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, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,

“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.

Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.

Then Peter came to Him and said, “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.

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.

Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.

Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,redeeming the time, because the days are evil.Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors.

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;

He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends.

Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him.Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.“In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back.Remember Lot’s wife.Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it.I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed: the one will be taken and the other will be left.Two women will be grinding together: the one will be taken and the other left.Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and the other left.”And they answered and said to Him, “Where, Lord?” So He said to them, “Wherever the body is, there the eagles will be gathered together.”And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.

Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.

The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, And his glory is to overlook a transgression.

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

“Judge not, that you be not judged.Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.

See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

When a man’s ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’

A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret—it only causes harm.

who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation,that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”

And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient,in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth,

“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”

Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.

A fool’s wrath is known at once, But a prudent man covers shame.

with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,

Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy.

And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

The merciful man does good for his own soul, But he who is cruel troubles his own flesh.

but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth.

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.

He who follows righteousness and mercy Finds life, righteousness, and honor.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;

Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.

Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.Let a woman learn in silence with all submission.And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.For Adam was formed first, then Eve.And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.

For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it.

Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ,lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.

I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.”Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God,that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Let all that you do be done with love.

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

Let brotherly love continue.We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have no right to eat.For the bodies of those animals, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned outside the camp.Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate.Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come.Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably.But I especially urge you to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Finally, brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Do not say, “I will recompense evil”; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.

My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so.

Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees,and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled;lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright.For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest,and the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore.looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.

Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you.”

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him.

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Prayer