How Are We To Forgive Others? How Does God Forgive Us?
Some say Christians must first repent, then say sorry, then ask for forgiveness. But none of that is scriptural. Here’s how God forgives us, and how we should mirror his forgiveness and pass it on.
In what way does God want you to forgive others.
Does he want you to wait until they stop doing what’s wrong?
Does he want you to wait until they admit what they’ve done was wrong?
Does he want you to wait until they say they’re sorry?
Does God want you to wait until the person who hurt you “ask” you to forgive them? Or is his heart that you would just forgive them regardless?
What if they do it again? Does God still want you to forgive them?
The truth is God‘s heart is that we would forgive all those that sin against us, no matter how bad, how often, whether or not they repent and say I’m sorry to you, and yes, EVEN IF THEY DON’T ASK you.
Forgiveness is healthy. We should forgive 70×7 (in other words, all the time).
Now for my point:
Do you think God is calling you to forgive people differently than he is willing to forgive you? Of course not.
God is the example. A perfect example of what real forgiveness looks like. He wants you to forgive people in the same way he’s willing to forgive you.
You would not know the true depths of God‘s forgiveness after listening to some popular sermons that falsely imply there’s a system that includes things like: first you need to repent, then you need to say I’m sorry, then you need to ask…..
Those things are all wonderful, but they are in no way what unlocks God‘s forgiveness. Only blood does that.
God‘s forgiveness is not activated upon you saying I’m sorry. It’s not activated by your discontinuing the sin. His forgiveness is not activated upon you asking him for it.
No. If you have called on Jesus as your Savior, God‘s forgiveness is unconditional, never-ending, and there are no rules attached to your receiving it.
Sure, you can find verses BEFORE the cross that show conditional forgiveness. Including that famous one that Jesus shared in the sermon on the mount. But you will not find a single instance of conditional forgiveness for believers anywhere after the cross. Not even one.
God has given us the example of forgiveness.
Eph 4:32 “ be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other JUST AS GOD FORGAVE YOU”
Col 3:13 “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, JUST AS THE LORD FORGAVE YOU, so also should you”
God Bless you all!
Author: Mike Cynar
Mike Cynar was raised in a church setting where he frequently noticed that many attendees would eventually drift away. The church labeled these individuals as ‘back sliders’ or ‘fake Christians’ just looking for ‘fire insurance’. However, Mike realized the issue was rarely with these individuals but instead with the church’s message itself. The teachings heavily emphasized behavior improvement and one’s flaws, with only a fleeting mention of one’s identity in Christ. It felt as though every sermon was tailored to the church of Corinth, who as we know or committing sins that even unbelievers don’t partake in. This trend was noticeable not just in one denomination, but across Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, and many other churches. Upon understanding the true essence of the gospel – that our righteousness comes from Jesus’ actions, not our own – Mike was inspired to liberate believers from lifeless sermons and reconnect them with the genuine teachings of Jesus. He believes that one can nurture a vibrant and growing bond with Jesus, unhindered by rigid religious practices. And thus, “Jesus Without Religion” was born.
It turns out that it is grace that leads to repentance. And if our heart is to get others to walk in the Spirit and live a godly life, then the best approach is not a beat down sermon, but rather to remind other that it is only when we understand our true identity in Christ that we will live it out. Yes, it’s true, if you’re convinced that God thinks you’re a dirty sinner, you will ultimately continue a lifestyle that mirrors that view, but if you truly believe that even on your worst day, you are called holy, sanctified, justified, and will be presented blameless in the end, well, it turns out this is the secret to living out on the outside what has been worked in to the inside.
