40 Powerful Bible Verses About Forgiving Your Enemies

Bible Verses About Forgiving Your Enemies

Forgiving our enemies has to be one of the toughest practice in Christianity. It is not easy to forgive a person who resents you, seeks for your downfall or make evil plans for you. Such people{enemies} are the set of people avoided by the innocent. But as Christians, God instructs us to forgive those who persecute us, while this can be a very difficult task to perform, it is still very possible to achieve. Forgiving our enemies becomes easy with the help of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God. These two elements from God enables us to easily forgive those who hate us. Forgiveness is a central theme in the Bible. Forgiveness is portrayed as the foundation of Christianity. Christianity will not be effective without forgiveness. Christ is the typical example of forgiveness, we can see from the Bible that Jesus forgave those that crucified him, he asked God to forgive them because they were ignorant of their actions. This footmark Christ left for us, we have been called to follow his ways in all things, including in forgiving our enemies.

Forgiving our enemies makes our journey with God smooth, it grants us forgiveness from God. The scripture says “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us” This verse simply implies that if we do not forgive our enemies, God will not forgive us of our shortcomings. Forgiving our enemies boosts our spiritual growth; when we forgive our enemies, we obey God’s words which brings us close to him. Forgiveness brings us mental freedom and emotional healing. It takes away all forms of bitterness, grudges and hatred, thereby making the heart light and the brains free from negativities. These are the spiritual and physical benefits of forgiving our enemies. When we forgive our enemies, it does us more good, it is for our own benefits. If you find it hard to forgive your offenders and those who hate you, ask the Holy Spirit to help you and also seek the grace of God. Join us in this article as we explore some Bible verses that are filled with spiritual guidelines on how to effectively practice forgiveness.

Luke 6 27

What Does The Say About Forgiving Your Enemies?

Forgiveness hold a profound position in the Bible and in our Christian journey. Forgiveness is a divine concept that Christ embodied and also commands his followers to practice. Forgiving our enemies is an aspect of living a life that aligns with God’s rules and principles. The Bible makes us to understand that forgiveness is not a request, but it is a commandment.

Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you”. God encourages us here to bear with one, forgiving one another of any form of grievance. This verse exhorts us apply empathy, wisdom and understanding when dealing with those offends us.

Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you”. As started earlier that forgiving our enemies does us more good than our offenders. This scripture reveals one of the top notch benefit of forgiving our enemies. when we forgive our enemies, we will in return receive forgiveness from God.

1 Peter 3:9 “Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing”. The Bible discourages us from revenging on our enemies. We have been admonished to treat our enemies with kindness because this is what we have been called to do, so that we are inherit the blessings that are therein.

Matthew 6 14

Bible Verses About Forgiving Your Enemies

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. – Matthew 5:44
But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you. – Luke 6:27
On the contrary: ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. – Romans 12:20
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. – Ephesians 4:32
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. – Matthew 6:14
Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. – Colossians 3:13
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. – Mark 11:25
So watch yourselves. If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them. – Luke 17:3-4
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. – Proverbs 25:21
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. – 1 Peter 3:9
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, ‘Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?’ Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times! – Matthew 18:21-22
Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. – James 4:11
But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. – Matthew 5:39
Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. – Luke 23:34
Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. – Romans 12:19
“Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven, if there was anything to forgive, I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outsmart us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. – 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. – Matthew 7:1-2
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her. – John 8:7
But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. – Matthew 12:36
A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offense. – Proverbs 19:11
Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. – Micah 7:18
I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. – Isaiah 43:25
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. – Matthew 6:12
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. – Philippians 2:3-4
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9
Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. – Galatians 6:1
Then he fell on his knees and cried out, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.’ When he had said this, he fell asleep. – Acts 7:60
Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. – Hebrews 12:14
This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart. – Matthew 18:35
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. – Psalm 103:12
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. – John 13:34-35
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses. – Mark 11:25-26
Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. – 1 Peter 2:23
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. – Colossians 3:12-13
Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. – Matthew 18:32-34
And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him. – Luke 17:4
For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment. – James 2:13
For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. – Matthew 6:14-15
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. – Acts 2:38
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. – Ephesians 1:7