Everyone wants to be forgiven by their friends. But most of us don’t know what to do when a friend asks us for forgiveness. So here are 20 Bible verses regarding asking for forgiveness from friends that can be used practically.
Bible verses about asking for forgiveness from friends.
There are a lot of biblical verses to consider when it comes to asking for forgiveness. Asking someone for anything can be a very daunting task if you don’t want to sound ungrateful. But there are Bible verses you can look up that will help guide you in the right direction. Here are 20 Bible verses about asking for forgiveness from friends.
James 5:16 – The will of God for us is to approach the person we have hurt swiftly.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
James 5:16 (ESV)
We are commanded to confess to one another our transgressions and to pray for one another when we wrong each other, for the prayer of a virtuous man availeth much. We must confess our transgressions to God, who is just and faithful to pardon our transgressions and purify us from all unrighteousness.
The will of God for us is to swiftly approach the person we have hurt, be it our friend or stranger, confess our transgression, and ask for their pardon.
Ephesians 4:32 – Show kindness to one another.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)
Paul commands his audience to be courteous to one another and to forgive one another. Not only general helpfulness is the focus. Paul is explicitly considering showing compassion to other congregation members who are Christians.
Paul urges his readers to show one another mercy. This lesson is accompanied by a justification that all believers have received from Christ in the form of pardon. One distinctive aspect of the Christian faith is forgiveness. Scripture frequently serves as a reminder of God’s mercy toward us.
Matthew 18:15 – Be humble.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.
Matthew 18:15 (ESV)
When Christ placed a small kid in the middle of His disciples to serve as an example of what a Christian life should look like, He provided a lovely lesson on humility and meekness.
Today’s church still needs humility, but genuine humility is expensive. So, for example, when we are offended by a friend, we should do well to forgive them.
Today, we react too fast to other people’s offenses with hurtful words or an unfriendly attitude toward a brother or sister who has intentionally or unintentionally damaged our feelings or committed a crime against us.
Instead of resolving the situation in a godly and gracious manner, we too frequently gossip about it with others.
Matthew 5:23-24 – Hatred and anger go against God’s plan.
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5:23-24 ESV
After receiving Jesus’ righteousness and forgiveness from Christ, we are asked to forgive others. This is how we are saved. After emphasizing how seriously hatred and anger go against God’s plan, Jesus emphasizes the value of forgiving others and working to find solutions to disputes.
Jesus emphasized that even good deeds should be put on hold until an angry dispute between two parties may be resolved through reconciliation and forgiveness.
Romans 10:10 – God is concerned about hearts.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:10
Paul makes the argument that one believes in righteousness from the heart. Salvation is founded on genuine forgiveness of one another, not just words of mouth. God is very concerned about His people’s hearts.
Because everyone is created in the image of God, we should all learn to forgive our friends and other people, just as we should reject murder.
Ephesians 4:26-27 – Walk away from anger.
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26-27 (ESV)
We are to walk in holiness because we are a part of the new creation in Christ with a unique nature. Old things have passed away, and our everyday practices should mirror the deep purification of our hearts.
Paul’s second order offers one strategy for managing anger: don’t let anger fester without being addressed. The physical sunset is not the main subject, as if there were a time of day when all irritations should be overlooked. The key is not to let anger fester before addressing it.
Proverbs 28:13 – Do not hide your transgressions.
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Proverbs 28:13 ESV
In the book of Proverbs, the Bible makes us understand that if we hide our sins, we will not prosper, and God will not save us. But if we confess and forsake our sins, He will be ready to forgive us and wash them away.
As humans, the tendency to find what we did might be there, but we have been instructed not to hind our sins; instead, we should open up ad request forgiveness.
Hebrews 12:14 – Our spiritual position should be one of peace and holiness with another.
Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
Hebrews 12:14 ESV
We are reminded that this world is not where we belong and that, as sojourners, we will experience the same hatred that the Lord Jesus faced from sinners who resisted Him. Nevertheless, we maintain our faith and remain steadfast on this dark day. We must seek forgiveness from one another rather than envy people.
Both our spiritual position and state should be one of peace and holiness with another. Because He pardoned our sins via His grace and through faith, as His children, we are already at peace with Him.
We must learn to follow peace with all men as instructed in this verse.
Isaiah 1:18 – Forgive others, as God forgives us.
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'”
Isaiah 1: 18
Despite the sin in the world, God still extends an unconditional gift of forgiveness and restoration to His people in exchange for their superficial repentance and return to Him. So come now, and let us reason together, says the LORD, “Though your crimes are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow.
He implores His people to confess their sins and wash in His cleansing flood. Despite being scarlet red, they will be like wool. When we go to God, He will forgive us.
Ephesians 4:31 – Turn away from bitterness.
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
Ephesians 4:31 ESV
Bitterness is one of the most widespread sins that frequently fuels our sexual attitudes and appetites, and we have been told in this verse to put it aside from us.
Bitterness is frequently the cause of many emotional outbursts. It is all too often brought on by stifling resentment toward another person’s injustice or unfairness or as a result of troubling circumstances, some of which may be real while others may only be perceived.
