No Exceptions

By David Jeremiah

And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:32

We will occasionally hear of a tragic event perpetrated by one person against another, whether intentionally or accidentally. The harm is so deep that the hurt party will say, “I don’t think I can ever forgive that person!” Humanly speaking, we can understand how pain can motivate such a reaction, but there is no biblical justification for it. The Bible clearly teaches that there are to be no limits—no exceptions—to our forgiveness of others (Matthew 18:21-22).

Matthew 12:30-32,

30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.

31 “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.

Because of a statement Jesus made to religious leaders in His day, some people think there is a sin so grievous that God will not forgive them. That is, they wonder if there is an unpardonable sin in God’s eyes. Yes, Jesus said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven (Matthew 12:31-32). But He was referring to people whose hearts were so hardened against God’s revelations of Himself that there was no coming back. There is no unforgivable sin for those who want to be forgiven. “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).

The standard for our forgiveness of others is the way God forgives us—without exceptions (Ephesians 4:32).

We are most like God when we forgive.

William Arthur Ward