What the Holy Bible says about Forgiveness:
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1: 8-9)
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins. (Psalm 85: 2)
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1: 7-8)
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (Matthew 6: 14-15)
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 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.” (Luke 6: 37-38)
21 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?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matthew 18: 21-22)
33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23: 33-34)
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. 28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18: 23-35)
Something worth considering:
Jesus made it possible for our sin debt to be paid but if we refuse to forgive others as God has forgiven us, God will not forgive us. Our refusal to forgive others negates our receipt of God’s forgiveness for our sins.
When God forgives us, He is not saying that what we did was okay, that we deserve to be forgiven, or that it is okay for it to happen again. When we forgive others, we are not saying that what they did was okay, that they deserve to be forgiven, or that it is okay for it to happen again.
When Jesus was dying on the cross for our sins, he forgave those who were crucifying him. They didn’t ask to be forgiven. They didn’t even believe that they were doing anything wrong. But Jesus chose to forgive them.
God chooses to forgive us because what Jesus did on the cross was enough and because we accept that gift of salvation, we can be forgiven. But God also mandates that we pass that forgiveness onto others.
In the parable Jesus taught about forgiveness (Matthew 18: 23-35), Jesus said that if we refuse to forgive from our heart, our heavenly Father will turn us over to the “jailers” (aka demons) to be “tortured” until our sin debt is paid. Unforgiveness gives the enemy power over us. He is allowed to torment us (spiritually, emotionally, physically) until we choose to forgive.
26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. (Ephesians 4: 26-27)