What is forgiveness all about?

When we ask Jesus Christ to forgive our sins, He does so freely. However, he ask that we also forgive others as we have been forgiven and indeed what we have been forgiven of is more than mankind could measure. Forgiveness does not always come easy on our part when extending it to others and truly it must be practiced. The one thing to realize is that with God’s eyes for others we start to see that they are not bad parents, friends, or family etc. but rather sinners lost in a dying world who need God’s love just as bad as we did and do. People need to be loved more than they need to be judged. When we forgive others from this perspective and attitude in our hearts it becomes a lot easier. Our prayers usually change for them to from “God please make them sorry for what they’ve done to me” to “God please help them to be drawn to You so they might also have salvation and You can be more glorified.”

Matthew 6:12 Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Matthew 6:14 & 15 For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Matthew 18:21 & 22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

Luke 7:41 – 43 “Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”
Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”
“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said.

Matthew 18:23 – 35 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
“The servant fell on his knees before him. `Be patient with me,’ he begged, `and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. `Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, `Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
“Then the master called the servant in. `You wicked servant,’ he said, `I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

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