Connecting With Jesus

Forgiveness

Should you ever stop forgiving someone who repeatedly offends you?

“Whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgiving nature is one of the attributes of God. “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25).

abundant in mercy” (Psalm 86:5). God wants to forgive and cleanse us from sin (1 John 1:9). His followers also need to be forgiving.

The disciple Peter asked Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and forgive him? Up to seven times?” Peter must have thought that would be generous, but Jesus answered,”I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21).

He then told Peter the parable about the man whose master forgave him a great debt. But instead of extending that forgiveness to others, the man had a debtor, who owed him a pittance, thrown into prison.” Then his master… said to him, ‘You wicked servant! forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as had pity on you?”(Matthew 18:32, 33). Forgiveness is not a suggestion; it is a requirement.

Jesus taught about forgiveness on several occasions. After His model prayer, which mentions forgiving our debtors, He added, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”

(Matthew 6:14, 15). That’s pretty plain, isn’t it? This, however, does not mean you need to endlessly submit yourself to abusive behavior. It is possible to forgive a person and still accept that you cannot associate with him or her.

Likewise, there might be times when people won’t acknowledge or accept your forgiveness or be willing to forgive you. We should always try to reconcile. But if you’ve reached out to someone, done all you could, told them you’re sorry, and they still haven’t accepted that, at some point you need to move on. It’s not your burden to continue to grovel; the door is open for them.

Dear Lord, you have so freely forgiven me though I am undeserving. Help me never to hesitate to be forgiving toward others.

For Further Study: Ephesians 4:31, 32; Matthew 6:12, 14, 15; Luke 6:37

Ephesians 4:31-32 KJV
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: [32] And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

Matthew 6:12,14-15 KJV
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [14] For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Luke 6:37 KJV
Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: