Forgiveness: Freedom, Not Approval

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood commands in Scripture.

To forgive does not mean what happened was right. It does not excuse sin. It does not erase accountability.

Forgiveness is about freedom—and that freedom is for you.

Forgiveness Breaks the Enemy’s Prison

When we hold onto unforgiveness, we don’t remain neutral. Scripture teaches that offense creates an opening—what the Bible calls a foothold—that the enemy can use to influence our thoughts, emotions, and actions (Ephesians 4:26–27).

Unforgiveness slowly becomes a prison. Inside that prison, we stop hearing truth from God and begin listening to lies—lies about the person who hurt us, lies about ourselves, and lies about what justice looks like. Those lies fuel bitterness, pride, assumptions, and division.

This is why forgiveness is not optional for believers. God does not command it to minimize our pain—He commands it to protect our hearts.

Forgiveness Is Obedience, Not Agreement

One of the hardest truths about forgiveness is this: We are often called to forgive even when the other person doesn’t believe they did anything wrong.

Forgiveness is not agreement.Forgiveness is not reconciliation.Forgiveness is obedience.

Jesus makes this clear when He ties our forgiveness of others to our own spiritual health (Matthew 6:14–15). Forgiveness places the matter into God’s hands, where justice and mercy can be handled rightly.

We cannot change a heart that refuses to see—but we can guard our own.

Unforgiveness Doesn’t Hurt Them—It Changes Us

Unforgiveness rarely affects the person who caused the wound. Instead, it reshapes us.

Left unchecked, it can:

• Harden our hearts

• Distort our discernment

• Create division in relationships

• Discourage others through our words and attitudes

• Slowly justify attitudes or behaviors we once resisted

What begins as pain can turn into captivity.

The writer of Hebrews warns about a “root of bitterness” that defiles many, not just the one who holds it (Hebrews 12:14–15). Unforgiveness spreads. Freedom does too.

Forgiveness Aligns Us With Christ

Jesus modeled forgiveness at the highest cost. While being crucified, He prayed, “Father, forgive them” (Luke 23:34).

If we say we follow Christ, we are called to walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). That doesn’t mean forgiveness is easy—it means it is Christlike.

Forgiveness releases the offense to God and frees us to live with clarity, humility, and peace.

Forgiveness Is Freedom

Unforgiveness feels powerful, but it is not strength. It is captivity.

Forgiveness feels costly, but it is not weakness. It is freedom.

To forgive is to step out of the enemy’s trap and back into the presence and truth of God. It keeps our hearts clean, our relationships healthier, and our witness intact.

So forgive.Release it.Move forward.

Not because they deserve it—but because we know the true Forgiver.