Forgiveness is an amazing thing... OK let me rephrase that.... Forgiveness is an amazing thing when done the right way! We actually talked about this at one of our Wednesday night studies for church. (which I always love and have a great time with some great people!!) First off, I want to talk about God's forgiveness, which is the right way to forgive! His forgiveness is TRULY AMAZING! and I think that If we all could grasp on to that kind of forgiveness the world would be much happier, and calmer. But instead, most people let hate, or revenge grow inside of them and sometimes to the point of doing something they never would have done if they just forgave as God forgives. Now the thing is we need to KNOW HOW God forgives! We need to understand and truly grasp HIS concept of forgiveness and hold on to it. Sometimes the problem we face with this as humans is the fact that we ARE in fact human. We don't like to just let things go with out a fight! We like to hang on to it, make the person know just how upset we are or sometimes even take revenge for the hurt they put us through... .Is this Christ's love??? NO. So our humanity gets in the way a lot of times when it comes to this. God talks about forgiveness in the Bible. OK, so I posted a lot of verses at the bottom. You can read if you would like to, but I will try and sum up what I have found. Now the verses below are not EVERY verse on forgiveness, but I will sum up what is below and probably hit on what isn't as well, but if you feel compelled to do a study on forgiveness i am sure you will find ALOT!
First off, if you do read through you will see that God's character is to forgive. It says in the Bible that if we confess our sins, and simply ask forgiveness HE WILL! He is a loving and forgiving God! Someone asked Jesus how many times we should forgive, 7? Jesus said 7x's 70! which means, if they ask forgiveness, ALWAYS forgive, just like God does! Another thing we see, is how God will remember the sin NO MORE!!! He forgets it, like it didn't happen. It also says to forgive right away. When we ask forgiveness of God, He doesn't say "after I am done healing I will" or "after I really feel you are sorry i will".... He forgives and forgets it right away! Now, I will say this here, even Jesus had to "wash the dust off His feet", meaning, you don't want the same thing happening over and over to you, you want to always have an attitude of forgiveness, but there might come a point where you need to "wash the dust off your feet" and move yourself out of a position. That is a point where you would have to seek God and but I think that if it is a thing that happens time and time again, and maybe they are just rejecting you totally and not asking forgiveness, forgive in your heart but move on to what God has for you.... Now, I say all this because, I think that we as humans struggle against what we know we should do and how we would rather just hold on to the hurt to make sure we don't get hurt again. We want to hold on and "protect ourselves", when if we actually give it up, forgive and let God have it, we would do much better! The world would be better too I think because unforgiveness can turn to bitterness, then hate, then can bring us to do things that we know we shouldn't, and wouldn't have if we had just forgave them in the first place! Sometimes we say we forgave but keep bringing it up and keep dwelling on it, and that isn't forgiveness. Forgiveness to God is forgetting. I am so thankful that God doesn't remember our sins and if we just grasp God's concept of forgiving, we would be happier, better and not bitter people! Now I guess I say all this so I can hit on this one point. I think that we can sometimes be the worst at forgiving ourselves. We either feel that God cannot or wont forgive because we have done horrible things in life, which is fully wrong, all sin is the same in God's eyes. There is not a scale of not so bad sins, to never forgiving sins.... NO! God will forgive if we ask! and a lot of times, we feel so bad that we hurt someone or whatever, but sometimes we just don't let God keep it forgotten! We continually ask for forgiveness from God when WE are the ones that have to forgive ourselves and forget! (not forgetting lessons learned though!), We as humans need to learn how to forgive others, and very importantly, how to forgive ourselves! Because when we ask God to forgive HE DOES! and then He forgets! We need to learn to forgive like GOD forgives!!! I try to do this. I know for me sometimes satan wants to bring things to remembrance, sometimes I give in, but more often than not, I just try and tell myself God forgave it, I need to forgive it too! holding on to past hurts will only cause us harm and others harm. I feel, Forgiveness is key to an abundant life! A happy life! One with joy instead of sorrow, or hurt.So if you are struggling with trying to forgive, ask God to help, He is the expert at this and we need to learn from the Master!
He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends. Proverbs 17: 9
If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.2 Chronicles 7: 14
For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.Matthew 6: 14
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].
1 John 1: 9
Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times? Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven! Matthew 18: 21-22
So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.Matthew 18: 35
For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more.
