The Bible repeatedly tells us that forgiveness is essential to your faith and salvation. Despite this, forgiveness may be elusive to even the most faithful among us. It is tempting to keep these feelings inside and resent others or even ourselves. Spending time in the Scripture is an excellent way to learn about forgiveness and how to achieve it.
A World of Sinners
First of all, it’s important to remember we live in a world full of pain and sin. As Christians, this is only a temporary home, but we are still subject to all the hurt and strife. Even though God promises a secure future, he never said it would come without struggle. People are going to do wrong by you and cause you pain – it’s inescapable. But you choose how to handle it.
Verses About Forgiveness
In the New International Version, the word “forgive” (or any form of it) is mentioned 150 times. It’s mentioned in more than 15 books of the Bible, too, making it a very consistent theme in Scripture. One of the best verses is Matthew 6:14-15, which states “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others of their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Hebrews 10:17 says, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” Jesus forgave even the people who crucified him, and so every Christian should pray for help letting go of ill feelings to be more Christ-like.
