Examples of Forgiveness in the Bible

Forgiveness is one of the central themes in Christianity, especially in the New Testament. Several verses can be used to demonstrate the centrality of forgiveness in the Bible.

Forgiveness in the Bible

There are three broad categories under which forgiveness in the Bible can be discussed and these are as follows:

• People seeking forgiveness from God.
• God wants us to forgive others.
• God wants us to seek forgiveness from others.

People seeking forgiveness from God.

You might be wondering why it is important for people to seek forgiveness from God. Let us look at two Bible verses to help us understand. The first is in Romans: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-24, NIV)

The second verse further reinforces the verse above by saying, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9, NIV)

Read together, the sum message from these verses is that all human beings are by their very nature sinners. Adam, the first person on earth, was created without sin but through his and his wife’s disobedience, all their descendants were made sinners. It was through the life and death of Jesus Christ that all human beings got the chance to be united with God again.

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in the condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. – Romans 5:18-19, NIV

For a person to therefore begin a relationship with God and identify as a Christian, they first need to acknowledge and confess that they are a sinner. They need to acknowledge that their human effort cannot meet the standard that God expects of His people.

God does not force people to worship Him or to be Christians. Each person must make that decision for themselves. It is only through freely inviting and accepting Jesus Christ as one’s Lord and Savior, that a person intending to be a Christian can be forgiven of their sin.

Jesus took a human form and faced the many temptations and tribulations that we face even today as human beings, He yet still managed to live a righteous life without sin. Jesus remained loyal and faithful to God despite the attempts by the devil to derail Him. For this reason, His death is special and significant.

Through Jesus’ death, all human beings can be reunited with God only on the one condition that they choose to repent and follow His ways. All our sins, regardless of their gravity are forgiven. What’s even more special is that Jesus did not just die for the sins of the people who lived during his time, but he died even for us, the people who live today and for generations to come.

Asking for God’s forgiveness is simple in this way. We confess sins, accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and we are on our way to Heaven. But forgiveness is about more than our decision for salvation.

God wants us to forgive others.

To experience the full freedom of forgiveness, we must also be able to forgive others. This is especially hard because sometimes people do hurtful things that seem unforgivable. This is especially so when people hurt us intentionally or repeatedly. How can one possibly be expected to forgive such individuals?

The Lord’s prayer which is found in Matthew 6 is probably the most common prayer among Christians because Jesus Christ Himself instructed his disciples that this is how people ought to pray. One of the lines from the Lord’s prayer reads as follows, “And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12, NIV)

As we continue reading Matthew 6, we learn more about forgiveness: “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15, NIV) This illustrates that the way we forgive others is directly related to the forgiveness we experience in our own lives.

We live in a time where canceling people has become common and increasingly normalized. To be fair, there are circumstances where a person’s actions or words are deeply hurtful that the thought of forgiving that person is even inconceivable.

One famous example from the Bible is the way Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus Christ. Put in Jesus Christ’s shoes, many of us would have found it impossible to let Judas get away with his betrayal.

People wronging each other is part of human relations and it is one’s ability to adopt a Christlike approach to those wrongs that makes it possible to forgive. From a human perspective, some wrongs seem unforgivable especially if the same person keeps wronging us repeatedly.

This is probably what prompted Peter, one of Jesus’s disciples, to ask the following question in Matthew 18 saying, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” (Matthew 18:21, NIV) As human beings, we establish boundaries and tolerance thresholds that we do not expect others to cross and this all makes perfect sense from a human point of view.

Maybe for Peter, seven times was what seemed like a fair boundary before ultimately losing it or canceling a person. It is interesting however how Jesus Christ responded to Peter’s question saying, “‘I tell you not seven times, but seventy-seven times.’” (Matthew 18:22, NIV)

In case you are struggling with whether to forgive someone, be it a friend, spouse, family member, neighbor, or random person, read Matthew 18:21-35 and pray to God to give a forgiving heart just like His.

God wants us to seek forgiveness from others.

There is probably nothing as humbling as admitting that you are wrong and seeking forgiveness from the person that you have wronged. Due to pride, some people find it difficult to ask for forgiveness. This can create rifts between them and their spouses, friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers. Let us look at what the Bible instructs us to do when we have wronged someone.

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift. – Matthew 5:23, NIV

During Biblical times, presenting gifts before the altar was one of the most sacred traditions by Christians. For Jesus to instruct that one ought to postpone such a sacred action to go and make things right with someone that they wronged, shows just how important seeking forgiveness and trying to reconcile with someone we wronged is before God’s eyes.

The underlying principle in this verse is that as Christians, God expects us to make things right with the people that we hurt or wrong before we come before Him. We cannot go before God sincerely in prayer or worship if we do not try to make things right with people that we know we wronged or hurt.

The person doesn’t have to forgive us immediately or at all because it is their choice to make. Hopefully, if they are Christians, they will be guided by the principle of God wanting us to forgive others.

Do you need help forgiving?

Forgiveness in the Bible has many facets. It is something that we must deal with at various times either as the one seeking forgiveness from the person we wronged or as the person from whom someone else is seeking forgiveness.

If you need more information on forgiveness or help with how to seek forgiveness or to forgive, please get in touch with us at Beverly Hills Christian Counseling. The counselors at Beverly Hills Christian Counseling are ready to help you navigate giving and receiving forgiveness in your life. Reach out today.