Hebrews 8: 12
Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].Colossians 3: 13
For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever]; and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.
Psalm 86: 5
In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor.Ephesians 1: 7
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. Mark 11:25
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32: 1
I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]--then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32: 5
First off, if you do read through you will see that God's character is to forgive. It says in the Bible that if we confess our sins, and simply ask forgiveness HE WILL! He is a loving and forgiving God! Someone asked Jesus how many times we should forgive, 7? Jesus said 7x's 70! which means, if they ask forgiveness, ALWAYS forgive, just like God does! Another thing we see, is how God will remember the sin NO MORE!!! He forgets it, like it didn't happen. It also says to forgive right away. When we ask forgiveness of God, He doesn't say "after I am done healing I will" or "after I really feel you are sorry i will".... He forgives and forgets it right away! Now, I will say this here, even Jesus had to "wash the dust off His feet", meaning, you don't want the same thing happening over and over to you, you want to always have an attitude of forgiveness, but there might come a point where you need to "wash the dust off your feet" and move yourself out of a position. That is a point where you would have to seek God and but I think that if it is a thing that happens time and time again, and maybe they are just rejecting you totally and not asking forgiveness, forgive in your heart but move on to what God has for you.... Now, I say all this because, I think that we as humans struggle against what we know we should do and how we would rather just hold on to the hurt to make sure we don't get hurt again. We want to hold on and "protect ourselves", when if we actually give it up, forgive and let God have it, we would do much better! The world would be better too I think because unforgiveness can turn to bitterness, then hate, then can bring us to do things that we know we shouldn't, and wouldn't have if we had just forgave them in the first place! Sometimes we say we forgave but keep bringing it up and keep dwelling on it, and that isn't forgiveness. Forgiveness to God is forgetting. I am so thankful that God doesn't remember our sins and if we just grasp God's concept of forgiving, we would be happier, better and not bitter people! Now I guess I say all this so I can hit on this one point. I think that we can sometimes be the worst at forgiving ourselves. We either feel that God cannot or wont forgive because we have done horrible things in life, which is fully wrong, all sin is the same in God's eyes. There is not a scale of not so bad sins, to never forgiving sins.... NO! God will forgive if we ask! and a lot of times, we feel so bad that we hurt someone or whatever, but sometimes we just don't let God keep it forgotten! We continually ask for forgiveness from God when WE are the ones that have to forgive ourselves and forget! (not forgetting lessons learned though!), We as humans need to learn how to forgive others, and very importantly, how to forgive ourselves! Because when we ask God to forgive HE DOES! and then He forgets! We need to learn to forgive like GOD forgives!!! I try to do this. I know for me sometimes satan wants to bring things to remembrance, sometimes I give in, but more often than not, I just try and tell myself God forgave it, I need to forgive it too! holding on to past hurts will only cause us harm and others harm. I feel, Forgiveness is key to an abundant life! A happy life! One with joy instead of sorrow, or hurt.So if you are struggling with trying to forgive, ask God to help, He is the expert at this and we need to learn from the Master!
He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends. Proverbs 17: 9
If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek, crave, and require of necessity My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.2 Chronicles 7: 14
For if you forgive people their trespasses [their reckless and willful sins, leaving them, letting them go, and giving up resentment], your heavenly Father will also forgive you.Matthew 6: 14
If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].
1 John 1: 9
Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? [As many as] up to seven times? Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven! Matthew 18: 21-22
So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.Matthew 18: 35
For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more.
Hebrews 8: 12
Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].Colossians 3: 13
For You, O Lord, are good, and ready to forgive [our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever]; and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.
Psalm 86: 5
In Him we have redemption (deliverance and salvation) through His blood, the remission (forgiveness) of our offenses (shortcomings and trespasses), in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor.Ephesians 1: 7
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop. Mark 11:25
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is he who has forgiveness of his transgression continually exercised upon him, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32: 1
I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord [continually unfolding the past till all is told]--then You [instantly] forgave me the guilt and iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32: 5
Matthew 6:14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you (attitude: forgive because you love the Lord)
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (attitude: can love cover it?)
2 Corinthians 2:5-8 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. (attitude: stand ready to forgive)
Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. (attitude: approach gently and stand ready to restore the relationship)
Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.(attitude: loving and forgiving just like God forgave you)
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