Forgive the Person, Not Their Actions
First15 Devotional
First15
4.9 • 2.3K Ratings
🗓️ 22 August 2025
⏱️ 11 minutes
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Summary
In today’s First15, we continue our weeklong focus on forgiveness by looking at the idea of separating out our forgiveness of the person from their actions. It’s often our failure to do this separation that keeps us from engaging in the lifegiving command to forgive. But God has wisdom and revelation for us today as we look at his word, and freedom for our hearts today if we’ll engage with him in prayer. May you find newfound freedom from the weight of unforgiveness today.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | In today's verse 15, we continue our week-long focus on forgiveness by looking at the idea of separating out our forgiveness of the person from their actions. |
| 0:15.0 | It's often our failure to do this separation that keeps us from engaging in the life-giving command to forgive. |
| 0:22.6 | But God has wisdom and revelation for us today as we look at His Word and freedom for our hearts today if we'll engage with him in prayer. |
| 0:32.6 | May you find newfound freedom from the weight of unforgiveness today. |
| 0:38.3 | Welcome to the first 15 podcast. Our scripture for today comes from John 1334. |
| 1:14.7 | Scripture says, |
| 1:16.3 | A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another. |
| 1:21.9 | Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. |
| 1:29.8 | One of the most important distinctions to make when learning about the practice of forgiveness |
| 1:35.3 | is to forgive the person, not their actions. |
| 1:40.4 | Playing the sequence of someone's wrongful action over and over again in the mind is a terrible |
| 1:46.3 | hindrance to obeying God's command to forgive. When we continually reflect on how wrong an action was, |
| 1:54.9 | our thoughts act as a blockade between our heart and God's heavenly compassion. John 1334 tells us, |
| 2:03.6 | a new commandment I give to you that you love one another. |
| 2:07.6 | Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. |
| 2:12.6 | God forgives us because he loves us, |
| 2:15.6 | not because our actions are ever worthy of forgiveness. He forgives us because He loves us, not because our actions are ever worthy of forgiveness. |
| 2:19.3 | He forgives us because he values restored relationship with us over our sins. |
| 2:25.3 | He forgives us because he is filled with love for us, not because our acts of confession demand forgiveness from him. And he says, just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. |
| 2:40.0 | When Peter denied Jesus three times, he offered him relationship and another opportunity to serve him. |
| 2:48.0 | When Thomas was filled with doubt, Jesus offered him his nail-pierced |
| 2:53.7 | hands. And when we sin against God, he offers us forgiveness that we might receive the full depths |
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