What does the Bible say about forgiveness?
Forgiveness is releasing a wrong rather than holding it against someone. God forgives all who turn to him through Christ, and he calls his people to forgive others as they have been forgiven.
At the heart of the gospel is forgiveness: ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins’ (1 John 1:9). Through Jesus, God fully pardons those who come to him.
Because we have been forgiven so much, we are called to forgive others. Paul writes, ‘Forgive as the Lord forgave you’ (Colossians 3:13), and Jesus tied our forgiving of others closely to our experience of God’s forgiveness (Matthew 6:14).
Forgiveness does not mean pretending nothing happened or excusing harm; it means releasing the debt and the desire for revenge, entrusting justice to God. It frees both the forgiver and points to the mercy of Christ.
Original BibleDawn answer · reviewed 2026-06. Drafted with AI assistance and reviewed for accuracy.