In this article, we will journey through the sacred verses of the Bible that brighten the beauty, depth, and significance of forgiveness in the Christian faith. From the simple acts of kindness towards others to the profound ability to forgive our most formidable foes, these scriptures offer valuable insights into the profound nature of divine forgiveness and its liberating impact on our lives. Keep reading and pay close attention. 

50 Bible Verses On Forgiveness 

These verses emphasize the importance of forgiveness in the Christian faith and how God’s forgiveness serves as a model for believers to forgive others.

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.”

Ephesians 4:32 

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

Psalm 86:5 

“For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.”

Psalm 103:12 

“As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.”

Isaiah 43:25 

“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”

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.”

Acts 3:19 

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”

Romans 4:7-8 

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”

Ephesians 1:7 

“In him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

Romans 12:20-21 

“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.”

1 Corinthians 13:5 

 “[Love] does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful.”

Psalm 32:5 

“I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.”

Proverbs 17:9 

 “Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.”

Proverbs 28:13 

“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”

Luke 23:34 

“And Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Acts 7:60 

“And falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

James 5:15 

“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.”

Psalm 51:17 

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”

Jeremiah 31:34 

“And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”

Hebrews 10:17 

“Then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Ephesians 4:26 

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.”

Proverbs 19:11 

“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.”

Romans 14:10 

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”

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.”

Mark 3:28 

“Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter.”

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.”

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.”

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.”

Matthew 26:28 

“For this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

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.”

Ephesians 4:26-27 

“Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”

Matthew 5:7 

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

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.”

Acts 22:16 

“And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.”

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.”

Psalm 51:1-2 

 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin!”

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.”

1 Timothy 1:15-16 

“The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”

Matthew 5:24 

“Leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”

1 John 2:12 

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.”

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.”

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?”

Luke 6:27 

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”

Conclusion 

In conclusion, the Bible stands as a testament to the unfathomable depth of God’s wisdom and love for humanity. Throughout our exploration of forgiveness, we have encountered a treasure tof timeless teachings each offering valuable lessons on grace, compassion, and reconciliation. 

Let us embrace these hidden truths with humility and open minds, knowing that even in our limited understanding, the Bible’s messages of forgiveness and redemption offer solace, strength, and hope for every believer.

May this exploration of forgiveness in the Bible serve as a a motivation for us to walk in the footsteps of Christ, extending grace and mercy to others as we have received it from our heavenly Father. 

The post 50 Bible Verses About Forgiveness appeared first on Bible Study Note.

First fruit is a common phrase we hear as Christians. You may have heard about it in church, but don’t understand its concept.

In this post, we’ll explore what the Bible says about first fruits, so you become more informed on this topic. Let’s dive in.

What does the Bible say about First Fruits in the Old Testament?

In the old testament, God instructed His people to offer Him their first fruits.

We see this in several verses like:

Exodus 23:19

The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk. (KJV)

The chapter that explains the firstfruit offering is Deuteronomy 26. I advise you to read the whole chapter.

1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein; (KJV)

 2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there. (KJV)

Another scripture is Leviticus 23:10

Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: (KJV)

Let’s bring it into context. God had delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land; and here, God is saying when you sow in the land I have given you and you reap a harvest, bring a measure from that harvest into My temple. The purpose of this was to honor God for bringing them into the Promised Land. It carries no stated promise of future harvest or specific blessing (please note, every act of giving instructed by God carries a blessing because every genuine giver must receive a harvest of his giving; what I mean here is that God didn’t say bring the firstfruit into my house and you would always have a harvest like he did for tithe).

Second, the first fruit offering wasn’t about giving the entire harvest. In our world today, it also doesn’t mean giving your entire salary or income. It’s about giving a part.

What does the Bible say about First Fruits in the New Testament?

Now that we have established the origin, basis and method of giving the firstfruit, let’s see some bible verses about the first fruit in the new testament.

Romans 8:23

And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (KJV)

Romans 8:16 

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches. (KJV)

1 Corinthians 15:20-23

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept….But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. (KJV)

Revelations 14:4

These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. (KJV)

James 1:18 

Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. (KJV)

None of these scriptures refer to firstfruit as an offering to be presented; rather, they refer to first fruit as a description of an entity.

Law or Grace

Now, as redeemed children of God; we are not under law anymore but under grace. That’s because Christ has fulfilled the law, thus we are no longer under it.

Matthew 5:17 

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. (KJV)

The law is not destroyed i.e. we won’t say it doesn’t exist but Jesus has fulfilled it what this means is that he has abided by all the law (he is the only one able to live without breaking the law) for us and in him we live under grace.

Romans 7: 6 

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. (KJV)

We are called to serve now, not under the law but under the spirit. That means the law shouldn’t guide all our actions, but the Holy Spirit who leads in our hearts.

Some argue that the law is still in place and we should still follow it. Assuming this is true, does it mean we cherry-pick the laws to uphold?

If we pay firstfruits according to the law, should we also pay grain offering, sin offering, celebrate the feast of unleavened bread, feast of harvest, feast of in gatherings, etc? Why do we pay only first fruits and neglect other offerings? Aren’t they also commanded under the law? The book of Exodus, Leviticus and Deuteronomy are full of many laws that the Israelites lived by; should we pick and abide only by some?

The Bible says in James 2:10-12

For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. (KJV)

So there you have it. We can choose to live under the law or under the finished work of Jesus when he carried the burden of the law and nailed it to the cross.

Colossians 2: 14 -20 (KJV)

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances

21 Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. 

Conclusion

Paying the first fruit offering isn’t giving of an entire harvest, salary, or income. It’s giving a portion or measure. While the Israelites practiced it as instructed, Jesus has fulfilled the law and thus it isn’t required of us under the finished work of Jesus. That said, you can still offer it of your own will and not under compulsion by the law or guilt. Deciding to give a portion or all of your income to God as a sign of honor is willful giving and is between you and God.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

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