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74 Bible verses about asking for forgiveness
Facing up to my mistakes and saying "I'm sorry" takes guts. It means pushing past pride and arrogance, and showing true humility. It's not about whether I was the one hurt; it's about always trying to please God in everything I do.
Even if the other person doesn't apologize, and the Holy Spirit nudges me to say I'm sorry anyway, I know I'll receive God's grace and favor. It might be tough for a lot of folks, but choosing to forgive is truly liberating. It sets me free to move forward.
Holding onto grudges and refusing to forgive poisons my soul and can even cause physical pain. Forgiveness, on the other hand, is good for my body and soul. It's like a cleansing process that draws me closer to God.
It's so important to confess my sins and admit when I'm wrong to God, who frees me from all evil. His love and forgiveness cover every part of me; there's no limit to what He can forgive.
Instead, we should agree that we have done wrong things and tell that to God. Then God will forgive us for our sins. He always does what he has promised to do. He always does what is right. He will forgive us and he will make us clean again, whatever bad things we may have done.
But when you stand up to pray, first you must forgive other people. If anyone has done something bad against you, forgive that person. If you do forgive them, your Father in heaven will forgive you. God will forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.’
Do not judge anyone, to say that they are a bad person. Then God will not judge you in the same way. Do not say to anyone, “You are guilty.” Then God will not say that you are guilty. Forgive other people and God will forgive you.
We have forgiven people who have done wrong things to us. In the same way, please forgive us for the wrong things that we have done.
Be careful how you live. If another believer does something wrong, warn him about it. He may say, “I am sorry for what I did. I will not do it again.” If he says that, you must forgive him.
It will happen quickly like that, on the day when I, the Son of Man, show myself clearly.
On that day, a person who is up on the roof of his house must not go back down into the house. He must not get his things that are inside the house to take with him. In the same way, people that are working outside in their fields must not go back to their homes.
Remember what happened to Lot's wife.
Whoever wants to keep his own life safe will lose it. But whoever agrees to lose his life will have true life.
I tell you this. At that time, two people will be sleeping in one bed. God will take one of them away but he will leave the other one behind.
Two women will be preparing food together in the same place. God will take one of them away but he will leave the other one behind.’
Jesus' disciples asked him, ‘Lord, where will this happen?’ Jesus replied, ‘If a dead body is lying somewhere, vultures will come together in that place.’
Your brother may do a bad thing against you seven times in one day. He may come to you each time and say, “I am sorry for what I did. I will not do it again.” If he does that, you must forgive him every time.’
If you forgive people when they hurt you, they will still love you. But if you continue to talk about what they have done, they will no longer be your friends.
When God has forgiven a person's sins, they are truly happy! They may have turned against God, but when God forgives them, they are happy.
Instead, help each other and be kind to each other. Forgive one another. Remember that God has forgiven you because of what Christ has done.
So you must stop doing wrong things. Change how you live and turn to God. Then God will forgive you for all the wrong things that you have done.
Forgive us for our sins, because we also forgive everyone who has done wrong things to us. Do not let us agree to do wrong things.” ’
Jesus said, ‘Father, these soldiers do not know what they are doing. So please forgive them.’ The soldiers then picked up Jesus' clothes for themselves. They played a game with dice to decide who would receive each piece of his clothes.
My friends, I want all of you to know this. God forgives us for the bad things that we have done. He does this because of what Jesus did. That is my message to you.
Jesus died as a sacrifice to take the punishment for our sin. Then God could forgive us. Jesus did that not only for us. He did it for all people in the world, so that God could forgive them for their sins.
If that happens, my people who belong to me should be humble and they should pray to me. They should turn away from their sins and try to please me. Then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sins and I will make their land successful again.
So you should tell each other about any wrong things that you have done. Then you will be able to pray for each other, so that God makes you well again. When a good person prays to God, God does powerful things.
Please Lord, accept this animal from your people, Israel, that you have rescued. Do not say that we are guilty of this murder. This person did not deserve to die like this.’ When they do that, the Lord will accept their gift and he will forgive you.
If they pray in that way and they trust that God will answer them, the sick person will become well again. The Lord will cause him to become well. And God will forgive him if he has done any wrong things.
Lord, if you should write down all our sins, nobody could stand as a righteous person.
But you forgive people for their sins, and so we give you honour.
God has saved us from the dark kingdom where Satan rules. He has brought us into the kingdom of his Son, whom he loves.
God's Son, Jesus, paid the price for our sins and he made us free. Yes, God has forgiven us.
You must turn away from those very bad thoughts. Turn to the Lord and pray that he will forgive you. Then perhaps he will forgive you for these bad thoughts.
But I am the one who removes your sins when you do not obey me. I, the Lord, do that, because of who I am. I do not keep your sins in my mind.
