“Forgiveness is not an occasional act; it is a permanent attitude.”
1 John 1:8-10
8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.
John tells us that our responsibility is to agree with God about the nature of our crises.
Then, we extend forgiveness beyond ourselves in the model of Jesus and to our own person.
“Christian brotherhood is not an ideal which we must realize; it is rather a reality created by God in Christ in which we may participate. The more clearly we learn to recognize that the ground, strength, and promise of all our fellowship is in Jesus Christ alone, the more serenely we shall think of our fellowship and pray and hope for it.”
Philippians 3:13-14
13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Colossians 3:12-13
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Ephesians 4:31-32
31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Learn to Love God and Love Others AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF.
Better stated - Learn to love yourself as you are to love others.
Romans 8:1
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
