What Christians believe about ... Forgiveness

Jesus spoke these words as he was being crucified. He spoke them as he was dying a painful and humiliating death. He was asking God to forgive the people who has just put him there on the cross - the people who had plotted his arrest, trial and death.

What an amazing example of forgiveness.

Christians believe that when Jesus died on the cross he was taking God's punishment for all the wrong things that people have done. The Bible says 'Christ died for our sins.'
(The Bible, 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 3).

When people feel guilty for the things they have done, said, or thought that are wrong, it sometimes feels like a heavy weight on their lives. Being forgiven when we make mistakes can be like a huge load being lifted from us.

'If we confess our sins to him (God), he is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from every wrong.'
(The Bible, 1 John chapter 1 verse 9)

Christians believe that when people ask God to forgive them for things they have done, said or thought that are wrong, he forgives them, and then 'wipes the sin from our records' - a bit like the delete button on your computer.

Christians believe we can do nothing to earn forgiveness - it is free whenever we ask for it, however 'bad' we - or other people - may think the sin is.

In response to this, Christians try to forgive people who hurt or upset them.

'You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.' (The Bible, Colossians chapter 3 verse 13).