You fixed Jesus to a cross so that he died. But then the God of our ancestors caused him to become alive again.
God raised Jesus and he put him in the most important place at his right side. Jesus is now the one who leads us and the one who saves us. He has made a way for the people of Israel to turn back to God. He wants us to stop doing wrong things. Then God will forgive us for our sins.
I will be kind to them. I will forgive them for the wicked things that they have done. I will not continue to think about their sins. That is what the Lord says.’
Do not become angry with each other. If you think that someone has done something wrong against you, forgive them. Remember that the Lord has forgiven you. So you should also forgive other people.
Then I told you about my sins. I did not try to hide the bad things that I had done. I said, ‘I will tell the Lord about the things that I have done against him.’ When I did that, you forgave my sins.
Please forgive me, God, because of your faithful love. Because you are so kind, please clean away my sins.
God, please make me completely pure, deep inside me. Make my spirit strong and true.
Do not send me away from you. Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me.
Give me joy again, because you have made me safe. Make me strong and ready to obey you.
Then I will teach your ways to people who have turned against you. Then sinners will turn back and they will obey you.
God, I am guilty of murder. Please forgive me! You are the one who saves me. When you rescue me, I will sing aloud about your righteousness.
Lord God, help me to speak, and then I will praise you.
I would be happy to offer sacrifices to you, but that is not what you really want. You do not want a burnt offering from me.
You want me to be humble and sorry. That is the sacrifice that you want. When people are humble and they turn away from their sins, you will not refuse them.
God, please be kind and help Zion. Make the walls of Jerusalem strong again.
Then you will accept our proper sacrifices. Our burnt offerings and sacrifices of whole animals will make you happy. Once again, people will offer bulls to you, on your altar.
I have done bad things, so wash me to make me clean again.
Maybe you go to the temple to give your gift to God. You take it to the altar. But then you remember that your brother is angry with you.
You must leave your gift there in front of God's altar. First you must go and find your brother. Tell him that you are sorry. Then you can both become friends with each other again. After that, you can return to the altar and give your gift to God.
The son said to him, “Father, I have done bad things against God and against you. So I am not good enough for you to call me your son.”
Then Jesus said, ‘When other people do wrong things against you, you must forgive them. Then God, your Father in heaven, will also forgive you for the wrong things that you have done.
But if you do not forgive other people, then your Father will not forgive you.’
My friends, if someone has done bad things to you, do not try to punish them yourselves. Instead, let God be angry with them and punish them. This is what is written in the Bible: ‘The Lord God says, “When people do something wrong, I am the one who will punish them. I will pay them back.” ’
The Lord says, ‘Please come, so that we talk about this together. Even if your sins are like a red stain, they will become as white as snow. Even if they are bright red, they will become like white wool.
Then Peter came to talk to Jesus. He asked, ‘Lord, if another believer does wrong things against me many times, how many times should I forgive him? Must I forgive him as many as seven times for the wrong things that he has done against me?’
Jesus replied, ‘I do not say only seven times. I say you should forgive him 77 times!’
But the other man stood far away. He would not even look up towards heaven. He was hitting his body with his hands to show how sorry he was. He prayed like this: “Please, God, be kind to me. I have done many bad things.” ’
Anyone who hides his sins will never do well. But God will forgive somebody, if he agrees that he has done wrong things, and if he turns away from his sins.
My friends, if someone has done bad things to you, do not try to punish them yourselves. Instead, let God be angry with them and punish them. This is what is written in the Bible: ‘The Lord God says, “When people do something wrong, I am the one who will punish them. I will pay them back.” ’
Do not become like the people who belong to this world. But let God completely change the way that you think, so that you live differently. Then you will understand what God wants you to do. You will know what is good. You will know what pleases God. You will know what is completely right.
Instead, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. If you help your enemy, he will become ashamed. He will be sorry because of what he did to you.’
Then Jesus finished the story and he said, ‘You must forgive other believers completely. If you do not agree to forgive them, then my Father in heaven will do like that king did. He will punish you very much.’
Wicked people need to change the way that they live. Evil people must stop thinking their evil thoughts. They must turn back to the Lord our God, because he will be kind to them. Yes, God will completely forgive them, if they turn back to him.
My friends, if you see that someone among you is doing something wrong, you must warn them. Those of you who have God's Spirit should warn that person. Show them how to live in a good way. But you must be kind and patient with them. Be very careful yourselves, so that it does not cause you to do wrong things too.
Yes, my Lord, you are very kind, and you are ready to forgive people. When anyone calls to you for help, you love them with your faithful love.
This is my blood that shows the agreement that God makes with his people. When I die, my blood will pour out of my body. In that way God will forgive many people for the wrong things that they have done. That is the agreement that God makes because of my death.
Jesus said, ‘If another believer has done something wrong against you, you must go and speak to him. When you are alone with him, tell him what he has done that is wrong. He may agree with what you say. If he does, then you can call him your friend again.
