17 Bible verses that talk about the power of forgiveness

Below are quotes from the Bible that demonstrate God's power and desire to forgive.

Forgiveness is a central theme of the gospel, so it is sometimes good to remind yourself of the wonderful promises God has given us. In this article, we have compiled a selection of Scriptures that talk about forgiveness, its meaning, and its power. As we read these verses, we can clearly see that if we repent and truly forgive others, then God will also completely forgive us and we can start a new beginning in our lives.

Psalm 102: 10-12.
He did not create for us according to our iniquities, and he did not repay us according to our sins: for as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is the Lord's mercy to those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so has He removed our iniquities from us.

Psalm 129: 3-4.
If you, Lord, will notice iniquity, - Lord! who can resist? But You have forgiveness, that they should revere You.

Isaiah 1:18
Then come and let us judge, says the Lord. If your sins be as crimson, I will whiten you as snow; if they are red like purple, I will whiten like a wave.

Isaiah 43:25
I, I myself, blot out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.

Isaiah 55: 7
Let the wicked leave his way and the wicked - his thoughts, and let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He is merciful.

Micah 7: 18-19
Who is God like You, Who forgives iniquity and does not impute transgression to the remnant of Your inheritance? He is not always angry, because He loves to have mercy. He will again have mercy on us, blot out our iniquities. You will plunge all our sins into the depths of the sea.

Matt. 6: 14-15
For if you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, and if you do not forgive people for their sins, then your Father will not forgive you for your sins.

Mark 11:25
And when you stand in prayer, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Heavenly Father may forgive you your sins.

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Luke 7: 47-48
Therefore, I tell you: her sins, many are forgiven for the fact that she loved much, and to whom little is forgiven, he loves little. And he said to her: Your sins are forgiven.

Luke 24: 46-47
And he said to them: This is written, and so Christ had to suffer, and rise from the dead on the third day, and preached to be in His name repentance and forgiveness of sins in all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

Acts 3: 19-20
So, repent and be converted, so that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and may He send Jesus Christ intended for you.

1. Corinth. 6: 9-11
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor malaki, nor sodomy, nor thieves, nor covetous people, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor predators, will inherit the Kingdom of God. And that was some of you; but were washed, but were sanctified, but were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Ephesus. 1: 7-8
in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace, which He has given us in abundance in all wisdom and understanding.

Ear. 1: 13-14
He who delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption by His blood and the remission of sins.

1. John 1: 9
If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1. John 2: 1-2
My children! I write this to you so that you will not sin; and if anyone had sinned, then we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous; He is the atonement for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Mt. XVIII, 18-35: 18 Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth, it will be bound in heaven; and whatever you permit on earth, it will be permitted in heaven. 19 Verily, I also say to you that if two of you on earth agree to ask for any deed, whatever they ask will be from my Father in heaven, 20 for where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them. 21 Then Peter came to Him and said: Lord! How many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me? up to seven times? 22 Jesus saith to him: I do not say to you: up to seven, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants; 24 when he began to reckon, someone was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; 25 but since he had nothing to pay with, the sovereign ordered him to sell him, and his wife, and children, and everything that he had, and pay. 26 Then that servant fell, and, bowing to him, said: Sire! bear with me, and I'll pay you everything. 27 The sovereign, having compassion on that servant, released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But that servant, going out, found one of his companions, who owed him a hundred denarii, and, seizing him, strangled him, saying: Give me what you owe. 29 Then his companion fell at his feet, begged him and said: be patient with me, and I will give everything to you. 30 But he would not, but went and put him in prison until he paid the debt. 31 When his companions saw what had happened, they were very upset, and when they came, they told their lord all that had happened. 32 Then his sovereign summoned him and said: An evil servant! I forgave you all that debt, because you asked me to; 33 Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your companion, as I also had mercy on you? 34 And, being angry, his sovereign gave him to the torturers, until he gave him all the debt. 35 Likewise, my heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you from your heart forgives his brother his sins.

Study Guide to the Four Gospels

Prot. Seraphim Slobodskoy (1912-1971)
Based on the book "The Law of God", 1957.

Forgiveness of offenses. The parable of the merciful king and ruthless lender

During one conversation of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter approached Him and asked: “Lord! How many times should I forgive my brother (that is, my neighbor) who sins against me (that is, if he offends me in any way)? Will it be enough to forgive him up to seven times?

Jesus Christ told him: “I don’t tell you until seven, but until seventy times seventy,” that is, goodbye without counting, always.

To better explain this, Jesus Christ told a parable: “One man owed the king ten thousand talents. (Talent is the weight of gold and silver, at a cost of approximately 2,500 rubles. This means that his debt was about 25 million rubles). But he had nothing to pay. When they brought him to the king, the king ordered to sell him, and his wife, and children, and all his property. Then the debtor fell at the feet of the king and, bowing, began to ask him: sir! bear with me, and I will pay you everything. The merciful king took pity on him, forgave him all the debt and released him. The same man, leaving the king, saw one of his comrades, who owed him a hundred denarii (that is, only 20 rubles). He grabbed his comrade and began to choke him, saying: "Give me what you owe." His companion fell at his feet, begged him and said: "Be patient with me, and I will give everything to you." But he did not want to wait, but went and put him in prison until he paid the debt. When the Tsar learned from the victim's companions about the cruelty of this man, he called him to himself and said to him: “An evil slave! I have forgiven you all your debt, because you begged me. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your companion, as I also had mercy on you? " And, being angry, the tsar gave it to the torturers, (that is, the people who had the duty to punish the criminals), until he gave up all his unpaid debt ”.

Having finished the parable, Jesus Christ said: "In the same way, My Heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive his neighbor from his heart his sins."

In this parable, the king is God. By a man who owed so much to the king, we mean we people. Under duty are our sins. The companion of the debtor means those people who are guilty of something before us (our debtors).

From this parable it is clear that anyone who is angry with his neighbors for any of their transgressions and does not want to forgive them does not deserve (is not worthy) of mercy from God.

Archbishop. Averky (Taushev) (1906-1976)
A Guide to Studying the New Testament Scriptures. Four Gospels. Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, 1954.

