In John 13, when our Savior washed His disciples' feet, He taught them that He was willing to accept the task designated to the lowest of the servants.

It is commonly thought that we pay no price for forgiveness, yet Scripture shows that God gives us significant responsibilities to be a part of His family.

Forgiving, even when there is no apology, reflects the Father and Jesus Christ. The prodigal son is a story of the deep love we should have towards each other.

Forgiveness concerns each of us, and without God's forbearance, we would have absolutely no hope for anything beyond this brief, physical life.

Forgiveness is difficult, but the willing failure to forgive, along with any other unrepented sin, has the potential of permanently separating us from God.

Because it is more blessed to give than to receive, the things we desire for ourselves we should be willing to give to others, including forgiveness.

When Stephen forgave all his murderers, Paul may have been deeply impressed and smitten in his conscience. We need to develop a similar orientation of forgiveness.

Jesus teaches us how to deal with offenses and sins against us in this parable, focusing on our attitude of forgiveness because of being forgiven ourselves.

The Bible is full of commands to forgive and examples of forgiveness, and none of them stipulates that we wait for the sinner to repent before we forgive.

Mercy is an important dimension of God's character, displayed by our compassion on and forgiveness of those over whom we have power.

It is impossible to become perfect without having mercy or compassion. Jesus' command to become perfect includes showing compassion to our enemies.

Forgiveness is not a feeling that washes over us, but a conscious choice. It does not mean that the offense will never come to mind, nor that all the pain vanishes.

'To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.' Forgiving and being forgiven are part of being a family.

Many consider footwashing at Passover to be a mere ritual to remind us to serve one another. But it teaches another godly attribute: forgiveness.

We tend to work at cross-purposes to God, imprisoning ourselves and others in our adversarial relationships. The key to our cell is true forgiveness.

Physical fasting provides insights to a parallel spiritual process of cleansing and removal of sin. Our High Priest commands us to let go to lighten our burden.

God does not forget our sins because He cannot any longer remember them, but because He actively chooses to forget them upon our repentance.

Pride destroys relationships, rendering righteous judgment next to impossible. Self-righteousness (a product of pride) makes an idol out of self.

Mercy is a virtue that has gone out of vogue, though it is sometimes admired. Jesus, however, places it among the most vital His followers should possess.

Driving out the evil must be followed by cultivating goodness and righteousness. An antidote to depression is to get our hearts focused on someone else.

Meekness is often confused with weakness and considered to be undesirable. But Jesus lists it as a primary virtue of one who will inherit His Kingdom.

Our forgiveness from God is conditional, depending upon our forgiving others. It is an opportunity for us to extend grace, sacrificing as Christ did for us.

When God calls us and redeems us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we suddenly come under obligation—a debt we cannot pay but overshadows all we do.

There is a difference between seeking a brother's help in overcoming a fault—a human weakness—and confessing sins of the past. Only God can forgive sin.

Like the older brother in the parable, we may have looked down on those who have stumbled. We are not equipped to judge anybody else's repentance.

The movie Ben-Hur captures the essence of the time and ministry of Christ. By letting go of anger and hatred, we take on the yoke of Jesus Christ.

We desperately need to internalize the godly traits of kindness, mercy, compassion, and tenderness, displacing the carnal traits of bitterness and wrath.

Disfellowshiping is only used for the most extreme cases in which the safety of the congregation is threatened. Lesser offenses require more sensitivity.

Just as we have been forgiven a huge, unpayable debt, so must we extend forgiveness to those who owe us, showing that we appreciate what has been done for us.

God put up with the foibles of Abraham, Samson, David, Job, and others, allowing them time to repent and build character. We need to develop this godly trait.

Protestantism is based on Luther's insistence that Christians are saved by faith alone. But is the really true? It is true of justification, not salvation.

Acts 5:32 declares that God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him, yet some argue that keeping God's law is not necessary. What is the truth?

We need to nurture fellowship with our spiritual siblings, forgiving others as Christ forgave, steadfastly resisting pride and division within the church.

The proof that a person has truly made a change of heart appears when his life begins to show him doing what is right. Right living is the fruit of repentance.

Atonement represents a new beginning when people of the world would be reconciled to God and freed from their bondage, reflecting the year of Jubilee.

We are obligated to show compassion and mercy to all, refraining from gossip, exercising righteous judgment, forgiving others and applying the Golden Rule.

Sin and human nature affect everyone in society—from king to commoner—but God has covered sin from every angle in the sacrifice of His Son, fulfilling Leviticus 4-5.

We must be involved in proclaiming His message, feeding the flock, living His example, assuming the responsibilities of our awesome commission.

In mainstream Protestantism, repentance has fallen out of favor, yet it is mentioned far more in the New Testament than in the Old Testament.

If we know God, we no longer have the feeling that God is against us; we have no dread of God, but instead have awe and respect; we know that God loves us.

Our obligation toward God mandates that we love our fellow human beings, even individuals who have severely wronged us.

Repentance is a condition for baptism, and ultimately of conversion and salvation. It is also a lifelong process—one never stops needing to repent.

Kindness goes hand-in-hand with love. It is an active expression of love toward God and fellow man, produced through the power of God's Spirit.

Christ's redemption obligates us to obey and serve Him. We show our gratitude for this priceless gift by doing good in acts of love and service to others.

The healing of the paralytic is a remarkable event. Significantly, Jesus honors the faith of the paralytic's friends who lowered him through the roof.