Forgiveness, without it, we would have no hope! God’s forgiveness allows us to come before Him washed clean of all our sins, and it opens the door for us to be with Christ in heaven one day. Thanks be to God that we are forgiven by the blood that Jesus freely shed for us on the cross of Calvary.
Christ has freely forgiven us, but why is it sometimes so hard for us to forgive others who have wronged us?
As Christians, we are called to forgive those who have wronged us, but sometimes, that can seem a hard thing to do, especially if they have hurt us so dearly. The truth is that people can be cruel or uncaring at times and their words or actions can leave deep scars in our hearts and minds that hurt for years to come.
It can seem as if forgiveness in our hearts for them is impossible, but I tell you that forgiveness is not only possible but absolutely necessary for our own sake.
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Our Need for Forgiveness
The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and that our sin is what separates us from God.
Romans 3: 23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Isaiah 59: 2 – “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that he does not hear.”
Romans 6: 23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The Bible is clear that God takes our sin very seriously, so seriously, in fact, that we read the wages of our sin is death.
However, the Bible also says that God made a way for our sins to be forgiven and completely erased for all time!
Romans 5: 8 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
John 3: 16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
1 John 2: 2 – “And He Himself [Jesus Christ] is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”
God loved you and I so much that He sent Jesus to this earth to live the perfect life that we could never live and to pay the price that we could never fully pay so that we would have hope of eternal life with Him. The sacrifice of Christ is so powerful that it not only paid the price for our sins only but for all of the sins of all mankind from the beginning of time until the end of time. Christ’s blood is the once and for all atonement for all sin!
My friend, no matter how far you have fallen and no matter what you have done in your life, God stands ready to forgive you of all of your unrighteousness!
God’s grace is greater than all of our sins and I am thankful to say that it is never too late to make your heart right with God. As long as you still have breath in your lungs, it is not too late for you to experience the loving forgiveness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Thanks be to God for the forgiveness of our sins through the Lord Jesus Christ.
What Does The Bible Say About Forgiving Others?
Forgiveness is what the Gospel is all about! The definition of the word “Gospel” is “glad tidings”, which in modern English translates to “Good news”! So, when people say “the good news of the Gospel”, they are literally saying “the good news of the good news”. The “good news” is that all people have forgiveness through the blood of the Lamb who was slain to take away the sins of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ!
The Bible makes it clear to us that forgiveness is of the utmost importance; we must be forgiven by God in order to inherit salvation. Yet, the Bible also makes it clear the importance of forgiving others!
Jesus Himself talked of the importance of forgiving others many times during His ministry. The Lord’s prayer is one of the most famous lines of scripture in all of history and Jesus directly speaks about forgiving others:
“Our Father who art in heaven,
The Lord Jesus Christ, Matt. 6: 9-13
hallowed by Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For Thine is the kingdom,
and the power,
and the glory,
for ever.
Amen.”
In the Lord’s Prayer, we see the phrase: “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”, but what does Jesus mean when he says debts? Is Jesus talking about money and asking God to forgive our monetary debts just as we forgive our debtors or is he talking about a different kind of debt?
Jesus Himself answers these questions for us!
Immediately after Christ teaches His disciples how they should pray in Matthew 6 verse 13, He then says this in verses 14 and 15:
“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.”
So, it becomes quite clear that Jesus is talking not of money but a different kind of debt. Jesus is referring to transgressions against us and the transgressions that we commit against God. Forgiveness is so important that Jesus, God in the flesh and dwelt among men, said that if we do not forgive others, then our Heavenly Father will not forgive us.
Those are not my own words but the words of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Forgiving others is not only important, but it is essential to our own freedom and forgiveness. As Christians, we must not harbor unforgiveness in our hearts because it affects us even more than the one we cannot forgive.
What Does this Mean for Our Daily Lives?
The Bible teaches that we cannot hold a grudge against someone in our hearts and expect God to forgive us at the same time.
Jesus said:
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your transgressions. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions” – Mark 11: 25-26
When we forgive others, we not only release them of their debt to us, but we release ourselves in the process; by forgiving others for the things they have done against us, we are setting ourselves free! My friends, the Bible is very clear, forgiveness is a must! This means that we must live every day with forgiveness in our hearts towards one another.
As to what this means for our daily lives? I think the Word of God says it better than I ever could:
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
Colossians 3: 12-17
Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
God Bless You
I pray that this has both strengthened you and encouraged you today and revealed to us all the monumental importance of living a life filled with forgiveness in our hearts.
May God bless us all as we each seek to know Him and to be known by Him!
Join Me in a Short Prayer
Heavenly Father, please help me to always remember the importance of forgiveness. Lord, I don’t want to live with any unforgiveness in my heart.
Oh God, help me to forgive even when others hurt me or do wrong unto me, I need Your strength to let go.
Lord, I pray for those who have wronged me, that they might also be forgiven, I know they need Your forgiveness just like I do.
Thank You Lord, for Your goodness, Your mercy, and Your grace and thank You for forgiving me by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ,
I pray these things in the mighty and merciful name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!