We should put all these bad attitudes away from us.
Bible verses about asking forgiveness.
Bible verses about asking forgiveness are one of the oldest methods to forgive. In the Bible, people often ask their friends and family members to forgive them. And they would be turned down. But as time passed and society became more educated and civilized, people started to understand that it is not right to do such things because then you are setting a bad example for your children.
Luke 17:3
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,
Luke 17:3 ESV
Knowing that we live in a world of the mixed multitude, we must be willing to forgive one another when we are offended by our brothers. By forgiving them, our heavenly Father will also forgive us as we are told in the Lord’s prayers.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9
This verse has a lot to provide consolation to unbelievers. But, this verse, which states that those who confess their sinfulness with a penitent heart of true repentance will be pardoned, is undoubtedly a glorious word of truth.
However, this truth cannot be separated from the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Anointed Messiah and Promised Saviour.
Whose sacrificial death paid the price for our sins and whose glorious resurrection transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, creating us?
We have been directed on what to do if we seek forgiveness from God. All we have to do is to request God’s forgiveness.
Psalm 25:11
For Your name’s sake, O Lord,
Pardon my iniquity, for it is great.Psalm 25:11
We learn that David prayed to the Lord for forgiveness in this verse. First, he acknowledges how terrible his guilt is. Then, to demonstrate the Lord’s mercy and love, he begs for forgiveness in the name of the Lord.
David was aware that, although being a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22), he was still a sinner with a significant burden of guilt. Yet, he also understood that the Lord is kind and loves faithfulness. Another example is the apostle Paul, who admitted that he was the greatest sinner but claimed to have been granted mercy for the sake of the Lord.
“But I got mercy for this reason,” he said in 1 Timothy 1:16, “that in me, first among many brothers, Jesus Christ may manifest his perfect patience as a pattern to those who were to believe in him for eternal life.”
Acts 3:19
Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,
Acts 3:19 ESV
As seen in this Bible verse, the men of Israel were repeatedly urged to turn from their sins, return to the God of their Father, and believe in Jesus as the promised Messiah.
And by doing so, their sins will be forgiven, and numerous ancient prophets will finally arrive from the Lord’s presence and the refreshing seasons promised to the people of Israel.
When Christ returns as King of kings and Lord of lords, establishes His heavenly kingdom in the land of Israel, and assumes a permanent seat on the throne of His Father David, those refreshing days will indeed come to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Isaiah 43:25-26
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. Put me in remembrance; let us argue together; set forth your case, that you may be proved right.
Isaiah 43:25-26 ESV
God is holy and just; He keeps His promises, and His purposes endure forever. The Lord’s purposes are unshakeable, and He is a God who holds the covenant vows He made to all of His people.
In light of His love and mercy, we rejoice to learn that the Lord has promised to forgive our sins and transgressions. And he has promised that he will not remember our sins again.
His words are trustworthy and faithful, and they are commanded and guaranteed to a thousand generations: “I, even I, am the One who wipes out your trespasses for My own sake, and I will not remember your sins… any longer.”
Matthew 6:14-15
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Matthew 6: 14-15(KJV)
Jesus mentioned asking God to “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” as part of the manner that believers are to pray.
The Bible verse entails expressing our forgiveness to those who have offended us and begging for God’s forgiveness.
Christ is saying here that forgiveness is conditional, but only in one particular way. According to Jesus, if you forgive the sins committed against you by others, your heavenly Father will also pardon you. But, on the other hand, you won’t be forgiven if you don’t forgive.
This is one of the most challenging directives Jesus offers in the Sermon on the Mount. However, it is also quite simple to misunderstand if not thoroughly thought out.
Bible verses about receiving forgiveness.
If we want to be forgiven, we need to be humble enough to ask for it. The Bible contains verses about receiving forgiveness and its importance in our spiritual lives.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1 John 1:9 ESV
When people confess their misdeeds, they are encouraged that God will pardon them and remove their names from the book of the dead to the book of life. John says that individuals who confess their sins will be forgiven and cleansed.
Even if believers get forgiveness at the moment of salvation, they still need to confess their sin and receive forgiveness and cleansing.
James 5:14-15
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
James 5:14-15 ESV
For a Christian, prayer is a great blessing because it gives us access to the throne of grace, where mercy and forgiveness of sins can be found in times of need. The “prayer of faith” also marks the beginning and conclusion of James’s book.
Right after his letter, we learn that the foundation of the practical, ardent prayer of the righteous man is trusting God and believing His Word. At the beginning of his letter, he warns us against being a double-minded Christian, whom we pray with doubt in our hearts. But when we pray a prayer of faith, we will be forgiven.
Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Psalm 32:5 ESV
The prophet Nathan revealed David’s crimes, which the Lord sent to encourage repentance and pardon. David’s response was to repent, and the Lord pardoned him. David accurately identifies his misdeeds in this place and asks for pardon.
David had to ask for forgiveness since he had willfully crossed lines that the Lord had set about crimes like adultery and murder. Like David in this Bible verse, we must request forgiveness of our sins anytime we sin against him.
