VERSES ABOUT FORGIVENESS

Forgiving others brings such freedom. It's like taking off a heavy backpack you've been carrying for way too long. There's a real beauty to forgiveness, and anyone who's experienced both giving and receiving it knows what I mean. God is our ultimate example, right? He shows us how it's done and calls us to practice it every single day.

So, I encourage you to forgive, just as Christ forgives you – every single day. It's time to let go and be free. Let's be real, in this life, someone is bound to hurt or offend you. But even then, we're called to learn to forgive and love again. Get that bitterness out of your system. Trust me, it'll help you grow and move forward. It'll even strengthen your relationship with God.

As children of God, we rejoice because we've received forgiveness for our sins through Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. But it's important to remember that just as we've been forgiven, our hearts need to be ready to forgive others. Mark 11:25¹ says, "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses." As long as we repent and are faithful in forgiving others, God will completely forgive us. And that's when we can truly have a fresh start!

But I say to you, Have love for those who are against you, and make prayer for those who are cruel to you;

But I say to you who give ear to me, Have love for those who are against you, do good to those who have hate for you,Give blessing to those who give you curses, say prayers for those who are cruel to you.

But if one who has hate for you is in need of food or of drink, give it to him, for in so doing you will put coals of fire on his head.

For if you let men have forgiveness for their sins, you will have forgiveness from your Father in heaven.But if you do not let men have forgiveness for their sins, you will not have forgiveness from your Father for your sins.

And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.

Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you:

And the people were looking on. And the rulers made sport of him, saying, He was a saviour of others; let him do something for himself, if he is the Christ, the man of God's selection.

Jesus says to him, I say not to you, Till seven times; but, Till seventy times seven.For this reason the kingdom of heaven is like a king, who went over his accounts with his servants.

Do not give evil for evil to any man. Let all your business be well ordered in the eyes of all men.As far as it is possible for you be at peace with all men.

Not giving back evil for evil, or curse for curse, but in place of cursing, blessing; because this is the purpose of God for you that you may have a heritage of blessing.

Do not be glad at the fall of your hater, and let not your heart have joy at his downfall:

If your hater is in need of food, give him bread; and if he is in need of drink, give him water:For so you will put coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will give you your reward.

Be full of pity, even as your Father is full of pity.

Happy are the peacemakers: for they will be named sons of God.

But God has made clear his love to us, in that, when we were still sinners, Christ gave his life for us.

If a man says, I have love for God, and has hate for his brother, his words are false: for how is the man who has no love for his brother whom he has seen, able to have love for God whom he has not seen?And this is the word which we have from him, that he who has love for God is to have the same love for his brother.

But be loving to those who are against you and do them good, and give them your money, not giving up hope, and your reward will be great and you will be the sons of the Most High: for he is kind to evil men, and to those who have hard hearts.

I give you a new law: Have love one for another; even as I have had love for you, so are you to have love one for another.By this it will be clear to all men that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another.

Love is never tired of waiting; love is kind; love has no envy; love has no high opinion of itself, love has no pride;Love's ways are ever fair, it takes no thought for itself; it is not quickly made angry, it takes no account of evil;It takes no pleasure in wrongdoing, but has joy in what is true;Love has the power of undergoing all things, having faith in all things, hoping all things.

Let it then be your desire to be like God, as well-loved children;And be living in love, even as Christ had love for you, and gave himself up for us, an offering to God for a perfume of a sweet smell.

Do not give punishment for wrongs done to you, dear brothers, but give way to the wrath of God; for it is said in the holy Writings, Punishment is mine, I will give reward, says the Lord.

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our sins from us.

And most of all be warm in your love for one another; because in love there is forgiveness for sins without number:

Hate is a cause of violent acts, but all errors are covered up by love.

Let all bitter, sharp and angry feeling, and noise, and evil words, be put away from you, with all unkind acts;And be kind to one another, full of pity, having forgiveness for one another, even as God in Christ had forgiveness for you.

You have knowledge that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:But I say to you, Do not make use of force against an evil man; but to him who gives you a blow on the right side of your face let the left be turned.

If we say openly that we have done wrong, he is upright and true to his word, giving us forgiveness of sins and making us clean from all evil.

And make us free of our debts, as we have made those free who are in debt to us.

So then, make a statement of your sins to one another, and say prayers for one another so that you may be made well. The prayer of a good man is full of power in its working.

