Bible Verses by Topic
Bible Verses for Forgiveness
Forgiveness is one of the hardest things the Bible asks of us — and one of the most freeing. These fourteen passages cover both halves of it: how God forgives you, and how He asks you to forgive others. Both are necessary. Neither is automatic.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Two conditions: confess, and trust. The forgiveness is not earned — it is His to give, and He gives it faithfully.
Psalm 103:12
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
The distance between east and west has no end. That is the distance between you and the thing you have asked Him to forgive.
Isaiah 1:18
Come now, and let us reason together, says Yahweh: though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Whatever you cannot forget, God can wash. The color of the stain does not determine whether He can remove it.
Ephesians 1:7
in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
Your forgiveness is not paid for out of a small budget. It is paid for from the riches of His grace.
Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Jesus links the two halves directly. The person who has been forgiven much is meant to forgive others. Holding onto unforgiveness blocks something in the other direction too.
Matthew 18:21-22
Then Peter came and said to him, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not tell you until seven times, but, until seventy times seven.
Forgiveness is not a one-time decision. It is a posture you keep returning to as the memory keeps returning to you.
Colossians 3:13
bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, if any man has a complaint against any; even as Christ forgave you, so you also do.
The standard is Christ's forgiveness of you. Not the size of the offense. Not whether they deserve it.
Luke 23:34
Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.
Jesus prayed for the forgiveness of the people who were killing Him, while they were killing Him. If He can do that, He understands the difficulty of what He is asking you to do.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you.
Notice what comes before the forgiveness — putting away bitterness. Forgiveness is not denying the wrong; it is refusing to keep paying interest on it.
Mark 11:25
Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions.
Jesus connects prayer and forgiveness. When you stand to pray with something held against someone, deal with that first.
Psalm 32:5
I acknowledged my sin to you. I did not hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to Yahweh, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.
The acknowledging is the hard part. The forgiving is His part — and He does it faithfully.
Romans 12:19
Do not seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God's wrath. For it is written, Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.
Forgiving does not mean what they did was OK. It means you are giving the case to a higher Judge.
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.
If you have asked God to forgive you and you still feel like the old self — read this and read it again.
Hebrews 8:12
For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.
He chooses to remember it no more. You may remember it. He does not.
A prayer
Father, thank You for forgiveness I could never have earned. Where I am still carrying old guilt, help me to believe You have already washed it. Where I am still holding something against someone, give me the grace to let it go — not because they deserve it, but because You have asked me to. Amen.