The act of excusing or pardoning others in spite of their slights, shortcomings, and errors. As a theological term, forgiveness refers to God’s pardon of the sins of human beings.
No other religious book except the Bible teaches that God completely forgives sin.
Ps 51: 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. NKJV
Isa 38:17 For You have cast all my sins behind Your back. NKJV
Heb 10:, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” NKJV
The imitative come from Him.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. NKJV
Dan 9:9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, NKJV
He is ready to forgive.
Luke 15:20 when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants,’Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. NKJV
Neh 9:17 But You are God, Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in kindness, And did not forsake them. NKJV
Sin deserves divine punishment because it violates God’s holy character.
Gen 2:17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” { which means to be separated from God.} NKJV
His pardon is gracious for a very important reason.
Ps 130:4 But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared. NKJV
Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. NKJV
In order for God to forgive us two conditions must first be met. First, a life must be taken as a substitute for the sinner.
Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul. NKJV
Heb 9:22 , and without the shedding of blood there is neither release from sin and its guilt nor the remission { forgiveness} of the due and merited punishment for sins. AMP
A sinner must come to God’s sacrifice in an attitude of repentance and faith.
Acts 16:29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 And he brought them out and said,”Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said,”Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” NKJV
Forgiveness in the NT is directly connected to faith in Jesus Christ.
Acts 5:31 Him , { Jesus} God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. NKJV
Col 1:14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. NKJV
His sacrificial death on the cross
Rom 4:24 to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, 25 who was delivered up because of our offenses { sins}, and was raised because of our justification { forgiveness}. NKJV
His unique resurrection
2 Cor 5:15 and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. NKJV
Jesus was the only acceptable sacrifice or substitute in all of heaven and earth.
Rom 8:3 The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. NLT
We are now free, pardoned, forgiven, and liberated from the penalty of our sins.
Gal 3: 8 What’s more, the Scriptures looked forward to this time when God would declare the Gentiles to be righteous because of their faith. God proclaimed this good news to Abraham long ago when he said, “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So all who put their faith in Christ share the same blessing Abraham received because of his faith. 10 But those who depend on the law to make them right with God are under his curse, for the Scriptures say, “Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the commands that are written in God’s Book of the Law.” 11 So it is clear that no one can be made right with God by trying to keep the law. For the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 12 This way of faith is very different from the way of law, which says, “It is through obeying the law that a person has life.” 13 But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 Through Christ Jesus, God has blessed the Gentiles with the same blessing he promised to Abraham, so that we who are believers might receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith. NLT
Jesus has the right to forgive sins.
Matt 9: 5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’? 6 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins” — then He said to the paralytic, “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” NKJV
Jesus has also given us the right to forgive sins, when true repentance is demonstrated.
Matt 18:21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. NKJV
John 20:23 [Now having received the Holy Spirit, and being led and directed by Him] if you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of anyone, they are retained. AMP