do know is this: Jesus calls us to examine our own lives first instead of focusing on the actions of others. It is easier to forgive others when we understand our own shortcomings. Jesus forgives the woman and lovingly encourages her to change her behavior:

“Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more ”( John 8:11 ). Our challenge is to follow Jesus’ example and do the same.
“And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them: ‘He who gives among you is free from sin, be the first to throw a stone at him’ ( John 8: 7 ).

9. God gives us the ability to forgive others.

Forgiveness can be one of the hardest things God requires of us. But, the good news is that He doesn’t command us and then let us do it on our own. He gives us Jesus as an example. And He empowers us through the Holy Spirit.

“Be kind to one another, merciful, forgiving one another, as God forgave you in Christ” ( Ephesians 4:32 ).

10. After God’s forgiveness, love comes, even if forgetting is not possible.

Sometimes things happen in our life that we simply cannot forget, even if we are able to forgive. While we may not be able to erase our memory, we do have control over our actions. We can love those who have hurt us after we forgive them. It is hard to harbor ill will toward those we actively serve, love, and pray for.

“Above all, keep loving one another fervently, for love covers a multitude of sins” ( 1 Peter 4: 8 ).

ALSO READ:

conclusion:
As you can see, God’s forgiveness not only covers a small area in our life, but each of the present, past and future aspects must reflect an act of forgiveness. This is how God demonstrates it to us every time we sin. If we want to receive forgiveness, we must also learn to return it without having grudges or memory of what happened. We hope we have helped you with this information, God bless you.