Remember that God is strong and powerful. So be humble in front of him. Then he will lift you up to a good place at the right time.
If you have any kind of trouble in your mind, give it to God. God has promised to take care of you.
I want to say the same thing to you who are young men. You must respect the authority of the leaders. All of you who are believers must respect one another. Do not think that you are more important than other people. The Bible says: ‘God is against proud people. But he is kind to humble people.’
Do everything that you can to live in peace with all people. Be faithful to the Lord. Nobody will see the Lord unless they are holy.
In the way that you live, do not just try to help yourself. Do not be proud. Instead, respect other people. Think about other people as more important than yourself.
My Christian friends, I do not think that I have reached that place yet. But this is what I do. I do not think about past things that have already happened. Instead, I try hard to reach the things that are still in front.
I am like a runner who wants to reach the end of the race. I run straight towards that place, so that I can win God's gift. Because I belong to Christ Jesus, God has called me to live with him in heaven. That is God's gift to me at the end of my life.
We should receive much punishment for the bad things that we do. But the Lord does not punish us so much.
For people who worship him, his faithful love is very great. How far is the sky above the earth? His love is greater than that!
How far is the east from the west? The Lord has taken our sins further away than that! He no longer says that we are guilty.
If people do bad things to you, do not do anything bad to them in return. If people insult you, do not insult them in return. Instead, pray that God will bless those people. That is what God wants you to do. Then you will receive the gift of God's blessing.
My friends, if someone has done bad things to you, do not try to punish them yourselves. Instead, let God be angry with them and punish them. This is what is written in the Bible: ‘The Lord God says, “When people do something wrong, I am the one who will punish them. I will pay them back.” ’
Do not become like the people who belong to this world. But let God completely change the way that you think, so that you live differently. Then you will understand what God wants you to do. You will know what is good. You will know what pleases God. You will know what is completely right.
Instead, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. If you help your enemy, he will become ashamed. He will be sorry because of what he did to you.’
Do not let evil things win against you! Instead, do good things. Then you will win against the evil things that people do.
But God has shown us how much he loves us. Even when we still did not obey God, Christ died on our behalf.
If someone is wise, he controls his anger. When anyone hurts him, he is careful to forget it.
Fools think that they do not need to do anything about their sins. But God is pleased with people who do what is right.
I am writing this letter to you, my friends who are like my little children. I am writing to you because I do not want you to do wrong things. But if anyone among you does something wrong, there is someone who will speak to God on our behalf. That person is Jesus Christ, who always does only what is right. He will ask our Father God to forgive you.
So we should come near to God and we should not be afraid. God is our King. We can ask him to help us when we need help. We know that he will forgive us and he will be kind to us in whatever way we need.
If I love people, I will be polite. I will not just want to please myself. I will not quickly become angry. If someone does a wrong thing against me, I will not keep it in my thoughts.
When Christ died as a sacrifice on the cross, he paid the price to make us free. Because of Christ's death on our behalf, God has forgiven our sins. God is so very kind that he has done all this for us!
But I want you to know this: I, the Son of Man, have authority on earth. I can forgive people for the wrong things that they have done.’ Then Jesus said to the man who could not walk, ‘Stand up. Pick up your mat and go home.’
God is able to forgive all the wrong things that people do. He also forgives the bad things that people say against other people. But God will never forgive people who say bad things against the Holy Spirit.
So then, this is what I want to ask you first. Please pray for all people. Ask God to supply what they need. Ask God to help them. Thank God for what he does for everyone.
At one time, you were dead in your spirits, because of the wrong things that you did. God had not cut off your old nature. You did not belong to his people. But now God has caused you to become alive with Christ. He has forgiven us for all the wrong things that we have done.
We are guilty of many wrong things that are against God's laws. But Christ died on the cross on our behalf. He paid the debt of our sins. It is like he has destroyed the list of all the debts that we should pay to God.
Do not punish me for the sins that I did long ago. When I was young, I turned against you. Please be kind to me, because of your faithful love!
Now we know this: God has forgiven those people who are united with Christ Jesus. God will never say that they are guilty.
The Almighty Lord says this to you, Israel's people: I will judge each of you as you deserve for the way that you live. So change how you live! Turn away from all the wicked things that you do. Then your sins will not finally destroy you.
All people have done wrong things. Nobody is as good as God in his glory wants them to be.
But because God is very kind, he accepts us as right with himself. That is God's gift to us. Jesus Christ has paid for our sins so that we have become free.
When anyone belongs to Christ, they become a new person. Their old way of life has gone. Their new life has begun!
Jesus said, ‘Go on asking God for what you need. Then God will give it to you. Go on looking for what you need. Then you will find it. Go on knocking at the door, and God will open it for you.