S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries

The phrase "forgive and forget" is not found in the Bible. However, there are numerous verses commanding us to "forgive one another" (e.g., Matthew 6:14 and Ephesians 4:32). A Christian who is not ...

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July 01 2013 • 3 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Nancy Emmons Supporter

I believe it is imperative to forgive. God forgave us multitudes of sin and never rejected us. When we sin against God, we are called to repent and resolve to not sin again.

I believe it is imperative to forgive because unforgiveness makes us bitter and the bitterness separates us from God and others.

I do not believe that forgiveness requires us to fellowship with people who really are vicious and will continue to make our lives miserable or put us in danger physically or in our relationship with God.

January 25 2015 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Andy Mangus Supporter I am a Christian since October 1979 & devoted truth seeker.

In the simplest of terms...and answers that I can think of: YES! without a semblance of a doubt! "For if ye shall not forgive others, then your Father in Heaven shall not forgive you of your transgressions". There is an old saying that states: "That if ye shall harbor unforgiveness in your heart, it will rot your very soul". And, "to live in unforgiveness is to live in unrepentant discontent".

Point that God makes on this most important issue is this "Forgive and ye shall be forgiven!"
~~Blessings, Andy~~

July 18 2016 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

James Kraft Supporter 74 year old retired pipeline worker

God has already forgiven us all our trespasses. Colossians 2:13. So based on God’s forgiveness we should forgive others. 

I know of a case where a pastor’s son was beaten to death with a hammer in his sleep. They caught the guy that did it, and the pastor went to his trial. He told the man that he forgave him, and gave him the gospel, but said he hoped the judge executed judgment on him to the fullest extent of the law. 

I believe he was right in doing so. There are consequences for sin. Not loss of salvation or that would make God a liar. First John 2:2. John 3:18. But a loss of life and rewards in heaven. 

First Corinthians 5:5. To err is human and to forgive is divine. 

But we are not to just let people trample on us either. We have a God-given right to self defense. 

If you have a spouse that keeps cheating on you and you do nothing you are contributing to their behavior. You are condoning what they do. There are women married to wife beaters all over this country. Many times the woman has no means of support and cannot get out of the relationship. If they tell anyone they are beaten more. 

We live in a fallen world and we are all capable of the worst of sin. King David committed adultery and premeditated murder. 

Then He wrote Romans 4:5-8. God hates our sin, but He loves sinners. First John 2:2.

June 21 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jeffrey Johnson Supporter

Does the Bible instruct us to forgive and forget?

The Bible doesn't use the exact phrase "forgive and forget." Still, it firmly commands believers to forgive others as God forgives them, emphasising the release of anger and bitterness rather than erasing memories. While humans can't literally forget, Scripture suggests God removes sins as if they never happened (Micah 7:19, Psalm 103:12), and true forgiveness involves choosing not to hold offences against someone, freeing oneself from resentment. 

Biblical Concepts on Forgiveness:

1: Command to Forgive: Numerous verses tell Christians to forgive one another, like Ephesians 4:32 ("...forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you") and Matthew 6:14 ("For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you"). 

2: Forgiveness as a Choice: Forgiveness is presented as a conscious decision of the will to obey God, releasing anger and choosing not to keep a record of wrongs, even if the memory of the hurt remains. 

3: God's Forgiveness vs. Human Forgetting: God's forgiveness is complete; He removes sins as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) and remembers them no more (Hebrews 8:12), meaning He doesn't hold them against you. Humans cannot perfectly replicate this "forgetting," but can strive for a forgiving spirit. 

4: Forgiveness Frees You: Holding onto grudges hinders your relationship with God and brings bitterness, while forgiving frees you and aligns you with Christ's example (Mark 11:25). 

5: The Bible calls for a heart of forgiveness, choosing to release the offence and its power over you, rather than demanding perfect amnesia.

Biblical Command to Forgive:

The Bible contains numerous commands to forgive others, often citing God's forgiveness toward us as the primary motivation: 

1: Ephesians 4:32: "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you".

2: Colossians 3:13: "Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive".

3: Matthew 6:14-15: Jesus teaches that if you do not forgive others, your Heavenly Father will not forgive your trespasses. 

4: Hebrews 8:12: "For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more".

5: Psalm 103:12: God removes our transgressions "as far as the east is from the west".

6: Love Keeps No Record: 1 Corinthians 13:5 states that love "keeps no record of wrongs," which many interpret as a call to not dwell on or bring up past offences once they are forgiven.

Matthew 6:14-15: Jesus teaches that if you do not forgive others, your Heavenly Father will not forgive your trespasses.

Interestingly, the request "forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors," is the only part of the model prayer that Jesus commented on. After concluding the prayer, he added: 

ESV: "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

Jesus made it very clear that our being forgiven by Jehovah depends on our willingness to forgive others.​—Mark 11:25.

On another occasion, Jesus gave an illustration of the need for us to forgive if we expect Jehovah to forgive us. He told of a king who generously cancelled an enormous debt incurred by an enslaved person. The king later severely punished this same man when he refused to cancel the incomparably smaller debt of a fellow enslaved person. Jesus concluded his illustration by saying: "In like manner my heavenly Father will also deal with you if you do not forgive each one his brother from your hearts." (Matthew 18:23-35) The lesson is clear: The debt of sin that Jehovah has forgiven each of us is immeasurably greater than any transgression anyone may have committed against us. What is more, our loving God forgives us daily.

9 hours ago • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report