The Bible offers us specific advice on what to do when we recognize our sin and the need to be rescued: turn to God and seek forgiveness. In this article we will show you some verses about forgiveness and their respective explanations.
Many of the problems that we present today (including the bitterness in our hearts), are due to the lack of forgiveness towards others, for which we must take out everything we carry inside and forgive to our fellow men.
On the other hand, remember that God forgives our iniquities, but he also wants us to forgive those who have offended us. Not only because it is pleasing in his eyes, but also because not doing so causes us harm.
Maybe you may be interested in:
Verses about forgiveness
Below we show you the most representative verses about forgiveness. Under each of these you will find a short explanation to help you in your analysis. It is important that you internalize them and understand what God is trying to say to you. Read carefully:
1. Psalm 103: 10-12
He does not treat us according to our sins, nor pay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens above the earth, so great is his mercy toward those who fear him; As the east is from the west, so he drives away our rebellions from us.
The terms iniquities (v. 10) and transgressions (v. 12) are terms used in the Bible to name sin; God forgives all those things. Likewise, constant love (Ps. 103:11) and compassion are related to the mercy of God.
2. Psalm 51:1–2
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your mercy; according to your abundant mercy erase my rebellions. Wash me more and more of my wickedness and cleanse me of my sin!
The psalm begins with a request for forgiveness from God. The terms mercy and constant love, as well as transgressions, iniquity, and sin, all evoke God’s proclamation (Exodus 34: 6-7), with its focus on his grace and goodness. The plea for mercy here is humble, based entirely on God’s mercy, frankly acknowledging that the worshiper does not deserve it.
The terms wash (cf. Ex. 19:10) and clean (cf. Num 19:19) come from the ceremonial system, where they refer to rites that allow a person to safely enter the presence of God. Here the psalm focuses on the inner condition to which the ceremony aims.
3. Matthew 6: 9-15
So pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread and forgive our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Because if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive others his offenses, neither will your Father forgive your offenses. Forgive us our debts does not mean that believers need to ask daily for justification, since they are justified forever from the moment of initial saving faith (Romans 5:1, 9; 8:1; 10:10).
Rather, this is a prayer for the restoration of personal fellowship with God when fellowship has been hindered by sin (cf. Ephesians 4:30). Those who have received such forgiveness are so moved by gratitude towards God that they also enthusiastically forgive those who owe him.
4. Acts 2: 38-39
And Peter said to them: “Repent and be baptized each of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Because the promise is for you, for your children and for all those who are far away, all those whom the Lord our God calls”.
This does not imply that people can be saved without having faith in Christ as Savior, because the need to believe is implied in both the command to “repent” and the command to “be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” sins”.
The willingness to submit to baptism is an outward expression of inward faith in Christ (cf. 1 Pet 3:21). The gospel can be summed up in different ways. Sometimes faith alone is named as the only thing necessary for salvation (John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Rom. 10:9; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Other times only repentance is mentioned (Luke 24:47; Acts 3:19; 5:31; 5:30 p.m.; 2 Corinthians 7:10), and sometimes both are named (Acts 20:21). Genuine faith always implies repentance and vice versa. Repentance includes a change of mentality that ends up reinforcing trust in God or faith.
5. 1 John 1:7–10
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive them and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us.
Christians must confess their sins, initially to receive salvation and then to maintain fellowship with God and with each other (v. 3). God is “slow to anger and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression” (Num 14:18). However, John also makes it clear (1 John 3:6, 9) that persistent unrepentant sin is not the mark of a Christian: God “will by no means release the guilty” (Num 14:18).
6. Hebrews 9:22
Indeed, according to the law, almost everything is purified with blood, and without bloodshed there is no forgiveness of sins.
In Mosaic Law, the initial purification of God’s people and His sanctuary required sacrificial blood (v. 18-21), and such sacrifices were still required by law on behalf of God’s people (p. Eg, V. 7; 10:1–4). This is because sin requires an atoning blood sacrifice (Leviticus 17:11). The greatest sacrifice was that of Christ.
