Forgiveness in a Christian believer’s life is very crucial. You may feel forgiving someone who hurt you to be a very hard task but the importance of it cannot be over-emphasized.
Forgiveness may not seem to be essential but we find from the Bible that it is the very essence of God’s character.
We have been created in the very image of God and He has bound Himself in love to humans. We are therefore called to be loving and good like Him.
Ephesians 4:1-3 “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
Forgive others as you have been forgiven
The bible is full of verses telling us to forgive others and that we should forgive other human beings simply because God first forgave us.
It tells us of the importance of forgiving others and also about our own forgiveness. Ephesians 1:7 “In Him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”
Just as Christ forgave us from all our sins, it is a sacrifice that we need to make. We have to be prepared to lay down our lives for our friends or enemies as well.
Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 5:1-2 “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
If you don’t forgive, then you will not be forgiven
Matthew 6 tells us that Jesus said in verse 12 to ask the Lord to “forgive us as we forgive others.”
Jesus explains this in verses 14 and 15 where He says that if you forgive, God will forgive you, and if you don’t, He won’t forgive you.
Forgive Seventy Times Seven
Peter asked Jesus in Matthew 18, about forgiveness: How many times do I have to forgive a brother who continually sins against me, “up to seven times?”
Peter knew Jesus and His teachings, and even tried to give a reply on the Lord’s behalf, but Jesus replied by saying, “I tell you, not seven times – but seventy times seven.”
Jesus was the same person as He was at creation and the same as He is today. His words were beyond the thought of the apostles and believers.
He tells us that we must forgive our brother as many times as we can and should never refuse to forgive. Even though it seems impossible at times, but we must remember that our God has told us to do it and we must.