16. About the forgiveness of offenses and the parable of the merciless debtor

(Matt. XVIII, 21-35; Luke XVII, 3-4)

The Lord's instruction about forgiving a brother who had sinned and repented prompted Peter to ask how many times to forgive a brother. This question is explained by the fact that, according to the teachings of the Jewish scribes, one can forgive only three times. Wanting to transcend Old Testament righteousness and thinking to appear generous, Peter asks if it will be enough to forgive up to seven times. To this Christ replied that it is necessary to forgive up to seventy times, i.e. you must always forgive, an unlimited number of times. To clarify this need for everlasting, unlimited forgiveness, the Lord then told the parable of a merciful king and an unmerciful debtor. In this parable, God is represented as a king, to whom his servants owe certain amounts of money. Likewise, a person is a debtor to God, because he does not do good deeds, which he is obliged to do, but instead he sins. To "reckon" means to demand the payment of a debt, which in the parable depicts God's demand for an account from each person at the Last Judgment, and partly at a private trial until the death of each person. The debtor who had a debt "tmu talent", i.e. ten thousand talents, designates every sinner person who, in the face of the righteousness of God, is an unpaid debtor. 10,000 talents is a huge amount: Jewish talent was equal to 3,000 sacred shekels, and a shekel corresponded to our 80 kopecks. silver, next., our talent was about 2.400 silver rubles. A definite number is put here, of course, instead of an indefinite one. In accordance with the laws of Moses - Lev. 25:39, 47, the king ordered to sell this unpaid debtor, but having made mercy on him, after his fervent prayer, he forgave him all the debt. This is a wonderful image of God's mercy towards repentant sinners. The forgiven, finding his slave, who owed him an insignificant, compared to the first, amount of 100 denarii (a denarius about 20 kopecks), began to strangle him (according to Roman law, the creditor could torture his debtor until he returned his debt) demanding the return of this negligible debt. He did not take pity on him, despite his plea to be patient, and put him in prison. His companions, who saw this and were grieved, told the king about all this. The king, being angry with the evil slave, called him to him and, having made him a severe reprimand for not following his example in generosity to his debtor, gave him to the torturers until he gave him his debt, i.e. forever, for he will never be able to pay such a large amount (the sinner is saved only by the mercy of God, while he himself is never, by his own strength, able to satisfy the justice of God, as an unpaid debtor). The meaning of the parable is briefly expressed in the last 35th verse: "This is how My Heavenly Father will do for you, if you do not let go of your brother from your hearts their sins." By this parable, the Lord wants to inspire us that we all sin so much that we are unpaid debtors before God; the sins of our neighbors against us are just as insignificant, if the sum of 100 denarii is insignificant, compared to the enormous sum of ten thousand talents; however, the Lord, by His boundless mercy, forgives us all our sins, if we, in turn, show a merciful attitude towards our neighbors and forgive them their sins against us; if we turn out to be cruel and unmerciful to our neighbors and do not forgive them, then the Lord will not forgive us, but will condemn us to eternal torment. This parable is an excellent visual explanation of the petition of the Lord's prayer: "and forgive us our debts, as we also leave our debts."

A. V. Ivanov (1837-1912)
A Guide to Studying the New Testament Scriptures. Four Gospels. SPb., 1914.

Admonition of Jesus Christ to His Disciples

(Matthew 18: 1-35; Mark 9: 30-55; Luke 9: 46-50; 17: 1-4)

… Having confirmed again the right of forgiveness and withholding of sins for the disciples, and having taught them to find the success of prayer in the unanimity of those praying, Jesus Christ answered Peter's question: Should a sinning brother be forgiven up to seven times? - answered that he should forgive not only up to seven times, but up to seventy times, that is, an indefinite number of times, or rather always - showing that forgiving sins to a loved one is our constant and indispensable duty, as proof of our love for a loved one and how one of the conditions under which we ourselves can hope to receive from God the remission of our sins. Jesus Christ expressed this more clearly in the parable of a man who received from his king the forgiveness of a debt of 10 thousand talents, and who did not forgive his debtor for a small debt of 100 denarii, and for that was subject to the collection of his debt, already forgiven by the king.

… 7. How important unanimity - a sign and consequence of mutual love - is shown by the words of Jesus Christ that every request on behalf of two or three people will be heard by the Heavenly Father and that He Himself will be present in every gathering of two or three people.

“Forgive and you will be forgiven,” teaches us the parable of the king and the debtor, which we hear during today's Gospel reading at the Sunday liturgy on September 8. But for many, this becomes an insurmountable obstacle. How to forgive if your soul is burning and hurting? What to do with an enduring feeling of resentment, from which, with all the desire to get rid of it is not possible? Archpriest Konstantin KOBELEV, rector of the Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God in Butyrka prison, tells about whether we understand forgiveness correctly.
Parable about the unfaithful steward. Artist A. Mironov, 2012

A modern person, reading the parable of the tsar and the debtor, which formed the basis of today's Gospel reading, can hardly imagine what kind of debt we are talking about. “Someone was brought to him, who owed him ten thousand talents ...” In terms of our money, this is about four hundred billion rubles. Just think about this huge figure! It sounded approximately the same for the listeners of Christ, listening to the parable.

The debtor, apparently, does not immediately understand what a monstrous amount is being discussed. And the king does not immediately forgive him the debt, but first ordered to sell him, and his wife, and children, and everything that he had, and pay Only this makes the debtor feel the horror and hopelessness of his situation, to realize how much he is guilty before the king. Up to this point, he, stiffened in his sin, stands before the sovereign, not even thinking to ask for anything, but having heard such a terrible order, he falls on his knees, recognizing his powerlessness, and begs for mercy. That is what the seemingly inhuman order of the tsar is directed to - to open a man's eyes, to clearly show him how hopeless everything is ... if not tsar's mercy.

The second debt referred to in this parable, the debt of a comrade to a forgiven slave, is one hundred denarii. One denarius is the approximate daily pay of a laborer at that time. If you compare debts with each other, then the difference will be approximately ten million times.

Such a monstrous difference is given for clarity: this is how we sin before the King-God, and this is how we sin against each other. Of course, in the parable, the forgiven debtor was expected to forgive the one who owes him. Do the same as they did with him. But the forgiven debtor is doing even worse than he could: he not only demands a debt from a comrade, but demands it immediately, although he begs him - they say, bear with me, I will give everything to you. And the former debtor, who has just been forgiven ten thousand talents, mercilessly puts a person in prison for a hundred denarii. At least I would say, well, okay, I'll wait another week ...

