10 Reasons Why Forgiveness is So Important

1.  Unforgiveness stands between you and God.Why? Because we are all sinners, and through Grace God has forgiven us and sees us as righteous. If God can forgive us all the awful things we’ve done, we can forgive others.

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵ But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15

2.  Forgiveness is good for you. If you harbour unforgiveness you will be holding onto bitterness and thinking badly of others, sinning and opening a door to the enemy to get into your life and cause havoc.

²⁹ Do not say, “I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.” Proverbs 24:29

3. Forgiveness is mainly for your benefit, not for the benefit of the person you are forgiving. As long as you are feeling like a victim, you are carrying a heavy burden. Forgiveness allows you to put the burden down. And simply walk away from it. Free.

4. Choosing not to forgive gets us stuck in our own past, preventing moving forward. Without forgiveness you are constantly stuck in your own past. Many people waste years of their lives in bitterness and resentment when they could, through forgiveness, have lived that time in joy.

5.  Forgiving helps us grow. Once you have forgiven anyone in your life you feel has harmed you,you suddenly find you have more time for thinking good productive and useful happy thoughts instead of negative and useless self-centred complaining.

6.  Forgiveness leads to healing. Holding onto resentment and not forgiving is sinful and seems to stand in the way of physical wellness.  Just google bitterness and cancer if you don’t believe me.

“But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Matthew 9:6

7.  Forgiveness is a free gift! Free to give and to receive.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” ²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times” Matthew 18:21-22

8. Forgiveness leads to purification of the spirit.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

9. Being forgiving is empowering. Forgiving those who have done you wrong gives you the power back. It unbinds you from the effects of that transgression and opens the door to the Lord to deal with the situation.

Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 2 Cor 2:7

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you 2 Thessalonians 1:6

10. Jesus tells us to, He suffered and died and was resurrected so that we could have forgiveness.

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Mark 11:25

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Matthew 26:28