Bible Verses of the Week

Forgiveness

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: ⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders ⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent. (NIV, Luke 15:3–7)

We are all sinners in our own ways (Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8), but God is always willing to forgive our sins and give us a new start! First, we must repent (Luke 5:31-32, Luke 24:47, Acts 3:19) and forgive other people who have sinned against us (Matthew 6:14-15, Mark 11:25). Repentance means a sincere resolve to turn away from sin and toward God. True repentance involves sorrow for acts of sin and leads to a fundamental change in attitude. For more details: What Does the Bible Say About Forgiveness of Sins?