Top 191 Forgiveness Quotes

The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.

How unhappy is he who cannot forgive himself.

I realized that it’s all really one, that John Lennon was correct. We utilize the music to bring down the walls of Berlin, to bring up the force of compassion and forgiveness and kindness between Palestines, Hebrews. Bring down the walls here in San Diego, Tijuana, Cuba.

Many promising reconciliations have broken down because while both parties come prepared to forgive, neither party come prepared to be forgiven.

We cannot go alone to God. We belong to His Mystical Body, the Church; by even our most secret sins, if they be grievous, we have injured the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ and must ask forgiveness of His Mystical Body, too.

We only learn at the speed of pain, and we don’t have others in our lives without forgiveness.

Every one of us have been disappointed before and have had to go through the grieving process of anger and, you know, disappointment and then acceptance and forgiveness.

My desire is to stand up and brush myself off when I make mistakes and ask for forgiveness.

I desired to become a Christian, and prayed earnestly for the forgiveness of my sins. I felt a peace of mind resulting, and loved every one, feeling desirous that all should have their sins forgiven, and love Jesus as I did.

My experience has shown me that many people struggle with forgiveness of self and/or others.

When you are happy you can forgive a great deal.

Man has two great spiritual needs. One is for forgiveness. The other is for goodness.

‘Kris Kringle’ is a holiday musical for a new generation – a gorgeous score paired with a heartwarming tale of family and forgiveness.

When I felt real forgiveness, my heart was set free.

Forgiveness, in some cases, is a flipping miracle in the sense that you’re fighting, and suddenly something happens. It’s a kind of grace. Whether you believe in God or not, something happens, and it’s transformative.

I’m currently in an interesting correspondence with a nun about forgiveness.

Life is an adventure in forgiveness.

The principle that certain sins should not receive the Church’s testimony of forgiveness was probably no novelty at all, but had been applied in various churches; perhaps, however, with no strict consistency.

Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again.

Forgiveness is about empowering yourself, rather than empowering your past.

Confront the dark parts of yourself, and work to banish them with illumination and forgiveness. Your willingness to wrestle with your demons will cause your angels to sing.

Once people are not here physically, the spiritual remains. We still connect, we can communicate, we can give and receive love and forgiveness. There is love after someone dies.

No amount of debt restructuring, even debt forgiveness, will help the Greeks achieve real prosperity. What they need is not short-term relief but, rather, a long-term cure.

If there are occasions when my grape turned into a raisin and my joy bell lost its resonance, please forgive me. Charge it to my head and not to my heart.

I learned a long time ago that some people would rather die than forgive. It’s a strange truth, but forgiveness is a painful and difficult process.

It’s toughest to forgive ourselves. So it’s probably best to start with other people. It’s almost like peeling an onion. Layer by layer, forgiving others, you really do get to the point where you can forgive yourself.

Yes, one can repent of moral transgression. The miracle of forgiveness is real, and true repentance is accepted of the Lord.

Well, of course I think people can be forgiven. But our justice system is not set up to dispense forgiveness. You can go to the local priest for that.

Forgive, O Lord, my little jokes on Thee, and I’ll forgive Thy great big joke on me.

The things the writers have me doing on ‘Suburgatory’ are insane. I think they think it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

I shall be an autocrat: that’s my trade. And the good Lord will forgive me: that’s his.

There is no forgiveness in nature.

Dear friends: faith and forgiveness is much more powerful than napalm could ever be.

I invite everyone to chose forgiveness rather than division, teamwork over personal ambition.

Because forgiveness is like this: a room can be dank because you have closed the windows, you’ve closed the curtains. But the sun is shining outside, and the air is fresh outside. In order to get that fresh air, you have to get up and open the window and draw the curtains apart.

We cannot embrace God’s forgiveness if we are so busy clinging to past wounds and nursing old grudges.

I love discussing social issues, but I’m not interested in scare tactics. I believe there is a way to bring awareness in tandem with forgiveness and love.

Forgiveness is the answer to the child’s dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is made clean again.

One of the secrets of a long and fruitful life is to forgive everybody everything everynight before you go to bed.

I believe forgiveness is the best form of love in any relationship. It takes a strong person to say they’re sorry and an even stronger person to forgive.

