— “Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is obedience to the Gospel.”
📖 Summary
Biblical forgiveness is not emotional release but faithful surrender.
True forgiveness does not mean forgetting or excusing evil;
it means releasing judgment to God and finding freedom in grace.
Forgiveness begins not in emotion but at the cross—
where we remember how greatly we ourselves have been forgiven.
1️⃣ Introduction | “I know I should forgive… but it’s so hard.”
We often say we want to forgive, yet cannot.
“I can’t forget what they did.”
“If I forgive, it’s like saying it was okay.”
But Scripture defines forgiveness not as forgetting,
but as entrusting justice to God’s righteous hand (Rom 12:19).
2️⃣ Biblical Foundation | Forgiveness Is Trusting God’s Justice
📘 Ephesians 4:32 (ESV) — “Forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”
📘 Matthew 18:21–22 (ESV) — “Not seven times, but seventy-seven times.”
📘 Romans 12:19 (ESV) — “Leave it to the wrath of God.”
📘 Colossians 3:13 (ESV) — “As the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.”
→ Forgiveness is faith in God’s justice, not denial of pain.
3️⃣ Theological Insights
📜 John MacArthur — The Freedom and Power of Forgiveness
“Forgiveness is not forgetting the offense
but surrendering the right to revenge.”
📜 R.C. Sproul — The Holiness of God
“We can forgive only because God has first forgiven us.”
📜 John Piper — Future Grace
“Forgiveness looks forward, trusting future grace more than past wounds.”
📜 C.S. Lewis — Mere Christianity
“To forgive is to decide that the wrong no longer defines your relationship.”
📜 Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q.105
“As God forgives our sins, so must we forgive our neighbors.”
4️⃣ False Views vs. Biblical Corrections
| False View | Problem | Biblical Correction |
|---|---|---|
| “Forgiveness means forgetting.” | Denies reality | Forgiveness ends revenge, not memory. |
| “They must repent first.” | Conditional love | Forgiveness can be given before repentance. |
| “Forgiveness removes justice.” | Confuses grace with injustice | God remains the just Judge. |
| “Forgiveness shows weakness.” | Worldly thinking | Forgiveness displays Gospel strength. |
5️⃣ Practical Steps to Biblical Forgiveness
1️⃣ Acknowledge the Hurt — Honesty is the first act of faith.
2️⃣ Meditate on God’s Forgiveness — Remember the cross before you look at the offender.
3️⃣ Surrender the Right to Revenge — Leave justice to God.
4️⃣ Pray for the Offender — Prayer reshapes the heart.
5️⃣ Practice Wise Boundaries — Forgiveness is unconditional; reconciliation is not.
6️⃣ Conclusion
Forgiveness is not passive tolerance—it’s active trust in God’s sovereignty.
We forgive because Christ forgave us first,
and we release vengeance because God alone is just.
“Forgiveness is the act of handing the chain of pain
into God’s hands, and walking free.” — Revito
Faith. Grace. Renewal. — Revito
🔖 Hashtags
#Forgiveness #BiblicalForgiveness #Ephesians432 #Matthew1821 #Romans1219 #Colossians313 #JohnMacArthur #RCSproul #JohnPiper #CSLewis #WestminsterCatechism #ReformedTheology #FaithGraceRenewal #Revito
