Unforgiveness is like a poison we take in small doses every day, but it eventually ends up poisoning us. It's so easy to hold onto those hurts, isn't it? But think about it: the Lord calls us to repent of our sins and seek His forgiveness. He also urges us to forgive those who offend or hurt us. It's a two-way street.
As children of God, we're called to practice forgiveness constantly. Imagine bringing your offering to the altar and suddenly remembering someone you've wronged, or someone who has wronged you. What do you do? Leave the offering right there, go and reconcile, and then come back and worship. It makes you think, doesn't it?
It's hypocritical to say we love the Lord but can't stand the people we see every day. Think about that for a second. God wants us, as the body of Christ, to practice the same kind of love He has for us – the kind of love that led Him to sacrifice His Son. That's powerful stuff.
Holding a grudge can be toxic, you know? It can eat away at you. Bitterness toward someone in your church isn't a sign of maturity, it's a sign that something needs to change in our hearts. We need to repent of any hypocrisy, drop the pretense, and be the unified church Jesus is coming back for: a pure church, without spot or wrinkle. That's what the Lord wants, and it's what we should strive for, too.
And if he has sinned against you seven times a day, and seven times a day has turned back to you, saying, 'I am sorry,' then forgive him."
But, before all things, have a constant mutual charity among yourselves. For love covers a multitude of sins.
For if you will forgive men their sins, your heavenly Father also will forgive you your offenses.
Be attentive to yourselves. If your brother has sinned against you, correct him. And if he has repented, forgive him.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your sins.But if you will not forgive, neither will your Father, who is in heaven, forgive you your sins."
Between the vestibule and the altar, the priests, the ministers of the Lord, will weep, and they will say: "Spare, O Lord, spare your people. And do not bequeath your inheritance into disgrace, so that the nations would rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, 'Where is their God?' "
Then Peter, drawing near to him, said: "Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Even seven times?"Jesus said to him: "I do not say to you, even seven times, but even seventy times seven times.
For if you will forgive men their sins, your heavenly Father also will forgive you your offenses.But if you will not forgive men, neither will your Father forgive you your sins.
Let all bitterness and anger and indignation and outcry and blasphemy be taken away from you, along with all malice.And be kind and merciful to one another, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.
And be kind and merciful to one another, forgiving one another, just as God has forgiven you in Christ.
Therefore, clothe yourselves like the elect of God: holy and beloved, with hearts of mercy, kindness, humility, modesty, and patience.Support one another, and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive one another. For just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also must you do.
And, brothers, if a man has been overtaken by any offense, you who are spiritual should instruct someone like this with a spirit of leniency, considering that you yourselves might also be tempted.
For judgment is without mercy toward him who has not shown mercy. But mercy exalts itself above judgment.
In him, we have redemption through his blood: the remission of sins in accord with the riches of his grace,
In this way, the sons of God are made manifest, and also the sons of the devil. Everyone who is not just, is not of God, as also anyone who does not love his brother.
If we confess our sins, then he is faithful and just, so as to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity.
Support one another, and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive one another. For just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also must you do.
Be attentive to yourselves. If your brother has sinned against you, correct him. And if he has repented, forgive him.According to these things, so shall it be in the day when the Son of man will be revealed.In that hour, whoever will be on the rooftop, with his goods in the house, let him not descend to take them. And whoever will be in the field, similarly, let him not turn back.Remember Lot's wife.Whoever has sought to save his life, will lose it; and whoever has lost it, will bring it back to life.I say to you, in that night, there will be two in one bed. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind.Two will be at the grindstone together. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind. Two will be in the field. One will be taken up, and the other will be left behind."Responding, they said to him, "Where, Lord?"And he said to them, "Wherever the body will be, in that place also, the eagles shall be gathered together."And if he has sinned against you seven times a day, and seven times a day has turned back to you, saying, 'I am sorry,' then forgive him."
But if your brother has sinned against you, go and correct him, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you will have regained your brother.
And when you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he enlivened you, together with him, forgiving you of all transgressions,
Therefore, should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I also had compassion on you?'
Whoever blocks his ears to the outcry of the poor shall also cry out himself, and he will not be heeded.
Whoever conceals an offense seeks friendships. Whoever repeats the words of another separates allies.
And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, by which they have sinned against me. And I will forgive all their iniquities, by which they have offended against me and have despised me.
he ought to know that whoever causes a sinner to be converted from the error of his ways will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
And when you stand to pray, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your sins.
Do not defend yourselves, dearest ones. Instead, step aside from wrath. For it is written: "Vengeance is mine. I shall give retribution, says the Lord."And do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead choose to be reformed in the newness of your mind, so that you may demonstrate what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect.So if an enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in doing so, you will heap burning coals upon his head.Do not allow evil to prevail, instead prevail over evil by means of goodness.
