Dear friend, Forgiveness and letting go of grudges is a significant teaching found in the sacred scriptures. When one clings to grudges, it’s like holding onto a heavy burden that weighs down the soul. As humans, we all falter and make mistakes. Therefore, just as we seek mercy and compassion from our Heavenly Father for our wrongs, it is vital that we also extend that same grace and mercy to others.
Jesus Himself set the ultimate example of forgiveness. Even in the face of betrayal, ridicule, and suffering, He chose to forgive those who harmed Him, teaching us the profound value of mercy and the freedom it brings. By holding onto resentment, we imprison our own hearts. But in choosing to forgive, we unlock the doors to peace, healing, and reconciliation.
The Bible consistently teaches the importance of forgiving one another. In the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to “forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors”. The essence of this line is clear: if we wish to experience God’s forgiveness, we too must forgive. Another poignant example is the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. Here, a servant who had been forgiven a great debt by his master chose not to forgive a fellow servant who owed him a lesser amount. The consequences of his choice serve as a stern reminder of the price of harboring grudges.
Dear friends, now let’s see the Bible scriptures below that talk about “Holding Grudges and Forgiveness”.
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”
Mark 11:25
“And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses”
Luke 6:37
“Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven”
Luke 17:3-4
“Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him”
Ephesians 4:31-32
“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you”
Colossians 3:13
“Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”
James 5:9
“Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door”
James 5:16
“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much”
Romans 12:17-19
“Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord”
Proverbs 10:12
“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins”
Proverbs 15:1
“A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger”
Proverbs 24:29
“Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work”
Proverbs 19:11
“The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression”
Micah 7:18
“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy”
Matthew 5:23-24
“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift”
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”
Acts 3:19
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”
Isaiah 43:25
“I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins”
Daniel 9:9
“To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him”
Psalm 103:10-12
“He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us”
2 Corinthians 2:5-8
“But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him”
Mark 11:26
“But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses”
1 Peter 4:8
“And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins”
Hebrews 12:14-15
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled”
Leviticus 19:18
“Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord”
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
“Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things”
Galatians 6:1
“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted”
Romans 12:14
“Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not”
Conclusion:
Dear brothers and sisters, forgiveness is more than just a biblical teaching; it is a pathway to true freedom and peace. When we release the chains of bitterness and grudges, we allow God’s healing touch to mend our hearts. In doing so, we mirror the divine love and mercy our Heavenly Father extends to us daily. Let us commit to embracing a heart of forgiveness and experience the blessings it brings.
