What does the Bible say about forgiveness?

Because sin is an offence against God, an insult to His supreme power and authority, we need forgiveness; and forgiveness is impossible without a basis of truth when we have offended the Creator of heaven and earth. This perfectly satisfactory basis is "the precious blood of Christ." In Him "we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" (Eph. 1:7). But "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Heb. 9:22). God forgives because He sees perfect virtue in the blood of Christ.

So the great conclusion is reached that "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Here it is not simply the sprinkling of blood, but the shedding of blood — the righteous basis on which God can proclaim forgiveness to all and proclaim all who believe forgiven.

Guilt being established, forgiveness becomes an urgent necessity. So we find it placed right at the front of the instructions given by the risen Lord to His disciples. In Luke 24:45-48 He told the eleven that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations… To the multitude in Jerusalem, who on the day of Pentecost were cut to the heart, Peter spoke of "the forgiveness of sins" (Acts 2:38)… To the mixed crowd in the synagogue at Antioch Paul declared, "Let it be known to you therefore, brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you" (Acts 13:38).

We must remember that though forgiveness is given to us when we believe, it was obtained for us by the sacrifice of Christ; and all our sins — not only those up to the point of conversion — were still future when He died and rose again.

When we confess, God is faithful and just to all that Christ is and has done, and the sin is forgiven so that fellowship may be restored. This is what we may call paternal forgiveness, to distinguish it from the eternal forgiveness which reached us as sinners.

It is not the believer taking the place of a miserable sinner; it is a believer taking the place before God of an offending, naughty child, counting on divine faithfulness and justice to forgive his sins because of the sacrifice of Christ, to cleanse him, and so to restore him to happy communion.

There is a man who wronged me; I am going to forgive him, as God forgave me, and — if I am near enough to God to do it — to show out what we have been learning is the joy of our souls.

The forgiveness spoken of in verses 14 and 15 is connected with the debts of verse 12. In the heavenly Father's holy government of His children, the unforgiving spirit comes under His chastisement. If someone commits an offence against us and we refuse to forgive, we shall miss God's governmental forgiveness. It is not a question here of forgiveness for eternity, since those the Lord was speaking to were disciples, and with them that great matter was already settled.

Scripture, however, indicates a condition — note it carefully. An easy-going forgiveness would do serious moral damage. We read, "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, 'I repent,' you must forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4).

The word "for" is sometimes a reason why, and sometimes an evidence why. In this case it is the evidential "for," not the causative. It was not because she loved much that the Lord forgave her. It was His grace that caused her love.