Why Is Forgiveness Important in Christianity?

Forgiveness is important in Christianity because without it, we are denied access to the throne of Grace.

there is an emphasis on forgiveness. It is taught that we should forgive others because God forgives us when we sin.

A person that cannot forgive his neighbor will not be forgiven by God. Jesus was pretty clear when he said this in Matthew 6:14 -15…

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Unforgiveness is the root of bitterness and it defiles the heart. It makes us have a hardened heart, which will hinder our walk with God.

Therefore, Forgiveness is very important in Christianity because we want to please our Heavenly Father and we want to be forgiven for our own shortcomings.

None of us are perfect, we all fall short of the glory of God.

The Psychology of Forgiveness

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers all wrongs.

~Proverbs 10:12~

We must understand that we were commanded to love one another.

Forgiveness is an act of love that covers a multitude of sins and lets go of all wrongs.

It doesn’t matter whether we were at fault or not.

It can also be described as not condemning a person for the wrong they did to you.

I know it can be hard to forgive someone but our obedience to God has to come first.

The Importance of Forgiving Others

We often hear people say that “forgiveness is hard” or “it’s not easy to forgive.”

However, forgiveness is actually very simple. You just need to decide to do so.

If you truly believe that God has forgiven you, then you will feel better about forgiving others.

There are several reasons why we should forgive those who hurt us.

Forgiveness helps us move forward with our lives. It allows us to let go of resentment and bitterness.
It gives us peace of mind. If we hold onto anger and resentment, we won’t be able to enjoy life as much as we should.
We will be happier and have a positive outlook on life.
It shows respect for ourselves and others.
Humility means being willing to admit when we were wrong and asking for forgiveness. So we should honor the person that is asking for forgiveness by showing mercy.

God in His loving and generous heart for us, let go of all our sins so that we can have a relationship with Him.

If we do not forgive others, it means that we decided to be the stumbling block to ourselves and possibly to someone else.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

~Ephesians 4:32~

two women sitting on pavement near painted wall

The Importance of Being Forgiven by God

In the Old Testament, the children of Israel could not enter the holy of holies because they were unclean and God cannot be around sin or uncleanliness.

The blood of animals was sacrificed yearly to atone for their sins.

And even with that, only the high priest could enter the holy of holies once a year for sacrifices and atonement of sins.

When Jesus died for us on the cross, our sins were absorbed by him so that we can become the righteousness of God.

That’s when the veil was torn and we gained access to God directly. We can go to Him as we are and be forgiven.

Being forgiven by God means there is no condemnation to us because we have been set free from sin.

We have gained victory with Christ through the forgiveness of our sins.

Because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

~Romans 8:2-4~

The Importance of Receiving Forgiveness

Receiving forgiveness from others relieves you from guilt and shame.

Christ’s forgiveness to us would have been meaningless without us receiving it.

Christ took all our sins on Him so that we can become the righteousness of God.

The choice was for us to either receive it or reject it. This applies to others in our lives too.

When people forgive us for the hurts we have done to them we should humble ourselves and show gratitude.

In doing this, our heart is filled with love and joy towards one another.

All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.

~Acts 10:43~

Benefits of Forgiveness

Here are some of the benefits of forgiveness:

– Forgiveness grants us access to the throne of Grace.

– Forgiveness helps our hearts to love and accept people regardless of what they do.

– Forgiveness brings us peace, love, and joy.

– Forgiveness is good for our mental health as well as our physical health.

– Forgiveness frees us from condemnation.

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness, no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many

~Hebrews 12:14:15~