# What does the Bible say about forgiveness?

> What the Bible says about forgiveness — verses on forgiving others as God forgave you, mercy, and a next step toward release.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/forgiveness
By Andrew Kittridge, Founder of Lumin · June 15, 2026

Forgiveness sits at the center of the gospel: we are forgiven, and so we forgive. Scripture is honest that this is hard and sometimes slow, but it ties our willingness to release others directly to the mercy we have already received.

## Key verses

- **Ephesians 4:32** — Be kind and forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
- **Colossians 3:13** — Bear with each other and forgive as the Lord forgave you.
- **Matthew 6:14-15** — Forgiving others is bound up with receiving the Father’s forgiveness.
- **1 John 1:9** — If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us.

## Highlighted verse

> And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
>
> — Ephesians 4:32 (King James Version)

## Reflection

The Bible roots forgiveness not in the offender deserving it, but in the forgiveness we ourselves have been given. That is what makes it possible when it feels impossible: it flows downhill from grace already received, not uphill from our own strength.

## A faithful next step

Bring one name to God today — someone you’re holding something against — and ask for the willingness, even before the feeling, to begin letting it go.

## Related questions

- [What the Bible says about anger](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/anger.md)
- [What the Bible says about hope](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/hope.md)
- [What the Bible says about anxiety](https://www.lumin.faith/what-the-bible-says-about/anxiety.md)

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Answered by Lumin, a Christian AI app for iPhone that gives short, Scripture-cited
answers with one next step. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lumin-faith-bible-ai/id6754889412