Forgiveness for many is an action often treated with contempt. We often forget that God told us to forgive and not hold grudges in our hearts towards others. We must understand God’s way of forgiveness if we are going to live a life that is pleasing to Him. If we want to be used by God for His honour and glory, we must understand God’s way of forgiveness and faithfulness.

Psalm 78:38 says, “But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath.” This verse from the Book of Psalms shows us that God is full of compassion for us and will forgive those who sin against Him. Psalm 25:18 says, “Look upon my affliction and my trouble, And forgive all my sins.” This verse from David asks God to forgive him of his many sins. Does God really forgive those who transgress His most holy law? We find the answer in Psalm 130:4, “But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.” The result of God’s forgiveness is respect for Him and His marvellous grace. We call this forgiveness, grace. Grace is when God gives us what we do not deserve. We do not rightfully deserve to be forgiven. We have broken God’s law; we have rebelled against the Creator. Due to God’s love, He forgives us, and not only that, the Lord will help us along the road of repentance. Hebrews 12:6 testifies, “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

The first time we read about forgiveness in the Bible is found in Genesis 50:17, “‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.” ’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.” In Jeremiah 31:34 God said, ““They will not teach again, each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them,” declares the Lord, “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” God decided not to keep on bringing up the wrong. The Devil on the other hand wants to continually remind you of your sinfulness and hinder your relationship to Christ. Satan will do all he can to remind you of your unworthiness and the fact you’re a sinner. Sadly, many have given into the temptation to quit.

Jesus spoke about forgiveness and forgave many people during His earthly ministry. Matthew 18:21-22 says, “Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” Jesus is not saying we forgive someone 490 times then stop forgiving them. Jesus is saying there is no limit to how many times you should forgive someone. The moral of the message is to keep on forgiving. In Matthew 9:6 Jesus said, “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, pick up your bed and go home.” This is grace on display, God will forgive us. As God demonstrates His forgiveness to us, we should also show forgiveness. In Luke 17:3 we learn the principles of forgiveness and the conditions. “Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.” Forgiveness means setting aside the wrongdoing and being reconciled to fellow believers. No longer allowing the wrong to hold back our fellowship is the core meaning of forgiveness. Below are some Scriptures about forgiveness.

• Romans 6:18, “and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.”
• Acts 8:22-23, “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. “For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”
• Romans 4:7, “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, And whose sins have been covered.”
• Romans 5:20, “The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.”
• Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”
• Colossians 2:13, “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions.”
• Colossians 3:13, “bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”
• James 5:15, “and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.”
• 1 John 2:12, “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.”

One of the pinnacles of the Word of God is that we can receive forgiveness of all and every sin and as a result enter Heaven. Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Writing in his first letter John wrote, “And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him” (1 John 5:15). Jesus is the light of life and if we walk in the light of Christ, He will cleanse us from all sin. There is forgiveness in Christ. Romans 3:23-26 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

We can be justified in Christ and receive the grace of forgiveness. Inspired by God’s Holy Spirit the Apostle John wrote in his first letter, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). As God forgives our sin He places our sin as far as the east is from the west. When Jesus was on the Cross He cried out, “It is finished.” When He said those words He really meant it. His work on earth was done. He had finished what He was sent to do, pay for the sins of men and women on the Cross. Christ purchased sinners on the Cross. He pardoned all those who by faith, repent and believe the Gospel. Therefore, we should cast our fears, cares, and burdens on Him because he deeply cares about us. Forgiveness of our sins can only be found in Christ. Nothing else is acceptable to God.