compiled by Mrs. Jessica Brink
“I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.” -1 John 2:12 NIV
“If we really comprehended the measure of the grace of God toward us, surely it would be easy for us to forgive others for the relatively small sins they have committed against us.” -Elisabeth Elliot
“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 KJV
“Forgiveness: Nothing is more foreign to sinful human nature—nothing is more characteristic of divine grace.” -John MacArthur
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
-Ephesians 4:32 KJV
“He who cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.” -George Herbert
“When you have been wronged,
a poor memory is your best response.”
“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgives you.” -Colossians 3:13 NIV
“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.”
“Every man should have a fair-sized cemetery
in which to bury the faults of his friends.”
“A good marriage is the union of two forgivers!”
“Forgiving isn’t forgetting… It’s remembering and letting it go!”
Forgiveness
“Forgiveness is better than revenge, for forgiveness is the sign of a gentle nature, but revenge is the sign of a savage nature.”
–Epictetus
God requires “repentance” and “turning away” from the sin, and His principles are immutable, unchanging, “written in stone.” We are not given authority to “edit” His requirements. It is entirely possible for us, as Christians, as ministers, to “love” some lost, sinning soul straight into the gates of Hell, to spend eternity separated from His Creator because we haven’t the guts to tell him his conduct is wrong and God requires him to repent. If we really LOVED him, we would try to save him. We WILL be held accountable when we fail to do this.
-Pastor James West
Christian WebRing, http://cyber-church.com,
“No matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, there is a Savior and you can be forgiven.” -Joshua Harris
“God has punished all sin by pouring out his judgment on His Son at the cross. He calls us to look at the cross and to His sacrifice and believe through faith that we can be forgiven.”
-Joshua Harris
“Unforgiveness is a toxin. It poisons the heart and mind with bitterness, distorting one’s whole perspective on life. Anger, resentment, and sorrow begin to overshadow and overwhelm the unforgiving person, a kind of soul-pollution that enflames evil appetites and evil emotions. Such bitterness can even spread from person to person, ultimately defiling many. Forgiveness is the only antidote. Forgiveness is a healthy, wholesome, virtuous, liberating act. Forgiveness unleashes joy. It brings peace. It washes the slate clean. It sets all the highest virtues of love in motion. In a sense, forgiveness is Christianity at its highest level.”
-John MacArthur, The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness
Seventy times seven…Forgive one another…Turn the other cheek…Forgive as the Lord forgave you. We may toss these phrases around in our minds like old clichés, or dispense them like aspirin to others who are struggling with legitimate grievances toward another person. But forgiveness isn’t a casual concept. God takes it seriously. So seriously that He has not given us an option in the matter. Obedience to His Word is essential.
Why? Mostly for our own sake. There can be no intimacy with God and no love for others in a heart where bitterness and unforgiveness dwell. But where there is forgiveness, there is freedom. Spiritual power. Emotional healing. And sweet friendship.
Where there is forgiveness, there is a heart that God has touched—and a life that God can bless.”
-John MacArthur, The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness
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