God forgives you! That’s the message from 1 John 1:9, ‘But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins.’ Also from Romans 3:25 “So God forgives the sins of those who have faith.” This Bible study will show you why this is true.

God Forgives You, To Be Forgiven, You Must Forgive

STM Bible Lesson

Lesson focus: Luke 6:27-42 (37). Bible lesson background: The Bible Knowledge Commentary – Jesus outlined five areas which were proof of the sowing and reaping theme, mentioned so often in Scripture:
(1) Mercy will lead to mercy (Luke 6:36). The disciples were exhorted to have the same merciful attitude God displayed toward them.
(2) Judgment will lead to judgment (v. 37a).
(3) Condemnation will lead to condemnation (v. 37b).
(4) Pardon will lead to pardon (v. 37c).
(5) Giving will lead to giving (v. 38). It is simply a fact of life that certain attitudes and actions often reflect back on the individual.

God forgives you—is it hard to believe that the God of creation will forgive you for doing things that do not please Him? There are conditions that you must understand and obey to receive forgiveness. This study will give Scriptures to help you understand what the conditions are.

Luke 6:37 [read Luke 6:27-42 (37); compare Matthew 7:1-5]

Jesus said: Don’t judge others, and God won’t judge you. Don’t be hard on others, and God won’t be hard on you. Forgive others, and God will forgive you. (CEV)

KJV: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:

Sinners from birth

Some do not believe there is a need for forgiveness since they have not done anything to require it. Everyone needs forgiveness.

Psalm 51:5

Look, I was guilty of sin from birth, a sinner the moment my mother conceived me. (NET)

KJV: Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

It is clear in the Psalm that we are sinners at birth, but why? We turn to Romans 5:19 for the answer.

Romans 5:19

Clearly, through one person’s (Adam) disobedience humanity became sinful, and through one person’s (Jesus) obedience humanity will receive God’s approval. (GW)

KJV: For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

Adam sinned but Jesus did not

1 Corinthians 15:22

Adam brought death to all of us, and Christ will bring life to all of us. (CEV)

KJV: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

♦ All people have sinned

Romans 3:23

All people have sinned and are not good enough for God’s glory. (ICB)

KJV: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God

1 John 1:10

If we say that we have not sinned, we are making God a liar, and his message has no place in us. (OEB)

KJV: If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Skip to the end.

Forgiveness

Is it hard to believe and understand that God forgives you? Hopefully, by the end of this study, you will see it more clearly. John gives another condition.

1 John 1:9

God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. (GW)

KJV: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Defined

Forgiveness is the act of excusing, overlooking or clearing, pardoning, and releasing another from their crimes, flaws, and errors. As a religious word, forgiveness refers to God’s mercy towards the badness and evil of people. He is willing to forgive the sinful things that people do.

Luke 24:46-47

He told them, “This is how it is written: the Messiah was to suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and then repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (ISV)

KJV: And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: 47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Other words for forgiveness

You may notice different words for forgiveness in your Bible. For an example, look at the word remission in Acts 2:38. I reviewed 98 translations/revisions dating from 400 (Latin Vulgate) through 2012 (The Voice), and the results:

remission = 47 ♦ forgiveness = 34 ♦ forgiven = 14 ♦ release = 3 ♦ forgive = once ♦ and pardon = once.

NOTE: The Amplified (AMP) used forgiveness and release; eXeGeses Ready Research Bible (ERRB) used remission and forgiveness.

I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins. Isaiah 43:25 (KJV)

The Perfect Sacrifice

Why did Jesus have to die? Have you searched the Bible for answers to this question and found many scriptures that speak of God forgiving the sins of humankind? Hopefully, you understand the question. Without going too deep, if we read the Old Testament the high priests performed (blood) sacrifices for sins.

Hebrews 9:22

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be made “clean” with blood. Without the spilling of blood, no one can be forgiven. (NIRV)

KJV: And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission (forgiveness).

There was a problem with this approach. In short, the problem was that the high priests also had sinned. The solution:
Jesus, the permanent high priest who had NO sin, offered one sacrifice (himself) for all sin.

Hebrews 7:27

Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. (NLT)

KJV: Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Jesus paid for you

Ephesians 1:7

In [fellowship with] Christ we have redemption [i.e., we have been bought back from Satan] through His blood, and have forgiveness of sins according to the abundance of God’s unearned favor [grace],  (AUV)

KJV: In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Jesus paid the price and saved you from the penalty for sin. Now you must believe that God forgives you, the blood of Jesus made it possible.