And any person reading this text involuntarily has a thought: well, I won't do that. If I have been forgiven for such a huge, incredible debt - will I not forgive some penny to the one who owes me?

Everything is easy and obvious in the text. But life is not so simple. We come to church for confession and receive the forgiveness of all our sins - our huge debt is written off to us. And we ourselves sometimes find ourselves unable to forgive our neighbor for what he has done wrong before us. It's hard to meet people who don't take offense at others. And sometimes it turns out that it's not like a hundred denarii - we can't even forgive one denarii.

But above in the text of the Gospel, Jesus, talking with his disciples about forgiveness, tells the Apostle Peter that he who has sinned before you should forgive "up to seven times seventy times." It turns out that we must forgive constantly and endlessly. The Lord cannot demand the impossible, so we need to figure out what meaning is put into Christian forgiveness. In order not to demand the impossible from yourself, but also not to indulge your grievances.

First of all, it should be noted that a person must be forgiven - not a sin. This is not about allowing evil. One should be condescending to the one who has sinned, but in no case should one be humbled by the sin itself. There is a wonderful formula: love the sinner and hate the sin. Sin itself does not need justification, it is even dangerous: if we stop condemning sin, then we ourselves can fall into it, because we will not see anything bad, disgusting and terrible in it.

Forgiveness does not mean weak-willedly allowing a person to continue to commit unsightly acts. Forgiveness has nothing to do with such connivance. Moreover, if a person persists in his sin, communion with him should be severed. If your brother sins against you, go and reprove him between you and him alone; if he listens to you, you have won your brother; but if he does not listen, take with you one or two more, that every word may be confirmed by the mouth of two or three witnesses; if he does not listen to them, tell the church; and if he does not listen to the church, then let him be to you, like a pagan and a publican. (Holy Gospel of Matthew 18: 15-17)

Note that Christ does not at all insist that we continue our relationship with the person who endlessly offends us. You do not need to keep evil and resentment against him inside yourself - yes, but pulling the strap of friendship or other close relationships is unnecessary and even harmful. For example, if a husband endlessly cheats on his wife, then she, having internally forgiven the traitor, is allowed to leave such a husband in order to save herself from destruction. One cannot condone sin also because it is getting worse and worse, and this can lead to a real tragedy. For example, if a wife endlessly forgives her husband the assault and remains with him, and he does not change his behavior, then it may end up with the husband ending up in prison, and the wife in the grave ...

Therefore, there is no need to strained "make friends" with someone who endlessly offends us. I'm sorry - and step away. But how do you feel this inner forgiveness? We must mentally deliver the offender into the hands of God. What is our offense, our revenge before the punishment that the Lord can arrange?

But we are by no means talking about the malevolent expectation of human torment. In no case. Even feeling how everything inside is boiling and hurting, even being unable to personally forgive, we must ask the offender for God's forgiveness. This is the best, the highest on the path of forgiveness - when we sincerely want the Lord to be merciful to the one who offended us.

The Lord's punishment is not so much a punishment for a sin as the admonition of a person, it is not for nothing that the very word "punishment" comes from the word "command." Seeing that we ourselves are powerless to reason with the sinner, we may well ask for God's admonition for him (not pain or torment, just in revenge!), And the Lord himself will govern Himself as best, more useful and more intelligible for a person.

You can also make such a comparison: you need to deal with the offender in love, but harshly. The way we deal with delinquent children. We do not stop loving them, but for their own good we punish them, so that they understand that this is not an option. Children, sometimes, bring their behavior to an outburst, but in no case should the child be punished, being in this outburst.

There used to be such a wonderful educational measure, how to put the child in a corner. It is very useful for everyone: the offender stands and thinks about his bad behavior, while the parents calm down and come to their senses in the meantime. This temporary separation is very useful for both sides. The parent, having come to his senses, will not go too far, will not shout, will not hit the child. And the child feels the difference very well, when they say something to him in the heat of the moment - he can ignore it, think, mother got angry and forgot - and when they say something to him in a calm tone. He will remember and feel this much better.

We cannot put an adult in a corner. But we can remove him from ourselves in order to experience the pain of resentment, to calm down - this is the first step to forgiveness. Remove from yourself an annoying and painful factor, a real splinter.

In a parish, there are situations when one of the passers-by does not get along with each other, although both are wonderful people, but there is some kind of misunderstanding, misunderstanding ... Well, what can you do, it is not always possible to be friends with everyone. It would be ideal, but people don't always live up to the ideal. In this case, the priests advise: relationships do not stick - ask each other for forgiveness and stay away from each other. It doesn't matter who is right or wrong. Rather than imposing on one another and being tempted, it is better to run away from sin in advance.

Although, of course, our scores among ourselves look like arguments in kindergarten against the background of our duty to God. In the language of today's parable, we all owe the Tsar huge sums, hundreds of billions of rubles. And among ourselves we quarrel and quarrel: you owe me five rubles, and I only owe you three. Will not forgive!

To be honest, I don't think we really forgive. According to St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, we are all in delusion. Seriously, sincerely to forgive, to reach the ideal in this sense, does not work. We must admit this in ourselves and stop tormenting and raping our soul, demanding from it unbearable. And you don't have to look for your old enemies everywhere in order to "test" yourself - they say, have I forgiven or not. First, it can reignite old grudges. And second, it can lead to an even worse sin: pride. Like, here I am so good and wonderful, I forgive all my offenders. To keep us from this, the Lord may not give us this sweet sense of forgiveness. But we should do the maximum that we are capable of: do not wish evil, sincerely wish our enemy God's forgiveness. Suffice it to say - aloud or mentally - "God will forgive."

Of course, ideally, we should feel love for the one who offended us. But here you can make such a comparison: imagine that you are racing in a car on a straight, smooth road. And suddenly you decide to go back abruptly. If you just shift into reverse gear at full speed, then not only will you not go back, you will ruin the car. First you need to slow down, stop, and only then move in reverse in the opposite direction. This braking path and stopping are the stages from anger and hatred to forgiveness and finding love. We definitely need to calm down and even go through a certain stage of indifference, calmness in relation to the offender.

