What is the greatest asset for a man? Undoubtedly, the greatest asset a person possesses is life—both earthly life and eternal life. Nothing is more valuable than this. Therefore, consider how much strength, humility, and grace it takes to forgive when this greatest asset—everything—is taken away by another person. Taking someone’s life is the gravest sin one human being can commit against another: murder.
Yet, the greatest act of forgiveness ever witnessed in human history was expressed by Jesus Himself. While He was stripped, beaten, and crucified, and as His earthly life was coming to an end, Jesus prayed,
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)
This stands as the ultimate example of forgiveness.
Why does God want us to forgive others?
a) To prevent satan from gaining a foothold in our lives
Ephesians 4:27 In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
2 Corinthians 2:10 … one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, 11 so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.
“..when an unclean spirit comes, he finds it empty, swept, and put in order.” (Matthew 12:44). In the Christian life, it is not enough for our hearts to be merely swept clean from unclean spirits or things put in order. Unless Christ Himself fully occupies our hearts, they remain empty—regardless of good works or intellectual knowledge. Compared to Christ, all of these are worthless. An empty heart becomes an opportunity for Satan to seek control.
When we remain angry and delay forgiveness, we fall short of the glory of God. This is sin—it is unchristlikeness. In such moments, Satan finds an advantage and gains a foothold in our lives. That foothold can pull us down from a heavenly mindset into a carnal one, leading to loss of peace, damage to relationships, struggles in health and finances, and most dangerously, the absence of the manifest presence of the Spirit of God.
That is not the life God desires for us—and surely not what we want for ourselves.
b) To make our prayer heard or effective
God has zero tolerance for sin and an unforgiving spirit. Jesus Himself said:
Mark 11:25
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.”
This does not mean that God’s love decreases when we fail to forgive. Rather, we step away from that place of fellowship and blessing. Prayer is not merely speaking words—it is a two-way communication. When unforgiveness remains in the heart, the channel of receiving from God is blocked. That is why forgiveness must come before prayer.
c) To make our offering acceptable before God
In Genesis 4, we read that Cain’s offering was not accepted by God. At the root of this was pride—“I did this; this is mine.” Pride, inherited through the fall, always stands in opposition to God.
Jesus addressed this clearly:
Matthew 5:23–24
“if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering.”
What a radical command. Jesus teaches that reconciliation takes priority over religious activity. This requires humility—laying down pride and being willing to ask forgiveness from someone we may have hurt. God desires the unity of the entire Body of Christ, not fragmented parts.
d) Forgiveness is sign of thankfulness to God
In the story of Joseph, we see a powerful example of forgiveness rooted in gratitude:
Genesis 50:20
“As for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is today, to save many people alive.”
Joseph could have chosen bitterness or revenge. Instead, he recognized God’s hand in his suffering and extended forgiveness. This posture reflects true thankfulness toward God. When we look back on our own lives, we often find similar moments where God turned evil intentions into good.
e) Forgiveness is our calling in Christ Jesus
The Bible reminds us clearly of our calling:
1 Peter 3:9
“to bless others is our calling.”
Blessing others stands in direct opposition to anger, bitterness, and revenge. The character of God revealed in Christ Jesus is not marked by unholy anger, but by compassion followed by forgiveness. To forgive is not optional—it is the very nature of Christ formed within us.