No love is greater than giving one’s life for a friend. Jesus said this and by His giving of Himself on the cross, lived this. We also ought to love one another as much as we love ourselves.
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”
(1 John 4:11-13)
To love one another, we ought to forgive one another. True love is forgiving. When others wrong us, the spirit within us, God’s spirit, leads us to show mercy on others, not because they deserve it, but because it is within us not to hold them guilty for their sins.
God has forgiven us of all our sins. If we repented and gave our hearts to Him, He no longer holds anything against us. He did this because He loves us and does not want anyone to perish. In so doing, He shares His joy with us through the Holy Spirit, who comforts us.
Be joyful, for as God has forgiven us, we ought to forgive others. By this, others will know God is living in us and us in Him; and we have hope. That hope will never fade, for God’s love never fades.
Beloved, love one another.
Looking to God 
“God’s Spirit is… within us not to hold them guilty for their sins.” Wow–thank you, this is another angle on forgiveness that I have not thought of before. Bless you!
Christ forgiveness lives in us and as Christ does, so shall we do. God bless!
Thank you! Your post really blessed me! I was even thinking about it during my devotion this morning. God bless! (I’ve always been taught that God cannot forgive us if we do not forgive first–and yes, there are scriptural passages to support this–but I also now remember that the King forgave first the servant who owed him, and then he had the chance afterwards to forgive the debt of his fellow servant, but which he didn’t. But just as we can ask God to “help my unbelief!”, then we can ask Him with regard to any matter of the heart/mind. Every enabling is from Him.) 🍀
Praise He the Lord for His mercy endures forever. Amen in Jesus Christ name!
Praise God always, for He is good. God bless!
Terrific Jack!
There cannot be love without forgiveness
Nor forgiveness without love.
When We forgive & when we love are are MOST like Jesus. Amen
Patrick
The two are so much a like. Forgiving is showing so much love toward another person. God bless, Patrick.
Agree with the help of Christ we are able to forgive others the same way that Christ has forgave us
We always need to have a forgiving heart to love completely, otherwise a root of bitterness will take hold and will never let go. Blessings!
Amen