Let's return to the parable, which ends so unoptimistically for the unmerciful ex-debtor. He was nevertheless given to the torturers "until he paid all the debt." Does this mean that he will suffer forever - after all, he cannot cover his huge debt? Here we can reflect on the mercy of the King-Lord. Perhaps the Lord, seeing his repentance in the future, will again take pity on him and forgive him. After all, the door of repentance is not closed to anyone: even Judas, if he went not to hang himself, but to ask for forgiveness, would be forgiven. If he even came to the grave of Christ with repentance, the Lord would forgive him.

Maybe this unmerciful debtor is waiting for God's forgiveness - but not immediately, but through admonition.

Gospel of Matthew (18: 23-35)
Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants; when he began to count, someone was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and since he did not have what to pay, his sovereign ordered to sell him, and his wife, and children, and everything that he had, and pay; then that servant fell, and, bowing to him, said: sir! bear with me, and I will pay you everything. The Emperor, having compassion on that servant, released him and forgave him the debt. But that slave, coming out, found one of his companions, who owed him a hundred denarii, and, seizing him, strangled him, saying: give me what you owe. Then his companion fell at his feet, begged him and said: be patient with me, and I will give everything to you. But he did not want to, but went and put him in prison until he paid off the debt. His companions, seeing what had happened, were very upset, and when they came, they told their sovereign everything that had happened. Then his sovereign summons him and says: an evil slave! I forgave you all that debt, because you asked me to; Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your companion, as I also had mercy on you? And, angry, the sovereign gave him to the torturers until he gave him all the debt. Likewise, My Heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart his sins.

This article focuses on the issue of forgiveness: whether it be forgiveness of a person by a person or forgiveness of a person by God. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about forgiveness.
Forgiveness is the act of apologizing to the offender, despite the mistake he made, the hurt caused, the pain caused; reconciliation.

In a theological context, this term refers to God's forgiveness of human sins.

What is forgiveness and what is not?

Forgiveness is not ...

• The manifestation of indifference and indifference to the offender and the harm done to him;
• Tolerance for a person;
• Justification of a person and his actions;
• An attempt to forget about the offender and the harm done to him;
• Expectation;
• Allowing to continue hurting yourself or others;
• An act of kindness;
• Silence;
• With the words "I forgive you";
• It is not guided by feelings.

Forgiveness is ...

• Trusting the situation to God;
• Renouncing your rights in favor of God;
• Forgiveness of "debt";
• Unwillingness to punish the offender;
• Refusal of vengeance;
• Unwillingness to judge, condemn the offender;
• Showing mercy and grace towards the offender;
• The conscious decision to forgive.

Forgiveness is a deliberate choice

The most interesting thing is that the Lord God has long made the decision to forgive a person in Christ. It is said about Jesus that He is the Lamb of God, slain before the foundation of the world:
Revelation 13: 8 « And all who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life, slain from the creation of the world ».
1 Peter 1: 18-21 « ... knowing that you were redeemed not by corruptible silver or gold from the vain life that was given to you by the fathers, but by the precious Blood of Christ, as the immaculate and pure Lamb, intended even before the creation of the worldbut who appeared in the last times to you, who believed in God through Him, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that you may have faith and hope in God».

Who needs forgiveness and who doesn't?

People need forgiveness, and to all people, without exception, "Because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

God doesn't need forgivenessbecause He is holy and perfect:
Exodus 15:11 “Who is like You, Lord, among the gods? Who, like You, is majestic in holiness, honored in praises, doing wonders ". Isaiah 6: 3 “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts! the whole earth is full of His glory! "
Revelation 4: 8 “And each of the four animals had six wings around, and inside they were full of eyes; and they have no rest day or night, crying out: holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, is and is to come ”.

The Bible teaches that each of us needs to receive God's forgiveness. Why?Because we are all sinners. We have all sinned against God and need His forgiveness. God hates sin. And therefore, unconfessed and unrepentant sin comes between us and God, spoiling our relationship with the Lord:
Isaiah 59: 1-2 « Behold, the hand of the Lord was not cut short to save, and His ear was not heavy to hear. But your iniquities have made division between you and your God, and your sins turn His face away from you, so as not to hear».

What happens if a person does not receive God's forgiveness?

Eternal death awaits such a person in the Lake of Fire, where, according to Jesus: "Crying and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew 13:42). Romans 6:23 « For the wages of sin is death».

Who can forgive and who cannot?

Each of us can forgive each other's offenses, but only God can forgive a person's sin.

1. The Bible teaches that Christ has the power to forgive sins:
Matthew 1:21 « She will give birth to a Son, and you will call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins».
Hebrews 9: 27-28 « And as people are supposed to die once, and then the judgment, so Christ, once sacrificing Himself, so that raise the sins of many, the second time will appear not for the cleansing of sin, but for those waiting for Him for salvation».

2. Forgiveness is central to the gospel of salvation:
Acts 2:38 « Peter said to them: Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit».
Acts 5: 30-31 « The God of our fathers raised Jesus, Whom you killed by hanging on a tree. He was exalted by God with His right hand to become the Author and Savior, in order to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins».

Question:Why can Jesus Christ forgive sins?
Answer:Because He is God.

This is precisely what the Lord Jesus demonstrated in the following story:
Mark 2: 1-12 « A few days later He came again to Capernaum; and it was heard that He was in the house. Immediately many gathered, so that there was no room at the door; and He spoke the word to them. And they came to Him with a paralytic, who was carried by four; and, not being able to approach Him because of the multitude, they opened the roof of the house where He was, and, digging through it, they lowered the bed on which the relaxed lay. Jesus, seeing their faith, says to the paralytic: child! your sins are forgiven you. Here some of the scribes sat and thought in their hearts: why is He so blasphemous? who can forgive sins but God alone?
Jesus, immediately knowing in his spirit that they were thinking this way in themselves, said to them: Why do you think so in your hearts? Which is easier? to say to the paralytic: your sins are forgiven? or say: get up, take your bed and walk? But to let you know that The Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, - says to the relaxed: "I say to you: get up, take your bed and go to your house." He immediately got up and, taking the bed, went out in front of everyone, so that everyone was amazed and glorified God, saying: We have never seen anything like this.».

