At some point, somebody will do us wrong. Forgiving is important since nobody is perfect and thus, it is only a matter of time when someone will do wrong to us.
In the same way, we will do wrong ourselves as we are not perfect. We will be on the receiving end or the one that ask for forgiveness many times in this life.
God Forgives
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.”
Psalm 103:12
“As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
Psalm 32:5
“Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.”
For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.
Hebrews 8:12
God is always willing to forgive when we confess our sins. As long as we are still alive on Earth, it is not too late to ask God for forgiveness.
Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor
23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.
25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27 Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.
31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”
Matthew 18:23-35 (New Living Translation)
God forgave us our sins in the past, present, and future through Jesus. Jesus death on the cross more than 2,000 years ago is more than enough to cover our sins if we choose to believe in Him.
If not for Jesus death and resurrection, we would be meant for eternal fire because of sin. One sin alone is enough to be called a sinner and break the whole law in the same way that breaking one law will make a person a criminal.
All have sinned (Romans 3:23) and thus, all would have been meant for eternal punishment if not for Jesus.
Salvation is a gift from God. We do not deserve it since all have sinned. The price of our salvation is the blood of Jesus Christ, His son.
Since Christ have forgiven us, the least we can do is to forgive others when they do wrong to us. God loves us so much that he gave His only son (John 3:16). When you are having a hard time forgiving, ask God in prayer to help you forgive.
Forgive Others as Christ Forgives
Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15
Matthew 18:21-22
“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
Luke 6:37
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Jesus commanded us to always forgive on these bible verses. While forgiving can be hard sometimes, we can always call on to God to help us forgive and ask Him what to do.
Jesus Himself is the ultimate example of forgiveness. “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13