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 and pray for those who persecute you,

“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.”

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you;but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.”] And they cast lots to divide his clothing.

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?”Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing.

Do not rejoice when your enemies fall, and do not let your heart be glad when they stumble,

If your enemies are hungry, give them bread to eat; and if they are thirsty, give them water to drink;for you will heap coals of fire on their heads, and the Lord will reward you.

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.

I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogantor rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,Try to find out what is pleasing to the Lord.Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.For it is shameful even to mention what such people do secretly;but everything exposed by the light becomes visible,for everything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”Be careful then how you live, not as unwise people but as wise,making the most of the time, because the days are evil.So do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit,as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts,and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.

Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins.

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice,and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also;

If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.

One who forgives an affront fosters friendship, but one who dwells on disputes will alienate a friend.

Be on your guard! If another disciple sins, you must rebuke the offender, and if there is repentance, you must forgive.—it will be like that on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.On that day, anyone on the housetop who has belongings in the house must not come down to take them away; and likewise anyone in the field must not turn back.Remember Lot's wife.Those who try to make their life secure will lose it, but those who lose their life will keep it.I tell you, on that night there will be two in one bed; one will be taken and the other left.There will be two women grinding meal together; one will be taken and the other left.”Then they asked him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”And if the same person sins against you seven times a day, and turns back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive.”

Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.”

As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Those with good sense are slow to anger, and it is their glory to overlook an offense.

love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.

“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged.Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake?If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it.For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles?In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the 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 the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.

For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.

See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

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

When the ways of people please the Lord, he causes even their enemies to be at peace with them.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

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

Should you not have had mercy on your fellow slave, as I had mercy on you?’

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

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.

When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation;that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved useven when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ —by grace you have been saved—

he also adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient,correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth,

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven;

For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life.

When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”

let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it.

Fools show their anger at once, but the prudent ignore an insult.

with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.

and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

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

Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? Or you, why do you despise your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”

My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted.

Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

Those who are kind reward themselves, but the cruel do themselves harm.

But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,

But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.

The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life and honor.

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger;My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy,for your anger does not produce God's righteousness.

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace

For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.“He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly.

Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things.

“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, just as we abound in love for you.And may he so strengthen your hearts in holiness that you may be blameless before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone,but with good works, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God.Let a woman learn in silence with full submission.I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.For Adam was formed first, then Eve;and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.

For “Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit;let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it.

Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ.And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

We who are strong ought to put up with the failings 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, and let all the peoples praise him”;and again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse shall come, the one who rises to rule the Gentiles; in him the Gentiles shall hope.”May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.I myself feel confident about you, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another.Nevertheless on some points I have written to you rather boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by Godto be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to boast of my work for God.For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to win obedience from the Gentiles, by word and deed,by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and as far around as Illyricum I have fully proclaimed the good news of Christ.Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.

Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good;

He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”

Let all that you do be done in love.

So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time.

Let mutual love continue.We have an altar from which those who officiate in the tent have no right to eat.For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest as a sacrifice for sin are burned outside the camp.Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood.Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured.For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come.Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with sighing—for that would be harmful to you.Pray for us; we are sure that we have a clear conscience, desiring to act honorably in all things.I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you very soon.Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

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

Finally, brothers and sisters, farewell. Put things in order, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will help you.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial cases?For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.

Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life 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 will be without mercy to anyone who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” [

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us,For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share his holiness.Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees,and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.Pursue peace with everyone, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.See to it that no one becomes like Esau, an immoral and godless person, who sold his birthright for a single meal.You know that later, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, even though he sought the blessing with tears. You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest,and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them.looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”

What then are we to say? Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions.No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness.For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.What then? Should we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?But thanks be to God that you, having once been slaves of sin, have become obedient from the heart to the form of teaching to which you were entrusted,and that you, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.I am speaking in human terms because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to greater and greater iniquity, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness for sanctification. By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it?

I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.

I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit,and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Which of these three, do you think, was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?”He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

And this is the boldness we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.

Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart.

making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you;

And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”

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

so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God.

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

So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them.

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light—for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.

And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.

Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace— in peace because they trust in you.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.

Prayer