3. Full and final forgiveness can only be found in Christ:
Colossians 2: 13-14 « And you who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He revived you with Him, forgiving us all sins, having destroyed by the doctrine the handwriting that was about us, which was against us, and He took it from the environment and nailed it to the cross».

What if the person doesn't forgive the other person?

Unwillingness to forgive others destroys not only our relationship with the Creator, but also with others. Very often people become our enemies only because we do not want to forgive them:
Proverbs 17: 9 « Covering [covering \u003d forgiving] offense seeks love; and whoever reminds of him again removes his friend».
1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 « Love is longsuffering, merciful, love does not envy, love is not exalted, does not take pride, does not rage, does not seek its own, does not get irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices at the truth; all covers believes everything, hopes everything, endures everything».

Forgiveness is a sign and proof of love. If we say that we love, but at the same time do not want or cannot forgive someone, then we deceive ourselves, and our love is nothing more than a parody and a fake of true love that comes from God. Not wanting to forgive another person, we only harm ourselves:
Mark 11: 25-26 « And when you stand in prayer farewell, if you have anything on anyone, so that your Heavenly Father also forgive you your sins. If don't forgivethen your Heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins».

What is the value of forgiveness?

Read carefully the parable of Jesus Christ from Gospel of Matthew 18: 21-35:
“Then Peter came to Him and said: Lord! How many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me? up to seven times? Jesus says to him: I do not say to you: up to seven times, but up to seven times seventy times.
Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants; when he began to count, someone was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and since he did not have what to pay, the sovereign ordered him to sell him, and his wife, and children, and everything that he had, and pay; then that servant fell, and, bowing to him, said: sir! bear with me, and I'll pay you everything. The Emperor, having compassion on that servant, released him and forgave him the debt.
But that servant, coming out, found one of his companions, who owed him a hundred denarii, and, seizing him, strangled him, saying: give me what you owe. Then his companion fell at his feet, begged him and said: bear with me, and I will give everything to you. But he did not want to, but went and put him in prison until he paid off the debt. His companions, seeing what had happened, were very upset, and when they came, told their sovereign everything that had happened. Then his sovereign summons him and says: an evil slave! I forgave you all that debt, because you asked me to; Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your companion, as I also had mercy on you? And, being angry, the sovereign gave him to the torturers until he gave him all the debt.
So My Heavenly Father Will Do To Youif each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins ".

This parable demonstrates the basic principles of forgiveness:

• Forgiveness is a deliberate choice, a decision to let go of the guilt of the guilty person.
• Forgiveness is a gift, a gift that no one deserves.
• To forgive is to cancel debt and give up your own rights and expectations.
• Forgiveness is not limited to the amount of debt or the number of grievances.
• The forgiveness we receive from God must be extended to those around us.
• Unwillingness to forgive leads to internal self-torture and mental pain.
• The Lord punishes those who do not want to forgive their neighbors.

The Lord's Principle: Jacob 2:13: "For judgment is without mercy to him who did not show mercy".

Always remember the words of the Lord Jesus Christ from the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5: 7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy".

What are the conditions for receiving forgiveness?

God hates and punishes sin in the most serious way. In light of this, forgiveness is a very valuable gift. And since the penalty for sin is very high, then the payment for sin must be very high. That is why we read in the Bible that only blood can wash away or cover the price of sin. Hebrews 9:22 « And almost everything is cleansed by blood according to the law, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness". The sinless Jesus Christ died on the cross, being the only acceptable perfect sacrifice for our sin. Because of the death of Jesus, we are forgiven.
1 Peter 3: 18a « ... because Christ, in order to bring us to God, once suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous». Ephesians 1: 7 « ... in whom we have redemption by His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace».

When Jesus died on the cross, He took the punishment for the sin of the whole world. He took the blame for our sins and bore the punishment in our place. Isaiah 53: 5 « He was wounded for our sins and we are tormented for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we were healed».
Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, but we do not automatically receive forgiveness. Anyone who wants to can receive the gift of forgiveness through the blood of Jesus. The Lord in His Word shares with us what each of us needs to receive the remission of sins:

1. Confession of sins.To be reconciled with the Lord, you must admit that you are a sinner and confess your sins to God. We have already said that as long as sin is not confessed, it is a wall separating us from the Creator.
Confessing sin restores our relationship with the Lord. 1 John 1: 9 « If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.».
The Lord is always true to His Word. And if He said that He would forgive the confessed sin, then we can be sure that He will fulfill the promised: 2 Timothy 2:13 « If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself».

2. Repentance.We must make a decision to change: to turn from our sins.
Jeremiah 15: 19a « To this the Lord said thus: if you turn, I will raise you up, and you will stand before Me.». Isaiah 55: 7 « Let the wicked leave his way and the wicked - his thoughts, and let him turn to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He is merciful.». Ezekiel 18:21 « And the wicked, if he turns from all his sins that he did, and observes all My statutes and acts lawfully and righteously, he will live, he will not die.».
So, repentance is a very important step because we must not only repent of our sins, but also turn away from our previous sinful lifestyle. This is very difficult to do. But if we have a DESIRE, then the Lord will give us strength to overcome all the difficulties and difficulties on this path of change.

Many people today want to receive God's forgiveness without doing anything to change their lives. But the Lord knows very well and sees the difference between those who are sincere in their repentance and those who use His grace only to calm their consciences. Don't forget that "God is never mocked." He generously pours out mercy and grace on those who come to Him with sincere humility. But he will not be endure forever hypocritical repentance and abuse of His mercy. Examine your heart and ask God to grant you sincere repentance, and then rely on the power of the Holy Spirit, Who will make all the necessary changes in your heart. After all, for Him it is such an unspeakable joy - to transform a sincerely repentant sinner into the image of God.
Internal changes in the soul of a person after his repentance will necessarily manifest in the right actions and deeds.

3. Forgiving others.This is another condition for receiving God's forgiveness.
Ephesians 4:32 « Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you».
Matthew 6: 14-15 « For if you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will forgive you too, and if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins.».
Mark 11: 25-26 « And when you stand in prayer, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Heavenly Father may forgive you your sins. If you do not forgive, then your Heavenly Father will not forgive you your sins.».

