Human beings were built for forgiveness. We know this because we need it constantly. From a spouse, a child, a friend, from God Himself—when does a day pass that we don’t find ourselves needing forgiveness from someone?
For many years, when I thought about forgiveness, I thought about it through only one lens. Receiving forgiveness felt like a gift God freely offered, on the condition that I would mimick God and grant it to others. It was an obligation. Something I needed to make myself do, even though I didn't want to.
But the more I reflect on Scripture, the more I’m realizing that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Scripture tells us that we are created in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). That means something of God’s character is stamped into our nature. And one of the clearest things the Bible reveals about God is this: He forgives. When God reveals His own name and character to Moses, He describes Himself as “merciful and gracious… abounding in steadfast love” (Exodus 34:6). Forgiveness is not a minor trait of God—it is central to who He is.
If the God whose image we bear is forgiving, then it should not surprise us that human beings carry two deep longings: the need to be forgiven and the need to forgive.
Jesus exposes this truth in a moment that must have confused everyone in the room. A paralyzed man was carried to Him by friends, lowered through a roof because the crowd was too thick to enter the house. The need seemed obvious: the man could not walk.
Yet Jesus’ first words had nothing to do with the man’s legs.
“Son, your sins are forgiven.” (Mark 2:5)
The room must have gone quiet. The man came for healing, but Jesus addressed forgiveness first. Why? Because beneath every visible problem lies a deeper human need: reconciliation with God. Before the man needed strength in his body, he needed freedom in his soul.
And the same is true for us.
The human heart carries the weight of guilt. We know, often more deeply than we admit, that something in us needs to be made right. This is why the promise of forgiveness runs like a thread throughout Scripture: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us” (1 John 1:9).
When we receive that forgiveness, something inside us comes back into alignment with who we were created to be.
Shame loosens its grip.
The soul exhales.
But this isn't where the longing ends. The image of God in us pushes in another direction too. We were not only made to receive forgiveness—we were made to extend it. Scripture calls believers to “be kind to one another… forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).
This is so much more than a call to behavior modification. It's a reminder that when God knit us together, He made us in His image. With His character. And as His followers, we're to walk with that image.
Imago Dei.
Any time we live outside of the image God created us in, we feel the friction of it. It hurts.
We often say we don’t want to forgive—that we have to force ourselves to do it because God commands it or because He forgave us first. But our experience tells a different story.
Think about it. How do you feel when you’re holding on to bitterness and anger? Do you feel whole? Do you sleep well? Love well? Laugh easily?
Of course not.
Our souls were not made to live that way. We were never meant to be consumed by resentment, spite, or hatred.
And yet this world can be hard on our hearts. It wounds us. Sometimes deeply.
But when we allow God to realign us with His character—when we step back into the identity He gave us—we begin to see the fruit of His Spirit grow in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness (Galatians 5:22–23).
And in that place, forgiveness is no longer a burden.
It's freedom.
To be forgiven by God restores us.
To forgive others reveals His Spirit within us.
Forgive to Be Free: Part 1 Out Now!
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