In the Lord’s Prayer (Matt 6:9-13), Jesus taught His disciples to forgive others just as their heavenly Father had forgiven them. Jesus paid the penalty of our sins by dying on the cross so that our sins and trespasses can be forgiven by God.

It is inevitable that during the course of interactions, believers will somehow hurt or offend one another, but we are to forgive one another and not bear any grudges or be resentful. This forgiveness must cover all aspects, for Christ’s death on the cross covers all sins in this world, and it must be done willingly and unconditionally. It is unlike the world’s forgiveness whereby it is selective as it is often based on the severity of the trespasses or the relationship one has with the person who had trespassed against him. Therefore, we must forgive one another, and the steps towards forgiveness (based on Eph 4:32) are as follows:

First, we must show kindness. To be kind is to be a blessing, it is a form of usefulness (not mere lip service) to others. We show kindness when we help others to guard against sin and to walk closer to the Lord. We are not to cover up their sins, but rather, we rebuke them of their iniquities so that they will realize their sins and repent. After which, we forgive them for the wrong that they had done against us. No one is perfect. We must understand and know that everyone has shortcomings and we must always be ready to show kindness and to forgive them when they make mistakes.

We must be tenderhearted, i.e. be compassionate to others. The Holy Spirit will lead us to understand others and not to jump to conclusion or make quick judgment. Being tenderhearted is to esteem others more highly than ourselves so that we will seek to know their struggles and understand why they are behaving in a certain manner. This will help us to readily forgive others.

The forgiving spirit must always be in our heart, for this is God’s way of protecting our heart from becoming resentful and bitter. Our God is a forgiving God, knowing our struggles and shortcomings, and forgiving us when we repent of our sins, so that we can be reconciled to Him. Similarly, we too must have a forgiving spirit and be always ready to forgive others, “even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”