Why should I write a devotion about forgiveness? Surely we are not foolish enough to do anything for which we need to ask forgiveness. Unfortunately, we do, and often. Apparently, Adam and Eve had only one negative command from their Creator to obey. That was to not eat of the one forbidden tree, which was the tree of knowledge and good and evil. There seems to be a quirk in the human make-up that desires to taste of the things forbidden. Just suppose god required that for every violation of His laws there was a just penalty and there was no way for us to avoid that penalty. Where would we be?
That is what Jesus' coming to earth is all about. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. Therefore, God provided a way to offer us forgiveness by sending His son to take upon himself the penalty of our sins.
In the Lord's prayer, we are taught to pray, "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." Matthew 6: 12. K.J. Most commentators agree that the word "debts" here refers to our sins or moral obligations rather than to financial debts. It is interesting to note that our forgiveness is conditional. The next verse states clearly the conditions: "As we are willing to forgive others."
1 John 2: 1b says, "If any man (person) sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." He pleads our case with the Father. What love and grace!
1 John 1:9 tells us, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness." Implied is that we meet His terms of pardon-personal faith in Jesus Christ, the advocate He has provided for us.
"Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32. This is one of my favorite verses.
How often should we forgive each other? Not 70 times seven; but as often as we want our heavenly Father to forgive us.