BECAUSE LIFE HAPPENS

What Is Forgiveness?

From the Bibles.net Team:
Dear Heavenly Father, please help our friend who lands on this page to discover your unconditional love. Thank you, Jesus, for extending to us forgiveness of all our sins, by being wounded for our sins. Holy Spirit, please use your Word and the content on this page to do miraculous work in our friend's heart. Enable them to forgive even the unforgivable. Reveal to them the deep love of Jesus and help them want to be like him. In his name we pray, amen.

Past hurts
can be healed

Forgiveness is possible. The power to forgive comes from experiencing God's own great love for us.

Why forgive?

How to Forgive?

Books

Theme Verse

Ephesians 4:32 NIV

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Short Content

The Secret to Forgiveness

Just the term forgiveness can bring to mind unwelcome memories or unresolved pain. Forgiveness is only necessary where there is hurt. And, if you are interested in this subject then likely someone has hurt you deeply. There’s a wound that you want healed.

All of us know what it’s like to be hurt by other people. It’s only human to be grieved, bitter, resentful, to want to retaliate, and even forfeit wounded relationships.

In our world, every once in a while, we may witness stories of forgiveness that overcomes hate, but overall we’re mostly okay with harboring a grudge wherever we think it is justified.

We often breathe the air of human resentment of one degree or another.

Yet, when we have hurt other people and feel remorse, we long for reconciliation. We understand that in an ideal world love would win more often, and we wish hatred weren’t so prevalent.

The Bible answers our longing for forgiveness. First, by helping us understand that our longing for reconciled relationships is a faint echo in our hearts of a greater need.

Read The Full Article Here

by Bibles.net

OPEN
YOUR BIBLE

The Blessing of God’s Forgiveness

"Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."
(Psalm 32:1 ESV)

READ PSALM 32

Asking God for Forgiveness

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.”
(Psalm 51:1 NIV)

Read Psalm 51

The Connection Between Forgiveness and Love

“Whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”
(Luke 7:47 NIV)

Read Luke 7

Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

“Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’”
(Matthew 18:21 NIV)

Read Matthew 18:21-35

Joseph’s Story of Forgiveness

“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it
for good…”
(Genesis 50:20 ESV)

Read Genesis 37-50

How to Deal with Conflict Biblically

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you.”
(Matthew 18:15 NIV)

Read Matthew 18:15-20

Why Forgive?

Video: 11 Min

Is Forgiveness
Possible?

Listen to Heath tell his incredible life story, "a story of love, forgiveness, and the grace of Jesus Christ."

by Heath Lambert at the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors

Infographic

Cross-Shaped
Forgiveness

Here's a graphic for you!
It illustrates the Biblical teaching
that the only way we are able to forgive
is if we have first received
the forgiveness of God.

Article: 8 Min

5 Truths About Forgiveness

by Sam Storms at Bibles.net

Quote

We are to forgive
because God forgave us.
But we are also
to forgive as or like
or in the same manner that
he forgave us.

Sam Storms

Quote

God's Example
of Forgiveness

by Charles Spurgeon

The theme of God’s forgiving love is so fascinating that we may linger awhile, and a long while too, upon that bright example of forgiveness which God has set before us, but from it all I hope we shall be gathering grace by which to forgive others even to seventy times seven.

See quote source

Image

You do not stay angry forever
but delight to
show mercy.

Micah 7:18 NIV

Verse

Psalm 103:10-12 ESV

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Pop

Forgiven

by Crowder

Messages: 35 Min

Forgiveness

by J.C. Ryle

Verse

Luke 23:33-34 ESV

And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.

Sermon Highlights

Five Qualities of God’s Forgiveness

by Charles Spurgeon

He not only forgave us at the first all our sins, but he continues daily to forgive, for the act of forgiveness is a continuous one.

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[God forgave us] purely [for the sake of] of his own dear love, because he delights in mercy, and is never more like himself than when he passes by transgression, iniquity, and sin.

Read Full Sermon

It was not here and there a sin that he blotted out, but the whole horrible list and catalogue of our offenses he destroyed at once.

Read Full Sermon

He that believes in Jesus has everlasting life, and shall never come into condemnation. Irreversible is the pardon of heaven.

Read Full Sermon

There is such a truth, reality, and emphasis in the pardon of God as you can never find in the pardon of man ; for though a man should forgive all you have done against him, if you have treated him very badly, yet it is more than you could expect that he should quite forget it, but the Lord says, “Their sins and iniquities will I remember no more for ever.”

Read Full Sermon

Pop

Forgiveness

by TobyMac feat. Lecrae

Quote

You can't forgive somebody without
absorbing the cost.
Either that person pays for it or you do.
On the cross,
God didn't just forgive us,
he paid the cost himself.

Tim Keller

Verse

Matthew 26:27-28 ESV

And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.

How to Forgive?

Article: 8 Min

5 Myths About Forgiveness

by Sam Storms at Bibles.net

Quote

How to Forgive?

by C.S. Lewis in his book,
"The Weight of Glory"

To be Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single great injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life—to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son—how can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us” (Matthew 6:12). We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it is to refuse God’s mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions and God means what he says.

See quote source

Quote

Let us begin our
Christian career with
the full assurance
that we shall have
a great deal to forgive
in other people,
but that there will be
a great deal more
to be forgiven in ourselves.

Charles Spurgeon

Verse

Colossians 3:13 NIV

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Messages: 43 Min

Cultivating
Forgiveness

by Colin Smith

Verse

Matthew 6:14-15 ESV

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

Video Series

Corrie Ten
Boom’s Story

Listen to Holocaust survivor, Corrie Ten Boom, tell us how to forgive. In her own words, “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred; it is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness.”

by Corrie Ten Boom | Testimony

7 Min Video

51 Min Video

Verse

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 NIV

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Video: 2 Min

The Power of
Forgiveness

Listen to the makers of the movie "Overcomer" talk about the meaning of forgiveness. Then consider watching the film—a powerful story of healing and forgiveness!

from the Makers of Overcomer

Contemporary

Losing

by Tenth Avenue North

Article: 10 Min

Common Questions
Christians Ask
About Forgiveness

by Erik Raymond at The Gospel Coalition

Quote

Our Forgiveness vs.
God's Forgiveness

Quoted from Charles Spurgeon's sermon,
"Forgiveness Made Easy"

When we forgive, it is a poor and humble business compared with God’s forgiving us, because we are only forgiving one another, that is, forgiving fellow-servants; whereas when God forgives us it is the Judge of all the earth forgiving, not his fellows, but his rebel subjects, guilty of treason against his majesty. For God to forgive is something great; for us to forgive, though some think it great, should be regarded as a very small matter.

See quote source

Verse

Romans 5:5 NIV

God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Help and Hope at CCEF

What Does Real Forgiveness Look Like?

by Andrew Ray and Cecelia Bernhardt and Winston Smith, 10 Min

Verse

Matthew 18:21-22 NIV

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Quote

Forgiven people
are known by
how they forgive.

Colin Smith

Verse

Luke 6:36-38 NIV

Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Featured Resource

Louis Zamperini
on Forgiveness

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption recounts the life story of Louis Zamperini, Olympic athlete, veteran, and POW. Louis suffered abuse under a Japanese soldier for many years. Hear him speak about forgiveness and the letter he eventually sent to his abuser.

by Louis Zamperini | Movie Rated PG-13, Parental Guidance Advised for Preview

2 Min Video: Forgiveness

2 Min Video: Louis' Letter

Get the Book

Movie

Movie Trailer

Meet Louis Zamperini