Forgiveness is one of the most powerful teachings in the Bible, yet it is often misunderstood. Many struggle with whether they should completely forget an offense after forgiving. While God calls us to forgive, the Bible also provides wisdom about remembering past lessons.
The Bible does not explicitly command us to “forgive and forget,” but it teaches us to release bitterness and avoid holding grudges. Forgetting does not mean erasing the past but choosing not to let it control us. Remembering can help us grow in wisdom, avoid repeating mistakes, and set healthy boundaries.
True forgiveness reflects God’s mercy toward us. He does not hold our sins against us, yet He calls us to learn from the past. Below are Bible verses about forgiveness and remembering lessons learned through trials.
Bible Verses About Forgiving But Not Forgetting
1. Ephesians 4:32
“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”
2. Colossians 3:13
“Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.”
3. 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.”
4. Luke 17:3-4
“Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”
5. Isaiah 43:25
“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake; and I will not remember your sins.”
6. Proverbs 19:11
“The discretion of a man makes him slow to anger, and his glory is to overlook a transgression.”
7. Hebrews 8:12
“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”
8. 2 Corinthians 2:10-11
“Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
9. Matthew 18:21-22
“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.’”
10. Romans 12:17-19
“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.”
11. Psalm 103:12
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”
12. Genesis 50:20
“But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
13. Ecclesiastes 3:15
“That which is has already been, and what is to be has already been; and God requires an account of what is past.”
14. 1 Peter 3:9
“Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”
15. James 1:5
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
16. Philippians 3:13-14
“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
17. Deuteronomy 32:35
“Vengeance is Mine, and recompense; their foot shall slip in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things to come hasten upon them.”
18. Matthew 5:7
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
19. Proverbs 10:12
“Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.”
20. Micah 7:18-19
“Who is a God like You, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in mercy.”
21. Hebrews 10:17
“Then He adds, ‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’”
22. Job 11:16
“Because you would forget your misery, and remember it as waters that have passed away.”
23. 1 John 1:9
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
24. 1 Corinthians 13:5
“Love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.”
25. Matthew 5:23-24
“Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
26. Proverbs 17:9
“He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.”
27. Nahum 1:3
“The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked. The Lord has His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet.”
28. Romans 14:10-12
“But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
29. Leviticus 19:18
“You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
30. Proverbs 24:17
“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.”
31. Matthew 7:12
“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”
32. Jeremiah 31:34
“No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.”
33. 2 Samuel 22:26
“With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; with a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless.”
34. Matthew 18:35
“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.”
35. 1 Thessalonians 5:15
“See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.”
Our Thought on What the Bible Says About Forgiving But Not Forgetting
The Bible teaches us that forgiveness is a divine command, but remembering is an act of wisdom. God desires that we release bitterness, forgive offenses, and move forward with peace. However, He does not command us to erase the past from our memory but rather to learn from it and grow in wisdom.
Forgiveness frees us from the burden of anger and resentment. It allows us to move forward without carrying bitterness in our hearts. However, remembering past experiences can help us make wise choices and set healthy boundaries. The Bible shows us that God forgives us completely, yet He also calls us to act wisely in relationships.
When we forgive, we trust God to handle justice rather than seeking revenge. True forgiveness does not mean allowing continued harm; it means letting go of past pain while seeking wisdom for the future. Ultimately, forgiveness brings healing, and remembering helps us walk in discernment. God calls us to forgive fully, love deeply, and trust Him to guide our steps.