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| Why Forgiveness Matters |
Because of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for us, when we make mistakes, we can repent and be forgiven by God. This forgiveness erases our sin (or disobedience to God) as if it never happened, helping us to be worthy to live in God’s presence again someday.
Jesus taught many lessons about repentance and forgiveness. Repentance is a personal process, but it includes feeling genuine sorrow for our mistakes, confessing to God, making what restitution we can, and trying hard to not sin again.
In order to be forgiven by God, Jesus taught, we must forgive others—not just once but again and again. He said, “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven” (Luke 6:37).
As you work to forgive others by working to let go of past grudges, bitterness, hate, or thoughts of revenge, you will feel more peace in your life. |
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| A Debt Forgiven |
Jesus taught about forgiveness using the parable of a servant who owed 10,000 talents—an immense fortune most could never hope to earn in a lifetime—to a king.
When the king declared he would sell the servant and his entire family into bondage to help cover the debt, the man fell at his feet and begged for mercy, promising he would pay what he owed if he had more time. The king forgave the debt completely.
As soon as the servant left the king’s presence, he went to a fellow servant who owed him 100 pence—a very small amount of money. He took the man by the throat and demanded payment. When the other man begged for mercy, the first servant refused and sent him to prison.
When the king discovered this, he was angry with the servant who had begged him for more time and imprisoned him after all, asking, “Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?”
Likewise, Jesus taught, we owe such a great debt to God for the mercy and forgiveness he has offered to us that we must forgive others of their offenses against us. (See Matthew 18:23–35.) |
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