They knew how bloody the altar got when it was time for the sacrifice. They saw the death that was required when they strayed from God. It was a regular part of their worship to sacrifice animals to pardon their sins. The ancient Israelites may have understood the weight of their sin far better than we do, even if they didn’t know the whole gospel yet. Neither of those reflects the true heart of forgiveness God shows us. When we are told to forgive others, it’s easy to either flippantly let it go or begrudgingly forgive out of obligation. Sometimes we talk about forgiveness so much in the church that the word seems to lose its meaning. It is our Father’s love that makes these truths carry far more meaning than just “forgive and forget.”Ĭome now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. The Father acknowledges the weight of our sin the Son has borne it on the cross and paid the ultimate price so that the Spirit can dwell in our hearts and sanctify us in His power. He doesn’t just awkwardly pretend it never happened. When Hebrews says he will remember our iniquities no more, it means he has washed us clean with the blood of the Lamb, and we are free from condemnation. When we reach heaven, it will no longer be our sin that determines whether we are worthy to enter the kingdom. Instead, God pardons us from the punishment of our sin. God doesn’t simply forget our sin ever happened, as if it carried no weight. Often we experience a relational rift between him or our friends when we break their trust. He doesn’t make every mark of it vanish without any consequence. But that’s not what God does with our sin. Some don’t like the phrase because simply shoving the feelings down without addressing the pain can be unhealthy. We often hear the phrase, “forgive and forget.” The term has become cliche and trite because we know how impossible it truly feels to move on after being hurt. Though we, in our humanity, do not always possess the same mercy or wisdom, he helps us to regard others with those same traits.įor I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. He forgives because he is merciful in his very nature. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him įorgiveness is such a tenant of our faith BECAUSE of who God is. He will not force us to love him, but he will draw near to us intimately when we come to him with humble hearts. He treats us with great patience when we stray. His forgiveness is not based on our worthiness, but our relationship with him does go two ways. While we as individuals function differently than the nation of Israel, these verses are still a good reminder that God is constantly calling us into repentance. But, on the contrary, there are times when he puts them into exile to remind them of their dependence on him and draw them into repentance. He tells them to return to him, and he will heal their land. There is a collective nature to his relationship with them. The Old Testament gives us a myriad of stories about how God interacted with the nation of Israel, his chosen people. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. He doesn’t forgive us begrudgingly - He does so abundantly and with joy. God is a merciful God whose forgiveness is an outpouring of his love. But his forgiveness is not dependent on our actions. He tells them to repent from evil ways and embrace righteousness. Throughout the Scriptures, you can find verses where God is calling his people back to him. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. The following Bible verses about God's Forgiveness will help you to understand that all you need to ask and you will be forgiven. Bible Verses about Forgiveness of Self.
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