What Is Biblical Forgiveness?

The Journey to Freedom: Understanding Biblical Forgiveness
There's a voice that whispers in the darkness of our most shameful moments. It tells us we're not good enough. That we've gone too far. That the vault of secrets we keep locked away—those things we'd rather take to the grave than confess—disqualifies us from grace. It's a convincing lie, one that drives a wedge between us and the very source of life itself.
But here's the truth that shatters that lie: You're not good enough for God. That's why He sent Jesus.

The Foundation: You Are Forgiven
The journey to understanding forgiveness begins with a foundational truth found in 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

There are no asterisks in Scripture. No fine print that says, "All sins forgiven except that one." Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. This isn't a suggestion or a nice thought—it's the bedrock reality of the Christian faith.

Perhaps you're haunted by something in your past. Maybe there's a secret so dark you believe it places you beyond redemption. But consider this: God already sees what's in that vault. He knows every hidden thing, every shameful moment, every regret. And if you've repented—if you hate that sin and desire to walk with Him—that vault has been washed clean by the blood of Christ.

The enemy's most effective weapon isn't convincing you that God doesn't exist. It's convincing you that you're not worthy of His love. But worthiness was never the point. Christ's righteousness is what makes us acceptable, not our own goodness.

The Parable That Changes Everything
Jesus told a story about a servant who owed his king an impossible debt—10,000 talents, an amount he could never repay in multiple lifetimes. In an act of extraordinary mercy, the king forgave the entire debt. But that same servant, moments after being forgiven, found a fellow servant who owed him a trivial amount—about 100 denarii, roughly equivalent to a few months' wages—and had him thrown in prison.

This parable isn't just about hypocrisy. It's about the nature of God's grace and what we're meant to do with it.

Why would a king continue lending to someone who clearly can't pay him back? Because he intends to forgive the debt. That's how abundant God's grace is. It's not a limited resource you hoard for yourself—it's an overflowing fountain meant to flow through you to others.

The Mandate to Forgive Others
When Peter asked Jesus how many times he should forgive someone who sins against him—suggesting seven times as if that were generous—Jesus responded, "Not seven times, but seventy-seven times." In other words, forgiveness isn't about keeping count. It's not an action you perform a certain number of times before you're allowed to hold a grudge. It's a heart condition.

But let's be honest: this is where it gets difficult.

Addressing the Hard Questions
"I want to forgive, but I can't forget."

The phrase "forgive and forget" is actually a flawed platitude. Forgiveness doesn't mean amnesia. Remember that Jesus told Thomas to touch His scars—literal reminders of wounds that had healed. Scars are evidence that you were hurt, but also evidence that you've healed. Forgiveness is how you view your scars. You can't forget you were wounded, but you can choose to let those wounds heal rather than constantly reopening them.

"Doesn't forgiveness make me a doormat?"

Absolutely not. Forgiveness doesn't mean allowing yourself to be repeatedly abused. It means you're in control of how you allow yourself to feel about offenses committed against you.

Consider God's own words in Isaiah 43:25: "I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins." God doesn't forget our sins as if they never happened—He chooses not to remember them against us. For His own sake, He blots them out.

This is the approach we're called to take. What do you want to do with the wrongs committed against you? Holding onto hurt and resentment doesn't give you satisfaction or reprieve—it only imprisons you.

"What if someone keeps hurting me?"

Protecting yourself isn't unforgiveness. You're not called to be a doormat for unnecessary abuse. If someone is an addict causing repeated harm, or if a relationship is toxic, distancing yourself isn't a lack of forgiveness—it's wisdom. You can still love them, pray for them, and empathize with their struggle without letting it destroy you.
As Paul wrote in Romans 12:18, "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." Sometimes peace requires distance, but your heart can still be oriented toward forgiveness.

The Freedom of Grace
The final step in the journey from resentment to freedom is grace—unmerited favor extended to those who don't deserve it.

Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." You did nothing to earn God's grace. In fact, Romans 5:8 tells us that "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." The only "work" we contributed was continuing to sin, yet God showed grace anyway.

What if you countered wrongdoing against you with more grace?

Our flesh loves to keep score, remember wrongs, and desire punishment. But none of these traits are worth holding onto. They're imprisoning. Grace, on the other hand, is freedom.

When you show unmerited favor to those who've wronged you, something profound happens in your heart. You're no longer living in hurt and resentment. You're no longer reliving painful experiences over and over. Instead, you're choosing to bless those who hurt you, to grow from what life throws at you.

This is the opposite of your natural inclination, which is precisely why it's so powerful.

Two Examples of Radical Forgiveness
The most beautiful examples of forgiveness appear twice in Scripture with the exact same response: Jesus on the cross and Stephen being stoned to death. Both men, with their final breaths, asked God to forgive their persecutors "because they know not what they're doing."

They showed empathy and compassion for people who weren't even asking for forgiveness—people who thought they were justified in their actions. This is the transformation that happens when forgiveness becomes a heart condition rather than a mere action.

Viktor Frankl, a Jewish doctor imprisoned in Auschwitz, discovered this truth in the most horrific circumstances imaginable. When he changed his heart toward forgiveness for his captors, he realized he had become free while they remained imprisoned in their hatred.

The Choice Before You
Grace is 100% your choice. It is complete freedom. If life hurts you, you can choose to grow from it. If someone wrongs you, you can choose to bless them.

Or you can choose the imprisonment of resentment.

God's grace has not only saved you to eternal life—it saves you from a life of imprisonment here and now. Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more. Let that grace transform not only how you desire to live, but how you extend grace to others.

Because in the end, forgiveness isn't just about the other person. It's about the freedom you find when you stop carrying the weight of bitterness and step into the lightness of grace.

In Christ's love,

Pastor Dave