Forgiveness

A boy who was dumped by his girlfriend says, "She really hurt my feelings. How can I ever forgive her for what she did to me?"
A boy whose father sexually abused him for years asks, "Why should I forgive him for that?"
The drug dealer who wants to turn his life around wonders, "Will God really forgive me for all I have done?" How do we forgive others who have wronged us? How do we accept God's forgiveness?
God hates sin; He cannot stand to look at its ugliness. Therefore, unconfessed sin in our lives comes between us and damages our relationship with the Lord.

"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, or his ear too dull to hear, but your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that He will not hear." (Isaiah ;59.1-2)

Not only does unforgiveness come between us and God, it also breaks our relationships with others.

"He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends." (Proverbs 17,9)