Necessity of Forgiveness

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: Necessity of Forgiveness
Keyword: “forgive”
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Passage: Mark 11:25-26*

25. [Jesus speaking] "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 transgressions.

26. "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."

Questions

1. Do you remember a time of discipline from an adult or from God? How did it feel? Did it result in a change in your behavior?

 

2. Are you finding problems in your life you wish would go away? Could any of this be due to you not forgiving people you know you should?

 

Practical help

God is gracious and forgives us our sins, but not under all conditions. For example, if you aren’t sorry and don’t ask, then your sin remains.

Does this mean you can lose your salvation? 1 John 5:13 clearly states, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life.” If you can know you have eternal life because you know of a time you accepted Jesus as your Savior, then you have eternal life — period!

The next obvious question then is if you have accepted Jesus as your Savior yet you have sins God has not forgiven you of, what happens to you? Here are Jesus’ words to a church of believers, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent.” (Revelation 3:19) If you are sinning and not dealing with it, then expect discipline. In what form will it take? I have no idea, but remember that God is almighty. He has the ability to get your attention in an endless variety of ways.

Now here is the rest of the story. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9). And how good is God’s forgiveness? Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Wouldn’t you rather walk under God’s blessing than His discipline? I sure would. Put the porn away, ask for forgiveness and walk free.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."