Forgive
Forgiveness will be easy if we grant it to those that are sorry and repentant but to grant it to those that are not, then it becomes harder. The Bible teaches that we are to forgive without conditions. In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to forgive us our sins, just as we forgive those who sin against us (Matthew 6:12).
Jesus said in Matthew 6:14-15, “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.” God will not hear our prayers unless we also show ourselves ready to grant forgiveness. We should forgive others because God, through Christ, has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).
So, if you are struggling to forgive those who have wronged you, the first thing you do is to go to the Lord for help. Ask the Lord to give you a clean new heart. David, prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalms 51:10). Jesus promised that any one that comes to him will certainly receive help. He said, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37).
God Gives a New Heart
God does the work for transformation in you. “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13). After God, creates in you a new heart, you’ll be able to forgive those who have wronged you. Then, you need to follow Paul admonition: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
If God forgives us of so much, how can we refuse to forgive those who have wronged us? Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18:23-35 is a powerful illustration of this truth. God promises that when we come to Him asking for forgiveness, He freely grants it. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
In the same way that God’s forgiveness is limitless, the forgiveness we extend should know no limits. Jesus taught, “If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him” (Luke 17:3-4).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
