Jesus empowers His followers to extend radical forgiveness toward others, even to the point of throwing away the record book about the offense.
Radical forgiveness leaves room for reconciliation and some level of relational restoration with an offender who acknowledges, and who confesses their sin and purposes to ‘sin no more’.
In Biblical Christianity, full forgiveness is not an option. If Jesus fully forgives sin and the Father forgets it, shouldn’t we who say we love and follow Jesus, do the same?
SCRIPTURES:
1 John 1:7, 9 CSB If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. … 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Matthew 6:14-15 CSB For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will forgive you as well. 15 But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses.
Psalm 103:10-12 CSB He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve or repaid us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
Luke 7:47-48 CSB Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little. 48 Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Proverbs 10:12 CSB Hatred stirs up conflicts, but love covers all offenses.
1 Peter 4:8 CSB Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8 CSB Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends…
John 13:34-35 CSB I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Philippians 3:13-14 CSB Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 43:25 CSB I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more.
Micah 7:19 CSB He will again have compassion on us; he will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Acts 3:19 CSB Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out,
Romans 5:20 CSB The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more
Psalm 25:7, 11 CSB Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with your faithful love, remember me because of your goodness, LORD. … 11 LORD, for the sake of your name, forgive my iniquity, for it is immense.
Jeremiah 31:34 CSB No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them — this is the LORD’s declaration. For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin.
Hebrews 8:12 CSB For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins.
Hebrews 10:17 CSB and I will never again remember their sins and their lawless acts.
Isaiah 43:25 CSB I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more.
Micah 7:18-19 CSB Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love. 19 He will again have compassion on us; he will vanquish our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.
Matthew 7:1-5 CSB Do not judge, so that you won’t be judged. 2 For you will be judged by the same standard with which you judge others, and you will be measured by the same measure you use. 3 Why do you look at the splinter in your brother’s eye but don’t notice the beam of wood in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the splinter out of your eye,’ and look, there’s a beam of wood in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First take the beam of wood out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to take the splinter out of your brother’s eye.
John 8:7-11 CSB When they persisted in questioning him, he stood up and said to them, “The one without sin among you should be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Then he stooped down again and continued writing on the ground. 9 When they heard this, they left one by one, starting with the older men. Only he was left, with the woman in the center. 10 When Jesus stood up, he said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you? ” 11 “No one, Lord,” she answered. “Neither do I condemn you,” said Jesus. “Go, and from now on do not sin anymore.”