FORGIVENESS

Our creator is a very forgiving God. When we sin, He is ready to forgive us when we repent (Psalms 86:5, Psalms 130:4). Repentance is required in order to obtain the forgiveness (Isaiah 55:6-7, Luke 13:3-5, Luke 15:7, 1 John 1:9). Once God forgives a sin, He doesn't keep it in memory to use against you later (Jeremiah 31:34). It is perfectly acceptable for us to pray for His forgiveness (Matthew 6:9-12, James 5:15).

Our means of forgiveness from God is through Christ's blood (Matthew 26:27-28, Luke 24:47, Acts 5:31, Acts 10:43, Romans 3:25, Ephesians 1:7). Before Christ died for us, forgiveness was through the extensive Law Code that God gave His people (Colossians 2:13). Since forgiveness is through the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22) The Law stipulated certain animal sacrifices for sins (Exodus 29:1-14, Leviticus 4:22-35, Leviticus 5:1-12, etc.). Christ's sacrifice ended The Law, (Romans 10:4) therefore it was unnecessary for people to continue to adhere to The Law (Hebrews 10:18).

Many people ask: If mere animal sacrifices could forgive sins, then why did Jesus need to die in order for us to obtain forgiveness from sin? The answer is in the bible:
All of us are sinners (Romans 3:23). All this sin came to mankind through one man, Adam (Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:22). The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:7,23). Thus, our actual dying at the end of our lives pays the debts for our sins. Now, under God's Law, people were performing animal sacrifices to pay for their sins as they went in life. Since God allowed the people to use animals in place of themselves, they were actually being forgiven by proxy through the animals.

This was just a temporary fix until God gave us a more permanent solution: Christ.

Jesus Christ was the only human who never sinned (Hebrews 4:14-15, Hebrews 9:14), therefore he did not owe death for sin for himself. Therefore, his act of dying opened an endless opportunity for humanity: Since one man's (Adam) original sin caused death to all mankind , then one man's (Jesus) complete righteousness would restore life to all mankind (Romans 5:12-17, 1 Corinthians 15:22). Because Christ's selfless sacrifice reversed what Adam had done, Christ is referred to as the "Last Adam" (1 Corinthians 15:45). His undeserved death absorbs all our sins because no amount of sinning can "use up" the perfect life he gave for us. This is why Christ becoming human and giving himself for us was so important for humankind. However-- and it cannot be forgotten-- this provision for forgiveness is contingent on repentance and acceptance of Christ's blood, as is shown in the scriptures towards the beginning of this page. The idea of "once saved, always saved" is untrue (Hebrews 6:1-6), so we must be sincerely repentant in order to benefit from Christ's blood.

Now, we as Christians are also to live by God's example when it comes to forgiveness. This means that we are obligated to forgive others who sin against us when they are repentant if we are to expect God to forgive us when we sin against Him (Matthew 6:14-15, Matthew 18:23-35, Mark 11:25, Luke 17:3-4, Ephesians 4:31-32, Colossians 3:13). This is the rule even if someone sins against us repeatedly (Matthew 18:21-22).

Although scripture shows that God withholds forgiveness towards people who are not repentant (2 Kings 24:4, Lamentations 3:42 ), this does not give us license to withhold forgiveness in the same way. Remember, God can judge a person's intentions because he knows what's in a person's heart (1 Samuel 16:7 ), whereas we don't know a person's heart. To play God by refusing to offer forgiveness to an offender is an act of judgement on our part, and Jesus Christ tells us that God will judge us according to the way we've judged others in our lives (Matthew 7:2). Parallel to this is the fact that if we don't offer forgiveness, then we won't receive forgiveness for our own sins (Matthew 6:12, 14-15).

Granted, offering forgiveness may be extremely difficult, especially in cases of pedophilia, murder, and extreme abuse. However, it helps to know that God will take vengeance for those crimes (Romans 12:18-19, Hebrews 10:30). God must be the one to take vengeance, not we ourselves, because only God can see what's in a person's heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Beyond that, even the most vile and wicked person has the potential to become a true worshipper of God later on (Acts 8:1-3 with 9:1-19). It is understandable that in many cases, forgiveness will be a difficult action to muster up. Everyone struggles with forgiveness at one time or another. In many cases, it can take a person weeks, months, or even years to forgive -- it's a natural response to our feelings of hurt and betrayal. If you find yourself stuck in this "unforgiveness" loop, it is wise to pray for the ability to forgive.

As you are working your way through your feelings in your quest to forgive, we want to remind you of the basic framework that scripture outlines regarding forgiveness: First, we must remember that everything we do must take place with love (1 Corinthians 16:14). Love means treating others humanely and without cruelty (Psalms 41:1, Proverbs 14:21, 28:27). We also need to be at peace with others (Romans 12:18). Scripture also tells us that we must treat our enemies with grace and kindness, as well as pray for them (Matthew 5:44-45). If your enemy is in need of something, you are to give what you can (Romans 12: 20). Simply put, continue treating the offender with civility and Christian love as God works in you on your journey to forgiveness.

What if you find yourself as the one being in line for forgiveness from another person?
The Scriptures tell us to seek forgiveness when we have wronged someone. This is so important that, if we are offering a gift in our place of worship, and remember that someone has an issue with us, God prefers that we make peace with that person before continuing the offering (Matthew 5:23-24). This is paralleled at Romans 12:18 which states that we must be peaceable with all.

The only unforgivable sin is that of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Any other sin can be forgiven (Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:28). The scriptures show that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is accomplished by speaking badly against the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29-30). So, let us be sure to watch what we say and how we say it.

Summing it up, we see that God is always willing to forgive us when we repent, and even provided a way for us to be forgiven and saved from sin. We are to live by the same idea: Forgive others who sin against us. We must remember to strive for repentance in order to benefit from God's divine forgiveness, and do our best to remain peaceable with all. Each of us can make room for improvements in these areas, so may God bless your sincere efforts in areas regarding forgiveness.