Forgiveness
Forgiveness
is a huge subject and certainly one in which the Bible is not silent.
In the Bible we can read about our amazing and loving Heavenly Father
who forgives us of all trespasses. God calls sinners to seek Him and
promises them forgiveness. It is because of His great mercy and grace that God rescues the believer from the dominion of darkness that began way back in the Garden.
Jesus extends a loving invitation for forgiveness of sins which is only
possible through His shed blood. He gave His life so that we may live.
We are forgiven because He was forsaken – That is amazing love! Here are
some encouraging Scripture quotes about forgiveness.
Isaiah 55:6-7
“Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to
our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
God’s Character is Forgiving
Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 86:4-5 Gladden
the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For
you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all
who call upon you.
Psalm 103:8-12 The
LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast
love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He
does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to
our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great
is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is
from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
Isaiah 1:18 “Come
now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like
crimson, they shall become like wool.
Jesus Invites and Forgives
Matthew 5:22-24 But
I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable
to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council;
and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if
you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your
brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the
altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and
offer your gift.
Matthew 11:28-30 “…
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and
lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is
easy, and my burden is light.”
Luke 7:47-48 “…Therefore
I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much.
But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your
sins are forgiven.” (Jesus speaking to the accusers and the woman caught
in adultery)
Luke 23:43 “…Therefore
I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much.
But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your
sins are forgiven.” (Jesus speaking to the thief on the cross)
John 4:13-14 Jesus
said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again,
but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be
thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a
spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (Jesus speaking to the
woman at the well)
God’s Gift to All – The Only Way
Acts 4:10-12 “… let
it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the
name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised
from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is
the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the
cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no
other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
(Peter speaking to the rulers of the people and the elders at Jerusalem)
Acts 10:42-43 “…And
he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the
one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all
the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Peter speaking of what Jesus
commanded the Apostles to do)
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 All
this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave
us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was
reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against
them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
Ephesians 1:7-10 In
him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our
trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon
us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his
will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
Colossians 1:13-14 He
has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the
kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins.
The Christian’s Attitude of Forgiveness
Matthew 6:14 For if
you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also
forgive you (attitude: forgive because you love the Lord)
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love
is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or
rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or
resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the
truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things. (attitude: can love cover it?)
2 Corinthians 2:5-8 Now
if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some
measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this
punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to
forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. (attitude: stand ready to
forgive)
Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers,
if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should
restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you
too be tempted. (attitude: approach gently and stand ready to restore
the relationship)
Ephesians 4:31-32 Let
all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away
from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.(attitude: loving
and forgiving just like God forgave you)
Christian Quotes About Forgiveness
“A forgiveness ought to be like a canceled note, torn in two and burned up, so that it can never be shown against the man. “ ~ Henry Ward Beecher
“Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.” ~ Corrie Ten Boom
“Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness.” ~ Billy Graham
“Forgiving and being forgiven are two names for the same thing. The important thing is that a discord has been resolved.” ~ C.S. Lewis
“To err is human, to forgive, divine.” ~ Alexander Pope
Looking For Something Else? Here are some more Bible verses and pages about forgiveness that you might want to check out:
Bible stories about forgiveness David Peach shares some examples in the Bible which illustrate the forgiving character of God toward His people.
5 Bible Lessons about forgiveness
also written by David Peach, in this article David shares more real
life examples of how forgiving our Heavenly Father is to His creation.
Songs about forgiveness is a collection of songs that speak of forgiveness.
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