“If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them! But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” ~ Aleksandr Solhenitsyn

“People ask me what advice I have for a married couple struggling in their relationship. I always answer: pray and forgive. And to young people from violent homes, I say: pray and forgive. And again, even to the single mother with no family support: pray and forgive.” ~ Mother Teresa

“It is freeing to become aware that we do not have to be victims of our past and can learn new ways of responding. But there is a step beyond this recognition… It is the step of forgiveness. Forgiveness is love practiced among people who love poorly.” ~ Henri Nouwen

“I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.” ~ C. S. Lewis

“Always decide to use humble love. If you resolve to do that, once and for all, you can subdue the whole world. Loving humility is marvellously strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it.” ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky

“Whoever opts for revenge should dig two graves.” ~ Chinese Proverb

“It may be infinitely worse to refuse to forgive than to murder, because the latter may be an impulse of a moment of heat, whereas the former is a cold and deliberate choice of the heart.” ~ George MacDonald

“Without being forgiven, released from the consequences of what we have done, our capacity to act would, as it were, be confined to a single deed from which we could never recover; we would remain the victims of its consequences forever.” ~ Hanna Arendt

“Forgiveness is not an occasional act. It is a permanent attitude.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

Though justice be thy plea, consider this: That in the course of justice none of us Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy, And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. ~ William Shakespeare

“Love… keeps no record of wrongs.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

Forgiveness Greek words = 1. to be generous, to give freely; 2. to let go, to cancel, to pardon, to dismiss, to release.

“Love… keeps no record of wrongs.” ~ 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NIV)

“For if you forgive others when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” ~ Matthew 6:14-15 (TNIV)

“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. " ~ Mark 11:25 (TNIV)

“It is more blessed to give than to receive.” ~ Acts 20:35 (TNIV)

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3:13-14 (TNIV)

“Love your enemies.” ~ Jesus

"If any brother or sister sins, rebuke the offender; and if they repent, forgive him. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, `I repent,' forgive them.” ~ Luke 17:3-4 (TNIV)

SIN … -> REBUKE -> REPENTANCE -> FORGIVENESS -> ACCEPTANCE

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person’s eye.” ~ Matthew 7:3-5 (TNIV)

“We love because he first loved us.” ~ 1 John 4:19 (TNIV)

“Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” ~ Luke 7:47 (TNIV)

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” ~ Romans 8:1 (TNIV)

“If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will save it.” ~ Luke 9:23-24 (CEV)