Forgiveness is one of the core elements of Christianity. There is no other religion or supposed deity that offers forgiveness as God does. Forgiveness is the “intentional act of ceasing to feel resentment toward someone who has caused harm, or to pardon.” As we will discover with the selected verses, God’s forgiveness goes even deeper than this definition. It is more than just a lack of resentment or a passing pardon.
When reflecting on the depth of God’s forgiveness, it leads me to worship. Our good Father does not need to forgive us by any means, but he does. Let these words about forgiveness lead you to worship the one who extends forgiveness to all people, including you and me.
#1 – Colossians 2:13-14
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Colossians 2:13-14, NIV)
Paul is showing a clear before and after that applies to all believers. Before we were forgiven, we were spiritually dead, and unable to become alive on our own. We were separated from God. There was no hope. We were in debt to God because of our disobedience. But through Christ, we are able to come to God and become forgiven through his work on the cross. There are consequences to sin, and Jesus took care of the consequences on the cross. The sin is taken away and set aside by the cross. The legal debt was taken care of. It has no power anymore.
Paul doesn’t want to dwell on the past, but he uses the past to show all that Christ has done. Forgiveness is much more than a pass for wrong and sinful actions. It is about the restoration of relationships. God forgives us because he wants a restored relationship with us. And the restored relationship comes only through Jesus Christ.
“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness.”
#2 – Acts 10:43
“All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” (Acts 10:43, NIV)
In Acts 10, Peter is at Cornelius the centurion’s household, and is preaching the gospel to him and his Gentile family. This verse shows that the prophets in the Old Testament all testify about Jesus. Jesus is the only one and is the only name that can save everyone. We receive divine forgiveness through his name alone. While a lot of people in the world today believe that there are multiple ways to be saved, there is only one way, and that is through Jesus.
It is significant that this verse was spoken to Gentiles. Gentiles can be part of the Kingdom of God through faith too; it is not just Jews. Today, the struggle is not about whether Gentiles can be part of the Kingdom of God, but whether someone with differing cultures or beliefs (for example, politically) can truly be a Christian. God wants all people to follow him, and small differences that aren’t essential need to be set aside to focus on the main beliefs of Christianity.
#3 – Luke 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19, NIV)
Jesus is quoting Isaiah 61:1-2 here when talking to people in the synagogue in Nazareth. Even though the word “forgiveness” is not used here, the word “freedom” is used, a word in Greek that is also used for forgiveness. Jesus not only forgives us, but through forgiveness, he brings liberty and freedom to our souls and lives. We aren’t held captive by sin anymore, but have freedom to live for God. We can live life to the full through this gift from God.
“We aren’t held captive by sin anymore, but have freedom to live for God.”
#4 – Psalm 130:3-4
“If you, LORD, kept a record of sins, Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, so that we can, with reverence, serve you.” (Psalm 130:3-4, NIV)
Psalm 130 is a cry for mercy from God. This verse is a reminder that without God’s forgiveness, we would be condemned to death. God doesn’t keep a record of our sins, but he chooses to forgive instead. When it comes to judgment day, believers don’t need to fear because God has forgiven them and Christ has taken on the punishment for sin.
Because we are forgiven due to God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness, we are to serve and fear him. We are to seek holiness and transform to be more like Jesus, solely out of the state of being forgiven rather than trying to become forgiven and saved. We are set free from the burden of our sins. We can take pressure off of ourselves and bask in the Father’s love instead of becoming legalistic. There are many times in life where I tend to lean legalistic, and I need to consistently remind myself that I am already forgiven in Christ and I don’t need to work on earning that status.
#5 – Hebrews 9:22
“In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22, NIV)
The author of Hebrews draws attention to the fact that blood is necessary for forgiveness. The question is, why blood? Leviticus 17:11 says that life is in the blood, and it is how atonement is made for one’s life. This is why God commanded animal sacrifices for forgiveness in the law. Covenants were put into effect with blood in the Old Testament. Was that just an Old Testament thing? Read on.
“Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”
#6 – Romans 3:25
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith.” (Romans 3:25a, NIV)
Just as Hebrews 9:22 shows that blood is needed for forgiveness, this verse shows that Jesus’s blood is the blood that forgives everyone. Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice of atonement for forgiveness. The language of “sacrifice of atonement” points to the mercy seat, which is the cover to the Ark of the Covenant. Jesus makes reconciliation with God possible.
Hebrews 10 explains that the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament had to be made year after year to cover because it wasn’t enough. But when Jesus came and died, his sacrifice became enough for everyone over all time. His blood covers us. Without the atoning work of Christ, there would be no ultimate forgiveness, and we would still be stuck in the cycle of having to sacrifice spotless animals for our forgiveness.
#7 – Matthew 12:31-32
“And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.” (Matthew 12:31-32, NIV)
The only unforgivable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit means to reject his identity, and this could be seen through falsely attributing his work to something else. Jesus says these words after he healed a demon-possessed man. The Pharisees said that only the prince of demons, Beelzebul (or Satan), could drive out demons. The Pharisees are saying that Jesus got his power from Satan. Jesus corrects them and says that he drives out demons by the Spirit of God, not Satan. When Jesus said that anyone who speaks against the Spirit cannot be forgiven, he was saying that they must choose between God and Satan. It is impossible to say that you are for God if you are not for the Spirit and instead for Satan.
While blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the only unforgivable sin, this means that everything else is forgivable. While it may be easy to say that once someone has done something bad enough, they are too far gone to be forgiven, this is not true. God can forgive them. And if you feel like you are too far gone, know that you are not, and God is ready and eager to forgive you.
#8 – Matthew 6:12, 14-15
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors….For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:12, 14-15, NIV)
This is found in the Sermon on the Mount. Verse 12 is in the Lord’s Prayer, and verses 14 and 15 are directly following the prayer. We are to pray for forgiveness from God. We need forgiveness from God every single day. Through prayer, it is not only us asking God for forgiveness, but it is a reminder of our identity of being forgiven in Christ.
These verses also introduce the idea that forgiveness is conditional. If we do not forgive others, then we cannot be forgiven ourselves. We are called to forgive because God forgives us. There is grace, but that doesn’t eliminate the call to forgive others, including our family, friends, and even enemies.
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
#9 – Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32, NIV) 
Our forgiveness does not just change our identity and status in Christ; it also changes our actions. Since our God is kind, compassionate, and forgiving, we are to imitate him in this. Because we have been forgiven in Christ, we are to forgive others. We are undeserving of God’s forgiveness, and have sinned against God much worse than we do against other men. We acted one way, but now we are to act differently because Christ has forgiven us. For unbelievers, there is no reason that they would need to act with kindness, compassion, and forgiveness, but for believers, God has given us every reason because he has shown these things to us.
Any believer can attest that there are many times in life that it is easier to hold a grudge against someone than forgive them. It can be hard to forgive, but there is something freeing about forgiving someone like Christ forgave us.
#10 – Nehemiah 9:17
“They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them.” (Nehemiah 9:15, NIV)
The book of Nehemiah was written after the Jewish exile in Babylon. After the Israelites returned home, they needed to learn, and re-learn, who the God is that they worship. They read the Law, and celebrated the feast of booths. Later, they took a day to confess their sins, read from the Book of the Law of the LORD, and worship God. They worship God by reflecting on his faithfulness throughout their history and the line of people who have come before them. The Israelites rebelled so many times, but God still did not desert them. God remains forgiving, faithful, and loving far beyond when we would expect him to. Our God is such a good God, even in our sins.
“But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them.”
It is important to reflect on God’s faithfulness, whether to our own lineage in our physical families, our local church families, or to the global church now and throughout all of time. God has always remained faithful to his people even when we haven’t, and this is visible throughout all of time. He has remained faithful to us in our sins, too. Our God is such a good God.
What God thinks about those who follow him is made known, which leads me to worship, and I hope it does this for you, too. He has forgiven us and we can live in that forever. We are forgiven and “there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We are changed people because we are forgiven. We can forgive others because we are forgiven in Christ Jesus. Let forgiveness from God be one of the driving forces in your everyday life and let it affect how you think about yourself and how you interact with others.
