A subject that Jesus taught, and that He made so perfectly clear, was the need to forgive others—God’s standard, to which we’re to adhere.
By word and by His example, especially on the cross, this was displayed…when forgiveness, of even His enemies, was the kindness for which Jesus prayed.
Jesus had warned that if we ever felt this was something too difficult to do, then, He said, of our trespasses, that “neither will your Father in heaven forgive you.”
Obviously, our merciful God has forgiveness at the very core of His heart. If there is someone you haven’t forgiven, therefore, forgive, letting withholding of Christian love depart.
Then, you’ll be confident, with Christ as your Savior, when you go to enter heaven…that you’ve forgiven others, along your life’s journey, as Jesus said, even “seventy times seven.”
P. A. Oltrogge
“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Mark 11:26
“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’” Matthew 18:21-22
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 3:43-45
“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’” Luke 23:34 KJV
On the need to forgive ourselves at times: “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
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” Psalm 103:8
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Romans 12:18
is how far God removes our sins. We, also, will find rest…
in following the example of Jesus, God’s Son,
who forgave from the cross, knowing God loved everyone.
“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”
was Jesus’ heartfelt prayer, despite what He was going through.
He came to seek and to save those who were lost…
and was willing to go to the cross to pay sin’s high cost.
“Their sins and lawless deeds, I’ll remember no more…”
are words of our God that we simply can’t ignore.
If the Almighty can forgive sins and then even forget,
then we should not be focusing on another person’s debt.
If we break one of God’s laws, we’ve broken them all;
this is stated in His Word, we have to realize and recall.
To judge a fellow, repentant believer is not for us to do,
but we’re to greet them, with love, as the Lord wants us to.
P. A. Oltrogge
“For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him: As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him.” Psalm 103:11-13
“And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.’ And they divided His garments and cast lots.” Luke 23:33-34
“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
“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Matthew 7:1-5
and see Matthew 18:21-35
“So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.'” John 8:7
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32
“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” Hebrews 8:10-12
“For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all. For He who said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ also said, ‘Do not murder.’ Now if you do not commit adultery, but you do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.” James 2:10-26
“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said,‘Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!‘” John 1:29
If someone in your life has wronged you or has been hurtful to you or cruel, recognize the way to keep that from becoming a further demonic tool.
Forsake any feelings of anger, hate, or bitterness if you want the Lord’s peace. Forgive who has wronged you and release them to Him, so your well-being won’t cease.
Give any pain to God. He heals the broken-hearted and has said He will draw near…when you draw near to Him, giving Him your cares on the matter, or any fear.
That other person, or persons, need the grace of God as much as anyone. Pray for the power of the Holy Spirit to convict them of all that was said by God’s Son.
Then, picture yourself walking on the shore of an ocean of love with the Lord. Let the sound of the gentle waves of His grace and peace heal you today, and be fully restored.
P. A. Oltrogge
“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 NKJV
“We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Acts 15:11 NLT
“I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.” Romans 1:7 NLT
“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:31-32 NKJV
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward.
Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.
Psalm 19:7-14
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Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Psalm 32:1-5
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Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 51:1-2
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Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies, Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord executes righteousness And justice for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel. The Lord is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy. He will not always strive with us, Nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, So the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourishes. For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, And its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting On those who fear Him, And His righteousness to children’s children, To such as keep His covenant, And to those who remember His commandments to do them.
The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all.
Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Bless the Lord, all His works, In all places of His dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Psalm 103
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How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.
Psalm 119:103-104
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My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:20-22
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Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked abandon his way, And the unrighteous person his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him, And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
Isaiah 55:6-7
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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
My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 1 John 2:1
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Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace…
A subject that Jesus taught, and that He made so perfectly clear, was the need to forgive others—God’s standard, to which we’re to adhere.
By word and by His example, especially on the cross, this was displayed…when forgiveness, of even His enemies, was the kindness for which Jesus prayed.
Jesus had warned that if we ever felt this was something too difficult to do, then, He said, of our trespasses, that “neither will your Father in heaven forgive you.”
Obviously, our merciful God has forgiveness at the very core of His heart. If there is someone you haven’t forgiven, therefore, forgive, letting withholding of Christian love depart.
Then, you’ll be confident, with Christ as your Savior, when you go to enter heaven…that you’ve forgiven others, along your life’s journey, as Jesus said, even “seventy times seven.”
P. A. Oltrogge
“But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” Mark 11:26
“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him, up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’” Matthew 18:21-22
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 3:43-45
“Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’” Luke 23:34 KJV
On the need to forgive ourselves at times: “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
“The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.” Psalm 103:8
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14
“If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.” Romans 12:18
The Porch of the Lord 