Let your desire be for peace with all men, and to be made holy, without which no man may see the Lord;Looking with care to see that no man among you in his behaviour comes short of the grace of God; for fear that some bitter root may come up to be a trouble to you, and that some of you may be made unclean by it;

He who keeps a sin covered is looking for love; but he who keeps on talking of a thing makes division between friends.

Give attention to yourselves: if your brother does wrong, say a sharp word to him; and if he has sorrow for his sin, let him have forgiveness.And if he does you wrong seven times in a day, and seven times comes to you and says, I have regret for what I have done; let him have forgiveness.

So then, take one another to your hearts, as Christ took us, to the glory of God.

And whenever you make a prayer, let there be forgiveness in your hearts, if you have anything against anyone; so that you may have forgiveness for your sins from your Father who is in heaven.

As saints of God, then, holy and dearly loved, let your behaviour be marked by pity and mercy, kind feeling, a low opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, and a power of undergoing all things;Being gentle to one another and having forgiveness for one another, if anyone has done wrong to his brother, even as the Lord had forgiveness for you:

Happy are those who have mercy: for they will be given mercy.

A man's good sense makes him slow to wrath, and the overlooking of wrongdoing is his glory.

Be kind to one another with a brother's love, putting others before yourselves in honour;

Be not judges of others, and you will not be judged.For as you have been judging, so you will be judged, and with your measure will it be measured to you.

You are good, O Lord, and full of forgiveness; your mercy is great to all who make their cry to you.

Let no one give evil for evil; but ever go after what is good, for one another and for all.

In this we see what love is, because he gave his life for us; and it is right for us to give our lives for the brothers.

Love does no wrong to his neighbour, so love makes the law complete.

Do to others as you would have them do to you.

When a man's ways are pleasing to the Lord, he makes even his haters be at peace with him.

For this cause those who are in Christ Jesus will not be judged as sinners.

This is the law I give you: Have love one for another, even as I have love for you.

And his lord was very angry, and put him in the hands of those who would give him punishment till he made payment of all the debt.

By a soft answer wrath is turned away, but a bitter word is a cause of angry feelings.

Put an end to your wrath and be no longer bitter; do not give way to angry feeling which is a cause of sin.

To sharp words he gave no sharp answer; when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips; but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:

For our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against authorities and powers, against the world-rulers of this dark night, against the spirits of evil in the heavens.

Be turned from evil, and do good; make a search for peace, desiring it with all your heart.

But all things are of God, who has made us at peace with himself through Christ, and has given to us the work of making peace;That is, that God was in Christ making peace between the world and himself, not putting their sins to their account, and having given to us the preaching of this news of peace.

But God, being full of mercy, through the great love which he had for us,Even when we were dead through our sins, gave us life together with Christ by grace you have salvation,

And I will keep no more memory of their sins and of their evil-doings.

For it is not right for the Lord's servant to make trouble, but he is to be gentle to all, ready in teaching, putting up with wrong,Gently guiding those who go against the teaching; if by chance God may give them a change of heart and true knowledge,

Be not judges of others, and you will not be judged: do not give punishment to others, and you will not get punishment yourselves: make others free, and you will be made free:

For if, when we were haters of God, the death of his Son made us at peace with him, much more, now that we are his friends, will we have salvation through his life;

But when they went on with their questions, he got up and said to them, Let him among you who is without sin be the first to send a stone at her.

And let him be turned from evil and do good; searching for peace and going after it with all his heart.

A foolish man lets his trouble be openly seen, but a sharp man keeps shame secret.

With all gentle and quiet behaviour, taking whatever comes, putting up with one another in love;

Doing nothing through envy or through pride, but with low thoughts of self let everyone take others to be better than himself;

And with our hands we do the hardest work: when they give us curses we give blessings, when we undergo punishment we take it quietly;

The Lord is full of grace and pity; not quickly angry, but great in mercy.

And a second like it is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.

But you, why do you make yourself your brother's judge? or again, why have you no respect for your brother? because we will all have to take our place before God as our judge.

And I will have mercy on their evil-doing, and I will not keep their sins in mind.

Brothers, if a man is taken in any wrongdoing, you who are of the Spirit will put such a one right in a spirit of love; keeping watch on yourself, for fear that you yourself may be tested.

But go and take to heart the sense of these words, My desire is for mercy, not offerings: for I have come not to get the upright, but sinners.

The man who has mercy will be rewarded, but the cruel man is the cause of trouble to himself.