Whom does the Lord forgive and whom does not?

1. WHOM DOES GOD FORGIVE?

Lord forgives all those who sincerely repent and come to Him asking for forgiveness.

It is very difficult for us humans to understand how God can forgive a murderer, rapist, robber and other people who have committed serious crimes. Some even refuse to believe that God forgives criminals. However, the Bible contains many examples of how the Lord forgives sinners and criminals:
- A woman is a sinner ( Luke 7: 36-50);
- A woman taken in adultery ( John 8: 1-11);
- The robber crucified with Jesus ( Luke 13: 38-43);
- Crucified Jesus ( Luke 13:34).

In the eyes of our Creator, we are all transgressors of His Law, regardless of which commandment we have broken. The Bible says: Jacob 2:10 « Whoever observes the whole law and sins in one thing, he becomes guilty of everything ».
But the Lord forgives all who confess their sin to Him, repent from the bottom of their hearts and ask Him for forgiveness: 1 John 1: 8-10 « If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sinsthen He, being faithful and righteous, forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, then we represent Him as a liar, and His word is not in us.».

Forgiveness of sins - reconciliation with our Creator - we can receive only in Christ Jesus: Romans 5: 1 « So, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ ».
Romans 5:10 « For if, being enemies, we are reconciled to God by the death of His Son, then all the more, being reconciled, we will be saved by His life».
2 Corinthians 5: 18-20 « Still from God, Jesus Christ who reconciled us to Himself and who gave us the ministry of reconciliation, because God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself, not imputing to people their crimes, and gave us the word of reconciliation. So we are messengers in the name of Christ, and, as it were, God Himself exhorts through us; on behalf of Christ we ask: make peace with god ».

2. WHO DOES NOT FORGIVE?

Lord does not forgive those who deliberately sin: Hebrews 10: 26-27 « For if we, having received the knowledge of the truth, arbitrarily sin, then there is no longer a sacrifice for sins, but a certain terrible expectation of judgment and the fury of fire, ready to devour opponents».

What does the Lord forgive and what does not?

Of all the known sins, only blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: Mark 3: 22-30, Matthew 12: 31-32 « Therefore, I say to you: every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men; if anyone speaks a word against the Son of Man, he will be forgiven; if anyone speaks to the Holy Spirit, he will not be forgiven either in this century or in the future».

Why is blasphemy against the Spirit not forgiven?Because blasphemy against the Spirit is a final refusal to accept the truth about who Jesus Christ really is (God in the flesh), for it is the Holy Spirit that reveals to us this secret of the person and essence of Christ: Matthew 16: 15-17 « He says to them: Whom do you think I am? Simon Peter, answering, said: You are Christ, the Son of the Living God. Then Jesus answered him: Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah, because not flesh and blood revealed it to youbut my Father who art in heaven».
We cannot be saved without this revelation from above. For we are saved by faith in the substitutionary sacrifice of our God the Creator and Savior Jesus Christ.
He who rejects and repels the Holy Spirit himself deprives himself of the last opportunity for repentance and salvation, because “ if someone is not born again [from the Holy Spirit], cannot see the kingdom of God» ( John 3: 3).

What are the benefits of being forgiven?

1. Joy.
What a joy and blessing it is to be forgiven by the Lord and have peace with your Creator! Psalm 31: 1-2 « Blessed is he to whom iniquities have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered! Blessed is the person to whom the Lord will not impute sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile!» Luke 10:20 « ... However, then do not rejoice that the spirits obey you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven».

2. The Lord does not remember our sins for us.
The Lord blots out even the memory of our forgiven sins and never reminds us of them. Isaiah 43:25 « I, I myself blot out your crimes for my own sake and I will not remember your sins». Ezekiel 18: 21-22 « And the wicked, if he turns from all his sins that he did, and observes all my statutes and acts lawfully and righteously, he will live, he will not die. All his crimes, which he did, will not be remembered to him: in his righteousness, which he will do, he will live».

3. The Lord cleanses us from all sin.
Psalm 102: 12-13 « As far the east is from the west, so has He removed our iniquities from us; as a father has mercy on his sons, so the Lord has mercy on those who fear him».

4. When we receive God's forgiveness, we are able to forgive ourselves.
God's forgiveness gives us the strength to forgive ourselves and continue our earthly path without turning back:
Philippians 3: 13-14 « Brethren, I do not regard myself as attained; but only, forgetting the rear and reaching forward I strive for the goal, for the honor of the higher calling of God in Christ Jesus».

5. When we receive God's forgiveness, we gain the ability to forgive others.
Forgiving someone else is beneficial to us. Forgiving the person who hurt us, we get rid of resentment and bitterness, like a heavy burden weighing on our shoulders. Therefore, God wants forgiveness to become a part of our daily life. The personal benefits of forgiveness are as follows:

• Emotional recovery;
• Healthy relationships with others;
• Getting rid of physical ailments;
• Liberation from spiritual oppression, bondage.

How can we know that we are forgiven?

When God forgives us, then we can be firmly convinced of His forgiveness: that He forgave us our sins and forgot about them once and for all. Jesus said in John 6:37 « All that the Father gives Me will come to Me; and he who comes to me I will not cast out". also in John 3:17 it says: " For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but to the world was saved through him ».

The Lord does not deceive or cancel His word: Numbers 23:19 « God is not a man to lie to Him, and not a son of man to change Him. Will he say and not do? will speak and will not fulfill?»If you sincerely repented in confession and asked God for forgiveness, do not doubt that He has forgiven you, even if you do not feel forgiven. The word of God is much truer than our feelings.

