Does Someone Have to Ask for Forgiveness Before I Forgive Them?

Romans 5:8 “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Does someone have to ask for forgiveness before I forgive them? No. While it might be easier to forgive when someone asks you to, you don’t have to be trapped in the bondage of unforgiveness waiting for them to pop the question. God forgave man even before Adam sinned. That’s why Jesus was chosen to be the lamb slain before the creation of the world. Many people do not receive God’s forgiveness because their pride tells them they don’t need forgiveness or their low sense of self-worth tells them they aren’t worth forgiving. God’s forgiveness is not the issue. It is man’s willingness to receive forgiveness. It is man’s unwillingness to repent and receive forgiveness that separates him from God. Following that example, we should forgive others irrespective of their actions. It is then up to them whether they receive it.