Titus 2 Time: What Does the Bible Say About Forgiveness?
"To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and discover that prisoner was you."
~L. Smedes
I know that many of you have been hurt. Seriously hurt.
And that forgiving can be a very hard thing.
Very, very hard.
But I also know the redeeming power of our Lord and Savior.
And He will heal you.
He is faithful and just.
He can take the broken, jagged pieces of your heart.
And put it back together to make it EVEN stronger.
He did it with mine.
Today I want to look into some Bible verses about forgiveness. It is so important to learn what God says about forgiveness so that we can put it into practice.
It is wise to read these verses and apply them to your life and then also help your children to learn them too.
And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.
I acknowledged my sin to you, 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.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
1. Pray and ask God to help you forgive the person or people who have sinned against you. Sometimes that might mean going to that person and saying you forgive them. And sometimes that might mean going to God and telling Him personally.
2. Study God's Word often to help remind you what it says to encourage you and strengthen you in your resolve to forgive.
3. If you need help in forgiving someone, go to your pastor or a sound biblical counselor for help. Reach out to someone and don't isolate yourself.
4. Forgiveness can be a process. Even when you have forgiven someone, the pain might still be there. Sometimes you might need to take it day-by-day or minute-by-minute to heal from the pain. Turn to the Lord for strength, healing, comfort, encouragement, and steadfastness. He loves you and you can cast all your fears, pain, grief, and anxiety onto Him.
5. Remind yourself that healing that is taking place is a good thing. God is replacing the old with the new. He is tearing out the old foundation, and rebuilding it brick-by- brick to make it even stronger. Be encouraged that you are obeying God and that He is pleased with you.
PRAYER:
Dear Lord, You are Holy and Mighty and we are so grateful for Your example of forgiving us as a loving heavenly Father, that we want to obey you when you tell us to forgive others. Help us to forgive the way You forgive. Thank you so much for the chance to forgive and to heal from pain that others have caused. Thank you for your strength. Thank you for your mercy that is new everyday. Thank you for refining us through the whole process and drawing us closer to you. May you be glorified in all ways as we forgive others. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Sweet friends, do you need a Bible? Read this post!
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