So trust the Bible, not your deceiving feelings:
Hebrews 10: 16-23 « This is the covenant that I will bequeath to them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their hearts, and in their thoughts I will write them, and I will remember their sins and their iniquities no more. And where the forgiveness of sins is, there is no need for an offering for them. So, brethren, having the boldness to enter the sanctuary by means of the Blood of Jesus Christ, a new and living way, which He again revealed to us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a great Priest over the house of God, let us approach with a sincere heart, with full faith. having sprinkled our hearts from a vicious conscience, and having washed our body with pure water, let us adhere to the confession of hope unswervingly, for the One who promised is faithful»,
1 John 4: 16-18 « And we knew the love that God has for us and believed in it. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love reaches such perfection in us that we have boldness on the day of judgment, because we act in this world as He did. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear, because in fear there is anguish. Afraid of imperfect love»,
Psalm 102: 8-13 « The Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and many-merciful: he is not fully angry, and never indignant for ever. He did not create for us according to our iniquities, and he did not repay us according to our sins: for as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is the Lord's mercy to those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so has He removed our iniquities from us; as a father has mercy on his sons, so the Lord has mercy on those who fear him».
Psalm 33:18 « The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and the humble in spirit will save»,
Psalm 102: 2-3 « Bless, my soul, the Lord and do not forget all His blessings. He forgives all your iniquities, heals all your ailments».
Isaiah 44:22 « I will blot out your iniquities like a fog, and your sins like a cloud; turn to me, for I have redeemed you». Romans 10:11 « For the Scripture says, everyone who believes in Him will not be ashamed».

Some believers ask, "Why don't I feel forgiven?"

We offer you four options. Choose which one is the answer for you:

1. You repented of your sin in confession, asked the Lord for forgiveness, but you do not feel forgiven, because the feeling of guilt that you feel is the work of the devil. He is a slanderer ( Revelation 12:10), which slanders God against you, and reminds you of your past sins so that you do not feel forgiven and justified. In this case, you need to stop listening to Satan's lies, and start listening to the truth of the Word of God, which is eternal and unchanging. If God promised to forgive, then He did it.

2. You repented of your sin and asked the Lord for forgiveness, but you do not feel forgiven, perhaps because you live not by faith, but by feelings. In your situation, we want to remind you of the biblical truth: “ The righteous will live by faith». ( Romans 1:17, Hebrews 10:38, Galatians 2:11). Stop relying on your feelings all the time and start living by faith.

3. You have asked God for forgiveness for your sins, but you do not feel forgiven, perhaps because your repentance was not completely sincere, and now the Lord convicts you through your conscience.

4. You have asked God for forgiveness for your sins, but you do not feel forgiven, perhaps because you continue to live in sin. Repentance means not only realizing and repenting of your sin, but also turning away from it and not repeating it again. If you live in sin, then we urge you to stop sinning and turn to the Lord for the forgiveness of sins.
1. Forgiving the offender underlines my weakness. I want to be stronger and taller. I’m right and don’t have to give in. The truth is that you are held captive by your own pride, which hinders your spiritual growth..

2. To forgive is to lose control. I would not like to lose control, but on the contrary, I would like to continue to manipulate others, taking advantage of the fact that they are my debtors. The truth is that in reality you control nothing and no one, but on the contrary, you yourself are captive to your pain and resentment..

3. Forgiving means agreeing to be offended again. The truth is, no matter what your decisions and actions, you will still be hurt someday. The only question is how to properly respond to the pain inflicted, so as not to live in captivity of fear and the opinions of others.

4. The problem will disappear by itself if you do not pay attention to it. In fact, the problem will not disappear anywhere, it will only be buried for a while, but at one point it will emerge. And the second will be worse than the first.

5. Revenge: The abuser must pay for his actions. He must be punished. I have the right to try him. You are not God to judge others. Playing God will not lead to good. Vengeance belongs to the Lord.

6. Failure to understand God's love and forgiveness for himself. How can you give to others what you do not possess yourself? First, you need to be reconciled to God by receiving the remission of your sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

7. Failure to forgive oneself.To forgive others, you must first forgive yourself. We are able to love our neighbor only to the extent that we love ourselves..

8. This is completely unfair. It seems like I should indulge in someone's sins. In fact, all you have to do is acknowledge that Jesus Christ paid in full for the debt and sin of your offender..

9. I wait for the offender to approach me first. This is extremely rare.

10. The offender does not repent at all for his deed. One must take into account the possibility that he will never repent of this. You need forgiveness first. Therefore, one should not hesitate with this. The sooner you forgive him, the better it will be for you..

11. If I decide to forgive, I will be a hypocrite, because I do not feel in myself love and forgiveness towards the offender. The truth is that you will be a hypocrite if you refuse to forgive the abuser. Your True Identity in Christ is Love, Forbearance and Forgiveness.

12. Waiting for an opportune moment and a favorable disposition of feelings. This opportunity will never come. And the feeling of forgiveness will never come by itself, because forgiveness is a conscious decision, not a feeling..

13. The assumption that it will take a long time to forgive. I have no time for forgiveness. On the contrary, you cannot afford not to forgive the abuser. After all, because of this, no one suffers and does not suffer, except for yourself.

14. Fear of exposing your tender feelings. God knows very well how to be gentle and gentle with your painful emotions. You won't die or go insane for barely exposing your feelings again..

15. Failure to forget the hurt: I am willing to forgive, but I do not know if I can forget the pain that I have been caused. Only God can forgive and forget. You are not God, and the Lord does not require that you forget about the offense or the offender. To forgive is not to forget. To forgive is to refuse to take revenge. And the memory of the pain you suffered will help you in the future not to cause similar pain to your neighbor.

Dear brothers and sisters! Our Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly in the Gospel teaches about the forgiveness of offenses to our neighbors, so that we too may be forgiven of our sins.

(sermon on 11th Week after Pentecost)

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit!

Likewise, My Heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins. ().

Dear brothers and sisters! Our Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly in the Gospel teaches about the forgiveness of offenses to our neighbors, so that we too may be forgiven of our sins. If you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will forgive you too, and if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins. () - this means to justification from sins is the easiest, completely accessible to everyone and always depending on our will. It would seem that according to the indication of such an easy means of justification, all sinners should use it for their salvation, and not a single sinner will remain in Christian society. But the Lord of the Heart-seer foresaw that a passionate, self-loving and vindictive human heart is least able to submit to this commandment of humility and meekness, that even among His followers themselves many will be deaf to hearing and inert to the fulfillment of this saving commandment, therefore the Lord found it necessary to speak repeatedly about this. One of these sublime teachings about forgiving offenses is the parable that was offered in the Gospel we have read today. For our edification, let us repeat its content.

