A year or two ago, I wrote a post about forgiveness and sin. I feel led to continue the conversation. Matthew 6:14, NLT shares “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your father forgive your trespasses.”

God teaches us that forgiveness is a gift—one that continues to give. When someone forgives, they become the giver, and another person becomes the recipient. This recipient may then reflect on the gift they received and choose to pass on the gift of forgiveness to someone else. By forgiving, your heart softens, allowing you to open the door to receive God’s forgiveness.

If you do not forgive others, the Lord will not forgive you. How can He? Sin and forgiveness cannot coexist. To be forgiven, you must let go of the sin that is holding you captive. Many of us know someone who is imprisoned by hate, anger, and disdain for someone who has wronged them. Who is truly hurting in this situation: the person harboring hate or the recipient of that hate? God does not want us to be bound by hate; instead, He desires for us to release it through repentance and forgiveness of those who have wronged us. He wants to set you free through your forgiveness.

Unforgiveness is sinful and stems from a lack of faith. This lack of faith robs you of your joy. It is impossible to feel hate and joy simultaneously; they cannot coexist. On the other hand, forgiveness is liberating. It is an expression of love, not directed at the person you are forgiving, but offered to our Lord and Savior. In turn, He acknowledges this change in your heart.

When you create space by forgiving others, God fills that space with His forgiveness for your own sins. This divine love fills you with joy, and that joy has a powerful impact. It opens the door for your renewed self to take control of your life.

Charles Stanley summarized it this way, “Through the grace of Jesus Christ, you have the spiritual resources to forgive others. When you release someone of a debt he or she owes, you were no longer bound by the spirit of unforgiveness or bitterness. You are free to see that individual as Christ does, anger no longer has the power to rule your life and decisions.

Forgiveness does not mean that what the person did was right. It means that you have turned him or her over to God. You are no longer holding on to the unforgiveness, and you are free to live fully for Jesus Christ.” (Life Principles Bible, Second Edition. pg. 1492)

The Misery of Sin, by Pastor Greg Laurie, Daily Devotional, April 22, 2022. Harvest Church.

“Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.” Psalm 51:12

There’s a difference between sinning, knowing it, and being sorry for it and intentionally, habitually sinning again and again. If you’re a child of God, then you won’t habitually sin. You won’t be sinless, but you will sin less.

If you really have accepted God’s gift of salvation, then you will be unhappy and miserable when you’ve sinned. The Bible tells us in 1 John 3:9, “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God” (NLT).

This verse doesn’t say that if you’re a child of God, you won’t sin because everyone sins all the time. But if you’re a child of God, then you won’t be happy after you sin, you’ll feel convicted and you’ll want to get right with God.

There are sins of commission and sins of omission. A sin of commission is when you do what you should not do, while a sin of omission is not doing what you should do. The Bible says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8 NKJV).

If you want to be unhappy, then have unconfessed sin in your life. Happiness does not come from sinning. Misery, guilt, and repercussions come from sinning. That is why the Bible says, “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!” (Psalm 32:1 NLT).

After David sinned against the Lord, he wrote, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you” (Psalm 51:12 NLT).

Jesus said, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NLT). It isn’t hard to be a Christian—it’s impossible . . . without the help and power of the Holy Spirit.

Forgiveness is a difficult undertaking, however, if you trust in the Lord the difficulty will melt away.