But saying true words in love, may come to full growth in him, who is the head, even Christ;

But now it is right for you to put away all these things; wrath, passion, bad feeling, curses, unclean talk;

The good man, out of the good store of his heart, gives good things; and the evil man, out of his evil store, gives evil: for out of the full store of the heart come the words of the mouth.

Happy are the gentle: for the earth will be their heritage.

He who says that he is in the light, and has hate in his heart for his brother, is still in the dark.He who has love for his brother is in the light, and there is no cause of error in him.But he who has hate for his brother is in the dark, walking in the dark with no knowledge of where he is going, unable to see because of the dark.

He who goes after righteousness and mercy will get life, righteousness, and honour.

The Lord is not slow in keeping his word, as he seems to some, but he is waiting in mercy for you, not desiring the destruction of any, but that all may be turned from their evil ways.

So then, let us go after the things which make peace, and the things by which we may be a help to one another.

You have knowledge of this, dear brothers. But let every man be quick in hearing, slow in words, slow to get angry;For the righteousness of God does not come about by the wrath of man.

Greater love has no man than this, that a man gives up his life for his friends.

In whom we have salvation through his blood, the forgiveness of our sins, through the wealth of his grace,

This is God's purpose for you: because Jesus himself underwent punishment for you, giving you an example, so that you might go in his footsteps:Who did no evil, and there was no deceit in his mouth:To sharp words he gave no sharp answer; when he was undergoing pain, no angry word came from his lips; but he put himself into the hands of the judge of righteousness:

So you have no reason, whoever you are, for judging: for in judging another you are judging yourself, for you do the same things.

See, I send you out as sheep among wolves. Be then as wise as snakes, and as gentle as doves.

And the Lord give you increase of love in fullest measure to one another and to all men, even as our love to you;So that your hearts may be strong and free from all sin before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

My desire is, first of all, that you will make requests and prayers and give praise for all men;For kings and all those in authority; so that we may have a calm and quiet life in all fear of God and serious behaviour.

For it is said, Let the man who has a love of life, desiring to see good days, keep his tongue from evil and his lips from words of deceit:And let him be turned from evil and do good; searching for peace and going after it with all his heart.

But if you give forgiveness to anyone, I do the same: for if I have given forgiveness for anything, I have done it because of you, in the person of Christ;So that Satan may not get the better of us: for we are not without knowledge of his designs.

I say to you that even so there will be more joy in heaven when one sinner is turned away from his wrongdoing, than for ninety-nine good men, who have no need of a change of heart.

And the King will make answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Because you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.

We who are strong have to be a support to the feeble, and not give pleasure to ourselves.Let every one of us give pleasure to his neighbour for his good, to make him strong.

For the rest, my brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things have honour, whatever things are upright, whatever things are holy, whatever things are beautiful, whatever things are of value, if there is any virtue and if there is any praise, give thought to these things.

Let love be without deceit. Be haters of what is evil; keep your minds fixed on what is good.

And he, answering, said, Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and for your neighbour as for yourself.

Let all you do be done in love.

If then I, the Lord and the Master, have made your feet clean, it is right for you to make one another's feet clean.I have given you an example, so that you may do what I have done to you.

Even so let your light be shining before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

And in the same way, let the younger men be ruled by the older ones. Let all of you put away pride and make yourselves ready to be servants: for God is a hater of pride, but he gives grace to those who make themselves low.For this cause make yourselves low under the strong hand of God, so that when the time comes you may be lifted up;

Go on loving your brothers in the faith.Take care to keep open house: because in this way some have had angels as their guests, without being conscious of it.

For all the law is made complete in one word, even in this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.

My loved ones, let us have love for one another: because love is of God, and everyone who has love is a child of God and has knowledge of God.

Let this be my last word, brothers; be glad; be complete; be comforted; be of the same mind; be at peace with one another: and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Who will come between us and the love of Christ? Will trouble, or pain, or cruel acts, or the need of food or of clothing, or danger, or the sword?As it is said in the holy Writings, Because of you we are put to death every day; we are like sheep ready for destruction.But we are able to overcome all these things and more through his love.

Do not say, I will give punishment for evil: go on waiting for the Lord, and he will be your saviour.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may be without sin. And if any man is a sinner, we have a friend and helper with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright one:

Happy are those whose heart's desire is for righteousness: for they will have their desire.

