Must I Forgive?

Let all bitterness and anger and wrath and shouting and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Instead, be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:31-32

Must I Always Forgive? Yes! As Christians, we are called to forgive because we have been forgiven so much. Notice Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:31–32. He does not merely suggest forgiveness; he commands it. Believers are instructed to put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice as though they were discarding something rotten and harmful. In their place, Paul calls us to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving toward one another.

The key truth is that our willingness to forgive is not based on our feelings or on whether the offender deserves forgiveness. Rather, it is rooted in the far greater reality of God’s mercy toward us in Christ. Consider your own salvation. When God called you to repentance, you were not deserving of His grace. You stood guilty before Him, yet He did not wait for you to make yourself worthy. Through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, God graciously forgave your sins and reconciled you to Himself. That forgiveness becomes both the standard and the motivation for extending forgiveness to others.

Instead of holding on to bitterness, believers are called to embrace a different way of life. Paul writes, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, graciously forgiving each other” (v. 32). Forgiveness is more than an emotion; it is a deliberate act of obedience to Christ. Forgiving someone does not mean pretending the offense never occurred, nor does it necessarily remove the consequences of sin. Rather, forgiveness means releasing the offender from a personal debt and refusing to seek revenge.

The foundation for our forgiveness is found in the final phrase of the verse: “just as God in Christ also has graciously forgiven you.” Every believer has received immeasurable mercy through Christ. God did not forgive us because we deserved it; He forgave us because of His grace. When we remember the depth of His forgiveness toward us, we find both the motivation and the strength to forgive others.

So, must we forgive? According to Scripture, the answer is yes. Not because the offense was insignificant, and not because forgiveness is easy, but because Christ has forgiven us. As we extend that same grace to others, we display the power of the gospel and reflect the mercy that God has shown to us.

Your Shepherd,

Pastor Mark