The Power of Forgiveness
Then Peter came up and said to him, 'Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.'" – Matthew 18:21-22 (ESV)
Men, forgiveness is one of the most challenging aspects of our walk with Christ. It’s easy to talk about, but hard to live out, especially when the wounds run deep. We’ve all been hurt, betrayed, or wronged at some point in our lives. And if we’re honest, our natural response isn’t to forgive—it’s to seek justice, to hold onto our pain, and sometimes even to make the other person pay. But Jesus calls us to something radically different.
Peter, like many of us, wanted to know the limits of forgiveness. “How often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” To Peter, seven times seemed generous. But Jesus’ response flips Peter’s thinking—and ours—on its head. “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.” Jesus wasn’t giving Peter a new rule; He was teaching him—and us—that forgiveness isn’t about keeping score. It’s about living in a continual state of grace.
Forgiveness is not just about the other person; it’s about your own heart. Holding onto bitterness, resentment, or anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. It eats away at your soul, it steals your peace, and it disrupts your relationship with God. Jesus knew this, and that’s why He commands us to forgive, not just once, not just seven times, but over and over again.
But how do we do this? How do we forgive when it feels impossible? The key is in understanding the forgiveness we’ve received. In Matthew 18, Jesus follows His teaching on forgiveness with a parable about a servant who was forgiven an enormous debt by his master, only to turn around and refuse to forgive a fellow servant a much smaller debt. The point is clear: we have been forgiven an unimaginable debt by God. Every sin we’ve committed—past, present, and future—has been nailed to the cross, paid in full by the blood of Jesus. When we grasp the magnitude of God’s forgiveness toward us, it changes how we see others.
Forgiving someone who has wronged you doesn’t mean that what they did was okay. It doesn’t mean you ignore justice or boundaries. But it does mean you release the desire for revenge. You release the right to hold a grudge. You release them into God’s hands, trusting Him to deal with the situation justly.
And let’s be real: forgiveness is a process. It’s rarely a one-time decision. Sometimes, you have to choose to forgive daily, even moment by moment. But each time you choose to forgive, you’re allowing God’s grace to work in your heart, to heal your wounds, and to set you free.
Brothers, who do you need to forgive today? Is there someone in your life that you’ve been holding a grudge against? Maybe it’s a friend, a family member, or even yourself. Jesus is inviting you to lay that burden down. He’s inviting you to experience the freedom that comes from forgiving as you’ve been forgiven.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, we thank You for the incredible forgiveness You’ve extended to us. We confess that we often struggle to forgive others as You’ve forgiven us. Help us, Lord, to release our hurts, our anger, and our bitterness into Your hands. Teach us to forgive, not just with our words, but with our hearts. Give us the strength to forgive those who have wronged us, even when it’s hard. And let Your grace flow through us, bringing healing and freedom. In Your name, we pray, Amen.
Action Step:
Identify someone in your life whom you need to forgive. Take a few moments in prayer to bring this person before God, asking for the strength and grace to forgive them. Consider writing a letter to them (whether you send it or not), expressing your forgiveness. If you’re struggling, reach out to a brother in Christ for support and prayer.