During the Lord's conversation with the disciples about how to act when our brother, the holy Apostle Peter, sins before us in anything, listening to the word about forgiveness of offenses, he asked the Lord: Lord! How many times should I forgive my brother who sins against me? up to seven times? Jesus says to him: I do not say to you: up to seven, but up to seventy times seven (). That is, no matter how many times your brother has sinned before you, he must always forgive him, especially never and in no case must he take revenge on him. And in confirmation of this commandment, the Lord told us a wonderful parable - He portrayed His teaching in the example of one unpaid debtor, who was already forgiven and pardoned, but for cruelty to his brother was again given over to cruel torment - so that it would be easier for us to see what happens to those who do not forgive their neighbors for their sins, and so that we understand what will happen to us in such a case:

Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants; when he began to count, someone was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and since he did not have what to pay, his sovereign ordered to sell him, and his wife, and children, and everything that he had, and pay; then that servant fell, and, bowing to him, said: sir! bear with me, and I will pay you everything. The Emperor, having compassion on that servant, released him and forgave him the debt. But that servant, coming out, found one of his companions, who owed him a hundred denarii, and, seizing him, strangled him, saying: Give me what I owe. Then his companion fell at his feet, begged him and said: be patient with me, and I will give everything to you. But he did not want to, but went and put him in prison until he paid off the debt. His companions, seeing what had happened, were very upset, and when they came, they told their sovereign everything that had happened. Then his sovereign summons him and says: an evil slave! I forgave you all that debt, because you asked me to; Shouldn't you have had mercy on your comrade, because I also had mercy on you? And, being angry, the sovereign gave him to the torturers until he gave him all the debt. So also My Heavenly Father will do with you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart his sins ().

This parable teaches us, dear brothers and sisters, the truth that the Lord is unmerciful to us if we ourselves are unmerciful. He does not forgive our sins, if we ourselves do not forgive our neighbors for their sins against us.

For edification, let us examine this parable. The Kingdom of God is in many ways similar to the earthly kingdoms of men, for it is the prototype of all human kingdoms. And as in the kingdoms of the earth there is a king and there are subjects, so in the Kingdom of God there is a King - our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And there are subjects - all of us, believers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, redeemed by His honest blood from eternal destruction and for that pledged at baptism in His name to believe in Him as in the one true God with the Father and the Holy Spirit, to love Him with all our heart and wholeheartedly, honor Him and worship Him as the Lord, Master and Creator, obey and serve Him with all zeal and zeal all the days of our life.

In the kingdoms of the earth there are laws and regulations that determine the range of actions of subjects, and in the Kingdom of God there is a law of God, which determines the will of God and teaches us how to behave in relation to our King Christ, and to our neighbors, in order to earn the King's mercy and not be subject to His wrath and punishment. Just as in the kingdoms of the earth, the king at times requires his subjects to be accountable for the fulfillment of the duties assigned to them, so in the Kingdom of God, the Lord requires us to account for all our thoughts and desires, in our words and deeds. For this, the terrible glorious day of Judgment and retribution has been set for ages. But even before this general Judgment, the Lord will require us to account for the day of our death, when our soul, separated from our body, appears in the world of spirits. At any moment we must be ready for death and the judgment of God, therefore we are commanded to test our conscience daily and not only bring repentance at certain times, but also spend our whole life in repentance, so that death at no time will find us unrepentant.

Without paying due tribute to the king and not fulfilling his duties, the subject becomes a debtor to the king, and the more he does this, the more his debt increases. Likewise, a subject of the Heavenly King, if he does not fulfill what the law of God requires of him, becomes a debtor to God.

Let's take as an example at least one day in our life and count what has been done and what has not been done contrary to the law of God and our own conscience. All thoughts, intentions, dreams, assumptions that are constantly swarming in our mind; all desires, aspirations, inclinations with which our heart lives - all this is the fruit of the free activity of our soul and all this is subject to accountability before the Judge of the Heart. Let us remember all our words, for for every idle word that people say, we will have to give an answer on the Day of Judgment. And what a heavy duty one day lived through! And how great this debt will be in the course of the whole life lived! And who among us can think of himself that he is a lesser debtor to the justice of God than the debtor to his king mentioned in the parable? Having nothing to pay off his debt, the debtor from the parable falls before the sovereign and begs him to suffer him. This is what we sinners must do if we want to be cleansed from our sins. Every sin is terrible first of all because it offends the greatness and holiness of God; those that violate the law that maintains the moral order of the world; those that disturb the rest and peace of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, by ourselves, we cannot atone for our sins. Only living faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, who suffered for our sins, one living hope in the power of His Cross, one sincere repentance for our sins, one prayer of a contrite and humble heart - can atone for the grave guilt of our sins and justify us by the grace of Christ. Only the sincerely repentant Heavenly Father forgives free of all their sins, for the sake of suffering on the cross and the death of His Only Begotten Son.

What does a forgiven and pardoned debtor do? Having found his comrade, who owed him a hundred denarii, he begins to strangle him and gives him to prison. Do we not do the same when, having mercy on the Heavenly Father, we are angry and angry for a small insult inflicted on us by our brother or sister, we persecute and sting him by all means, just to denigrate and accuse the offender? The cruelty of the wicked slave towards his comrade became known to the king. Likewise, our mutual remembrance of malicious and vengeful feelings in! Edoma to the Lord. Our persistent preceptors - holy Angels, seeing our cruelty towards each other, with sorrow proclaim this to the Heavenly Father, so that not a single angry and malicious movement of our heart can be hidden from His all-seeing eye and not hidden from His punishing anger. For the evil deed of an evil slave, the sovereign betrayed him to the torturers until he gave up his debt. The Lord does the same with us, if we do not forgive the sins of our neighbor - He rejects us from His face and gives us up to eternal torment.

Such is the eternal and immutable law of truth, such is the inevitable consequence of hard-heartedness towards one's neighbor.

Can an irritable and vindictive person be in the Kingdom of God, which is the kingdom of love, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit? Is a cruel and merciless heart worthy of the compassion and mercy of the Heavenly Father? Whoever persecutes others with anger and vengeance, does not himself deserve the vengeance and wrath of God? Judgment without mercy to the one who did not show mercy ... (), - we need to remember this and do it.

Do not be defeated by evil, but conquer evil with good (), - then the Lord will have mercy on you not only in this century, but also in the next life. For only the merciful will have mercy. Amen.