Or are you not conscious that your body is a house for the Holy Spirit which is in you, and which has been given to you by God? and you are not the owners of yourselves;For a payment has been made for you: let God be honoured in your body.

Do not keep back good from those who have a right to it, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

Brothers, it is clear to me that I have not come to that knowledge; but one thing I do, letting go those things which are past, and stretching out to the things which are before,I go forward to the mark, even the reward of the high purpose of God in Christ Jesus.

And we are conscious that all things are working together for good to those who have love for God, and have been marked out by his purpose.

I have been put to death on the cross with Christ; still I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who in love for me, gave himself up for me.

For the man who has had no mercy will be judged without mercy, but mercy takes pride in overcoming judging.

Father, if it is your pleasure, take this cup from me: but still, let your pleasure, not mine, be done.

For this reason, as we are circled by so great a cloud of witnesses, putting off every weight, and the sin into which we come so readily, let us keep on running in the way which is marked out for us,Having our eyes fixed on Jesus, the guide and end of our faith, who went through the pains of the cross, not caring for the shame, because of the joy which was before him, and who has now taken his place at the right hand of God's seat of power.

Do not be tricked by false words: evil company does damage to good behaviour.

What may we say, then? are we to go on in sin so that there may be more grace?In no way. How may we, who are dead to sin, be living in it any longer?

For I am certain of this very thing, that he by whom the good work was started in you will make it complete till the day of Jesus Christ:

That in the wealth of his glory he would make you strong with power through his Spirit in your hearts;So that Christ may have his place in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and based in love,

Be then complete in righteousness, even as your Father in heaven is complete.

Which of these three men, in your opinion, was neighbour to the man who came into the hands of thieves?And he said, The one who had mercy on him. And Jesus said, Go and do the same.

For him who had no knowledge of sin God made to be sin for us; so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

You are the salt of the earth; but if its taste goes from the salt, how will you make it salt again? it is then good for nothing but to be put out and crushed under foot by men.You are the light of the world. A town put on a hill may be seen by all.

From his full measure we have all been given grace on grace.

I have made a good fight, I have come to the end of my journey, I have kept the faith:From now on, the crown of righteousness is made ready for me, which the Lord, the upright judge, Will give to me at that day: and not only to me, but to all those who have had love for his revelation.

And we are certain that if we make any request to him which is right in his eyes, he will give ear to us:And if we are certain that he gives ear to all our requests, we are equally certain that we will get our requests.

A Psalm. Of David. The Lord takes care of me as his sheep; I will not be without any good thing.He makes a resting-place for me in the green fields: he is my guide by the quiet waters.He gives new life to my soul: he is my guide in the ways of righteousness because of his name.

And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart:

Taking care to keep the harmony of the Spirit in the yoke of peace.

But let your first care be for his kingdom and his righteousness; and all these other things will be given to you in addition.

For it is God who is the cause of your desires and of your acts, for his good pleasure.

But give honour to Christ in your hearts as your Lord; and be ready at any time when you are questioned about the hope which is in you, to give an answer in the fear of the Lord and without pride;

And they took to him a man stretched on a bed who had no power of moving; and Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the man who was ill, Son, take heart; you have forgiveness for your sins.

God is Spirit: then let his worshippers give him worship in the true way of the spirit.

Living uprightly in the approval of the Lord, giving fruit in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Happy are the poor in spirit: for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

We are certain that one who is a child of God will do no sin, but the Son of God keeps him so that he is not touched by the Evil One.

For you at one time were dark, but now are light in the Lord: let your behaviour be that of children of lightBecause the fruit of the light is in all righteousness and in everything which is good and true,

And not only so, but let us have joy in our troubles: in the knowledge that trouble gives us the power of waiting;And waiting gives experience; and experience, hope:

But if any man among you is without wisdom, let him make his request to God, who gives freely to all without an unkind word, and it will be given to him.

And my God will give you all you have need of from the wealth of his glory in Christ Jesus.

May peace be with you; my peace I give to you: I give it not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled; let it be without fear.

The Lord is near the broken-hearted; he is the saviour of those whose spirits are crushed down.

The man whose heart is unmoved you will keep in peace, because his hope is in you.

Put all your hope in God, not looking to your reason for support.In all your ways give ear to him, and he will make straight your footsteps.

For all have done wrong and are far from the glory of God;

Now I make request to you, my brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you will all say the same thing, and that there may be no divisions among you, so that you may be in complete agreement, in the same mind and in the same opinion.

Prayer