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A fundamental tenet of many religions, forgiveness is given great weight in the Bible. Its verses emphasise the importance of seeking absolution and forgiving others, showing that forgiveness is not just an act but also a virtue. This collection of forgiving Bible verses explores the lessons found in the scriptures, providing direction, comfort, and insight into the life-changing power of forgiving and receiving forgiveness. These verses illuminate the way to healing, reconciliation, and spiritual development by connecting with the universal human experience.
Bible Verses For Forgiveness
1. Ephesians 4:32
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
2. Colossians 3:13
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
3. Matthew 6:14
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
4. Luke 17:3-4
“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
5. Mark 11:25
“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
6. Matthew 18:21-22
“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.'”
7. Romans 12:19-21
“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’ To the contrary, ‘if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
8. Proverbs 19:11
“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”
9. 1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
10. James 5:16
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”
Forgiveness in Scripture
11. Matthew 18:35
“So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
12. Psalm 103:12
“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
13. Luke 6:37
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
14. Micah 7:18-19
“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not retain his anger forever, because he delights in steadfast love. He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”
15. Acts 3:19
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”
16. 2 Corinthians 2:7-8
“So you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him.”
17. Matthew 5:23-24
“So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
18. Ephesians 1:7
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”
19. 1 Peter 3:9
“Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.”
20. Colossians 3:13
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
The Healing Power of Forgiveness in the Bible
21. Isaiah 1:18
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.”
22. Matthew 6:15
“But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
23. Romans 5:8
“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
24. Ephesians 4:31-32
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
25. Psalm 32:1-2
“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”
26. 1 John 2:2
“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”
27. Luke 23:34
“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.”
28. Acts 13:38
“Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.”
29. Psalm 86:5
“For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you.”
30. 1 John 1:7
“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”
Practical Applications of Forgiveness in the Bible
31. Acts 2:38
“And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'”
32. Matthew 18:21-22
“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.'”
33. Psalm 130:3-4
“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”
34. Acts 10:43
“To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
35. Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”
36. Ephesians 1:7-8
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight.”
37. Psalm 103:3
“Who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases.”
38. 1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
39. Matthew 6:12
“And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
40. Hebrews 8:12
“For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.”
Forgiveness in Scriptures
41. Psalm 86:5
“For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in mercy to all those who call upon you.”
42. Isaiah 55:7
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.”
43. Acts 13:38-39
“Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”
44. Psalm 103:10-12
“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”
45. Isaiah 43:25
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”
46. Colossians 1:13-14
“He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”
47. Luke 7:47
“Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
48. Psalm 130:4
“But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”
49. Acts 26:18
“To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
50. Ephesians 4:31-32
“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
Forgiveness as a Virtue: Biblical Perspectives
51. Matthew 18:32-33
“Then the master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?'”
52. Psalm 103:10
“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.”
53. Luke 6:37
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
54. Colossians 3:13
“Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
55. Matthew 6:14-15
“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
56. Psalm 51:7
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
57. Luke 17:3-4
“Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
58. Matthew 18:21
“Then Peter came up and said to him, ‘Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?'”
59. Psalm 130:3-4
“If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared.”
60. Luke 23:34
“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And they cast lots to divide his garments.”
Conclusion
The Bible teaches timeless lessons about the value of forgiving others and asking for forgiveness through its forgiving verses. These verses shine a light of hope, helping people find inner serenity, promoting peace, and demonstrating God’s unfailing love.
May these passages encourage people to extend forgiveness, which will mend and rebuild relationships and reflect the heavenly kindness and grace found in the hallowed pages of scripture.