Matthew 26:26-28

And when they were taking food, Jesus took bread and, after blessing it, he gave the broken bread to the disciples and said, Take it; this is my body. 27 And he took a cup and, having given praise, he gave it to them, saying, 28 Take of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the testament, which is given for men for the forgiveness of sins. (BBE)

KJV: And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Skip to the end.

Applied

When does the forgiveness of sin come into effect? According to Peter, God forgives you when you repent and are water baptized in the name of Jesus!

Acts 2:38

Peter said to them, “Change your hearts and lives and be baptized, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ. Then God will forgive your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (ERV)

KJV: Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Do not get confused when you read what Peter says later regarding faith [Acts 10:43]. He reinforces the need for water baptism in verse 48.

Acts 10:43 and 48

To him all the prophets give witness, that through his name everyone who has faith in him will have forgiveness of sins. 48 And he gave orders for them to have baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they kept him with them for some days. (BBE)

KJV: To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.

Sins pardoned through water baptism

God will forgive you when you repent and receive water baptism. In his letter to the faithful in Colossae, Paul confirmed this as well.

Colossians 2:12-13

For in baptism you were buried with Christ; and in baptism, you were also raised to life with him, through your faith in the omnipotence of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And to you, who once were ‘dead,’ by reason of your sins and your uncircumcised nature — to you God gave life in giving life to Christ! He pardoned all our sins! (OEBus)

KJV: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Sins washed away

In Acts 22:12-16, Paul (Saul) tells about his conversion. I.e., when Ananias baptized Paul.

Acts 22:16

What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord (Jesus).’ (NLT)

KJV: And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Skip to the end.

Wrap-up: God forgives you

Hebrews 2:17-18

Because of this it was necessary for him [Jesus] to be made like his brothers in every way, so that he might be a high priest full of mercy and keeping faith in everything to do with God, making offerings for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is [also] able to help those who [suffer when they] are tempted. (BBE-17 and AUV-18)

KJV: Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.

What a wonderful and loving God willing to become like His created human beings to save us.

Philippians 2:7-8

But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing [emptied himself]. He became like [took the form of] a servant [slave; bondservant] and was born as a man [in the likeness of humanity/men]. 8 And when he was living [being found in appearance/likeness] as a man [human being], he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused his [to the point of] death—death on a cross. (EXB)

KJV: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Hopefully, you have a better understanding of why God forgives you, now forgive others, and yourself! I pray that you have enjoyed and will make the most of this Bible lesson. Blessings to you and your loved ones—♥ Tim. ☺

Scriptures to read and study:

Note: parenthesis (#) encloses the key verse(s).

Luke 6:37-42 (37); compare Mark 11:25-26 and Matthew 6:5-15 [(14-15)]. Psalms 51:5-6 (5); Romans 5:12-21 (19); 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (22). Romans 3:21-26 (23); Genesis 2:8-3:24; 1 John 1:5-10 (9-10).

Acts 2:14-47 (38); Luke 24:44-47 (46-47). Hebrews 7:20-28 (27); Ephesians 1:3-14 (7, 13-14). Colossians 1:9-18 (13-14); Hebrews 9:16-28 (22 and 28). 1 John 4:7-11 (9); Acts 10:34-48 (43 and 48); Colossians 2:8-23 (12-13); Acts 22:1-21 [(16); reference Acts 9:10-19].

Philippians 2:5-11 (7-8); Isaiah 43:22-28 (25); Hebrews 2:11-18 (17-18).

Related studies/lessons/snacks for further spiritual growth:

Forgive Each Other – Learn How to Forgive with Love – an estimated 23-minute read.

God Will Forgive You, Now Don’t Worry Be Happy – an estimated 29-minute read.

You Are Forgiven, Wonderful, Go And Sin No More – an estimated 5-minute read.

Forgive Yourself; God Forgave You, Now You Forgive Yourself! – an estimated 4-minute read.

Agape Love; Genuine Love of God is True Love – an estimated 26-minute read.

See what is available on the Sound Truth Ministry website.

I look forward to your feedback via comment at the bottom of the page or by emailing [email protected]. Have a fantabulous day!