7. Psalm 32:1
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Because when I was silent, my bones were consumed by my moaning all day. Because day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength dried up as from the heat of summer. I recognized my sin, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
The terms “transgression,” “forgiven,” “sin,” and “iniquity” echo Ex. 34:6–7, the ultimate expression of God’s goodness and mercy to those who receive his covenant. No one needs to force God to show mercy; rather, the faithful confess his sins because they believe he is merciful.
When God “covers” sin, He graciously blots it out (cf. 85:2); when man “covers” his sin, he is sinfully hiding it (cf. Prov 28:13). These verses support the theme that only the forgiven are truly happy.
Maybe you want to know:
The lost vitality of the v. 3-4 it really reflects a mercy; reflects the hand of God on his faithful, to help them reach the point of confession. Having reached that point, the singer acknowledged his sin, and God forgave his iniquity; this brings the psalm back to the v. 1with the implication that the singer has now more fully learned the blessing of being forgiven.
8. Matthew 18:21–22
Then Peter approached and said to him: Lord, how many times will my brother sin against me and I will forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him: “I do not tell you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Within Judaism, three times was enough to show a forgiving spirit (based on Job 33:29, 30; Amos 1:3; 2:6), for which Pedro believes that he has shown generosity. But the true disciples of Jesus must forgive without counting (seventy times seven). This may echo and reverse Lamech’s boast of revenge in Genesis 4:24.
9. Luke 23:34
And Jesus said: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide their clothes.
Jesus fulfills his own teaching about loving enemies (Luke 6:35) and highlights the fact that his death was providing the very basis on which those who crucified him could be forgiven (Isa. 53:12). Therefore, Jesus provides an example for all believers who would follow him (Acts 7:60; 1 Pet. 2:21–24).
“They do not know what they are doing” does not absolve either the Jews or the Romans of their responsibility for the death of Jesus, but it shows that they did not fully comprehend the horrible evil they were doing by crucifying the “Holy and Righteous”. (Acts 3:14) who was both the true Messiah and the Son of God.
How it affects the fact of not forgiving
One of the hardest things to do in life is to let go of bitter feelings towards otherstowards ourselves and towards God. Bitterness is defined as an attitude of prolonged and intense anger and hostility. He is often joined by resentment and the desire to “get even.”
It is the result of not forgiving someone and let the pain and anger build until the pain and resentment hurt the vision of life. Bitterness is also a sin that can destroy life. Romans 12:19 He commands us not to seek revenge, but to let God take revenge. The key elements of bitterness are unresolved anger, the inability to cry, and a lack of control:
- Unresolved anger: Ephesians 4:26 says that we can be angry without sinning. But when anger is not resolved and we allow it to stay with us, it turns to bitterness.
- Inability to cry: As we go through trauma, loss, and relationships that don’t live up to expectations or meet our needs, we experience sadness and loss. When we don’t grieve properly and experience the right anger, it can turn into bitterness.
- Lack of control: when people don’t live up to our expectations, we can become obsessed with trying to fix them or thinking about ways they could change. The reality is that we usually cannot make others meet our expectations, we can only hope to control our own behaviors.
How to get rid of bitterness
The key action steps for letting go of bitterness must first involve a process of acceptance and forgiveness:
Acceptance
These are the steps you must follow to reach acceptance:
- Step 1: Make a list of the people who have hurt you and write what you needed or expected from each one.
- Step 2: Next to each person, write how you felt when that person did not meet your needs.
- Step 3: Finally, write if you think that person will ever be able to meet your needs. Be very honest and realistic when making this list.
Sorry
This is what we recommend you do to sincerely ask God for forgiveness:
- Step 1: ask God to help you forgive. Forgiveness is letting go of anger and the desire for revenge. Realize that you are to forgive unless you have the strength of God. God does not ask you to do something without using his strength and power (Psalm…