Theme · theological

Forgiveness

After the golden calf, God proclaims himself 'merciful and gracious, slow to anger, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin' — the first self-description God gives after revealing his name. The Psalms celebrate forgiveness as the removal of sin 'as far as the east is from the west.' Through the prophets, God promises to remember sin no more under the New Covenant. Jesus makes forgiveness central to his teaching, from the Lord's Prayer to the parable of the unforgiving servant, insisting that those who have been forgiven much must forgive likewise.

Passages expressing this theme

2Chr 7:14 — If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal
Acts 2:38 — 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.
Acts 10:43 — To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.
Col 3:13 — Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Dan 9:9 — To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;
Eph 1:7 — In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Eph 4:32 — And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Exod 34:7 — Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s c
Gen 50:17 — So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God
Heb 8:12 — For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Isa 1:18 — Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isa 43:25 — I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Jer 31:34 — And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: fo
Matt 6:12 — And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matt 6:14 — For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
Matt 18:21 — Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Matt 18:22 — Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Matt 26:28 — For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
Mic 7:18 — Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
Neh 9:17 — And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou art a God
Ps 32:1 — Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
Ps 32:5 — I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Ps 51:1 — Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Ps 86:5 — For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
Ps 103:3 — Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;