You spring forth fountains in steep valleys. The waters will cross through the midst of the mountains.All the wild beasts of the field will drink. The wild donkeys will anticipate in their thirst.Above them, the flying things of the air will dwell. From the midst of the rocks, they will utter voices.
Therefore, if you offer your gift at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you,leave your gift there, before the altar, and go first to be reconciled to your brother, and then you may approach and offer your gift.
Above them, the flying things of the air will dwell. From the midst of the rocks, they will utter voices.
But anyone whom you have forgiven of anything, I also forgive. And then, too, anyone I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, it was done in the person of Christ for your sakes,so that we would not be circumvented by Satan. For we are not ignorant of his intentions.
So, too, shall my heavenly Father do to you, if each one of you will not forgive his brother from your hearts."
Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be saved. For the unremitting prayer of a just person prevails over many things.
And rising up, he went to his father. But while he was still at a distance, his father saw him, and he was moved with compassion, and running to him, he fell upon his neck and kissed him.And the son said to him: 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. Now I am not worthy to be called your son.'But the father said to his servants: 'Quickly! Bring out the best robe, and clothe him with it. And put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.And bring the fatted calf here, and kill it. And let us eat and hold a feast.For this son of mine was dead, and has revived; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to feast.
But if your brother has sinned against you, go and correct him, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you will have regained your brother.But if he will not listen you, invite with you one or two more, so that every word may stand by the mouth of two or three witnesses.And if he will not listen to them, tell the Church. But if he will not listen to the Church, let him be to you like the pagan and the tax collector.
For all have sinned and all are in need of the glory of God.We have been justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
not repaying evil with evil, nor slander with slander, but, to the contrary, repaying with blessings. For to this you have been called, so that you may possess the inheritance of a blessing.
I am. I am the very One who wipes away your iniquities for my own sake. And I will not remember your sins.
What God is like you, who takes away iniquity and passes over the sin of the remnant of your inheritance? No longer will he send forth his fury, because he is willing to be merciful.He will turn back and have mercy on us. He will put away our iniquities, and he will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Will not Zion say that this man and that man were born in her? And the Most High himself has founded her.
But God demonstrates his love for us in that, while we were yet sinners, at the proper time,
"Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.or if he were to ask him for a fish, would offer him a snake?Therefore, if you, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your sons, how much more will your Father, who is in heaven, give good things to those who ask him?Therefore, all things whatsoever that you wish that men would do to you, do so also to them. For this is the law and the prophets.Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, which leads to perdition, and many there are who enter through it.How narrow is the gate, and how straight is the way, which leads to life, and few there are who find it!Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.You shall know them by their fruits. Can grapes be gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?So then, every good tree produces good fruit, and the evil tree produces evil fruit.A good tree is not able to produce evil fruit, and an evil tree is not able to produce good fruit.Every tree which does not produce good fruit shall be cut down and cast into the fire.For with whatever judgment you judge, so shall you be judged; and with whatever measure you measure out, so shall it be measured back to you.
Unto the end. The understanding of David.But I, like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have hoped in the mercy of God unto eternity, and forever and ever.I will confess to you forever, because you have accomplished it. And I will wait on your name, for it is good in the sight of your saints.When Doeg the Edomite came and reported to Saul, David went to the house of Ahimelech.
But all is of God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ, and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have already attained this. Instead, I do one thing: forgetting those things that are behind, and extending myself toward those things that are ahead,I pursue the destination, the prize of the heavenly calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Whoever hides his crimes will not be guided. But whoever will have confessed and abandoned them shall overtake mercy.
And when you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he enlivened you, together with him, forgiving you of all transgressions,and wiping away the handwriting of the decree which was against us, which was contrary to us. And he has taken this away from your midst, affixing it to the Cross.
A Psalm of David. Exult in the Lord, you just ones; together praise the upright.The Lord scatters the counsels of the nations. Moreover, he reproves the thoughts of the people, and he rejects the counsels of the leaders.But the counsel of the Lord remains for eternity, the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his inheritance.The Lord has looked down from heaven. He has seen all the sons of men.From his well-prepared dwelling place, he has gazed upon all who dwell on the earth.He has formed the hearts of each one of them; he understands all their works.The king is not saved by great power, nor will the giant be saved by his many powers.The horse is false safety; for he will not be saved by the abundance of his powers.Behold, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him and on those who hope in his mercy,so as to rescue their souls from death and to feed them during famine.Confess to the Lord with stringed instruments; sing psalms to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings.
And then approach and accuse me, says the Lord. Then, if your sins are like scarlet, they shall be made white like snow; and if they are red like vermillion, they shall become white like wool.
Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do." And truly, dividing his garments, they cast lots.
If anyone says that he loves God, but hates his brother, then he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother, whom he does see, in what way can he love God, whom he does not see?And this is the commandment that we have from God, that he who loves God must also love his brother.