I struggle with insecurities. I struggle with forgiveness. I struggle with letting someone go that did me dirty without vengeance, which is an evil thing.

Forgiveness is a way of opening up the doors again and moving forward, whether it’s a personal life or a national life.

When I was a kid I used to pray every night for a new bicycle. Then I realised that the Lord doesn’t work that way so I stole one and asked Him to forgive me.

Forgiveness is the giving, and so the receiving, of life.

Choosing forgiveness opens the door of your heart and makes way for a miracle in your life.

Let us not listen to those who think we ought to be angry with our enemies, and who believe this to be great and manly. Nothing is so praiseworthy, nothing so clearly shows a great and noble soul, as clemency and readiness to forgive.

Forgiveness is a big part of – especially post-civil rights movement – is a big part of African-American Christianity, and I wasn’t raised within the Christian church; I wasn’t raised within any church.

Forgiveness is not to give the other person peace. Forgiveness is for you. Take that opportunity.

The things that interest me are less to do with perhaps finding myself and more to do with surviving and mercy and forgiveness.

Always forgive your enemies – nothing annoys them so much.

Thankfully, forgiveness, and the healing it brings in its wake, has nothing to do with ‘deserve.’

Since I began my practice of Forgiveness Therapy, it’s now instinctual for me to choose to eat like I love myself – instead of eating like I wanted to punish myself. Plus I’ve not only lost weight, I’ve lost the anger and anxiety I was feeling, and so I feel happier and calmer within.

There’s more anticipation, there’s more forgiveness once you prove yourself to the fans.

Forgiveness gives you a chance to be fulfilled rather than be eaten up with anger.

I can’t turn the clock back but I can seek the forgiveness of those I’ve wronged.

Just knowing you don’t have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn – and those are all good things.

The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness.

One of the great qualities we have is forgiveness.

I think the first step is to understand that forgiveness does not exonerate the perpetrator. Forgiveness liberates the victim. It’s a gift you give yourself.

Forgiveness allowed me to wash my burdened past away.

Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer, and forgiveness.

Well, I’ve never left my faith – but have I made a lot of mistakes? But was I fortunate that I was brought up in that Pentecostal church, where I heard about God’s love and God’s forgiveness.

The Way Of The Fist‘ is not quite a Shakespearian depiction of anger and revenge. This song was more my way of releasing all the pent up aggression I felt against some people who wronged me beyond the point of any kind of forgiveness or mercy.

Can you really forgive if you can’t forget?

Before Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962, he was an angry, relatively young man. He founded the ANC’s military wing. When he was released, he surprised everyone because he was talking about reconciliation and forgiveness and not about revenge.

We cannot serve the Lord if we don’t have a heart of forgiveness.

I think forgiveness is overrated, personally, because some things people do are unforgivable.

The blood of Christ covers all of our sins, but each of us must do personal business with God in order to experience his forgiveness.

The heart of who I am as a person and as a man is forgiveness, after forgiving my father for a lot of things that were done when I was child.

Perhaps one could say I’ve worked in South Africa too long, but I believe in forgiveness, especially when a person admits a mistake, asks for forgiveness, and works to right a wrong.

The characteristics of an authentically empowered personality are humbleness, clarity, forgiveness and love.

For me, the healing process starts with graciousness and forgiveness.

Our lack of forgiveness makes us hate, and our lack of compassion makes us hard-hearted. Pride in our hearts makes us resentful and keeps our memory in a constant whirlwind of passion and self-pity.

Forgiveness became a big part of the civil rights movement, juxtaposed against the violence of protesters and law enforcement. King described forgiveness in one of his early sermons as a pardon, a process of life, and the Christian weapon of social redemption.

I discipline churchgoers with godly lessons and sharp words if they do not change their ways. My goal is to open their hearts so that they seek forgiveness.

Sin penetrates to the heart, darkens and hardens it until it extinguishes the light of belief. Each sin has a path that leads to unbelief. Unless that sin is swiftly obliterated by seeking God’s forgiveness, it grows from a worm into a snake that gnaws at the heart.

The fact is there is forgiveness for those who seek God. And I believe in the power of redemption.

In the Bible it says they asked Jesus how many times you should forgive, and he said 70 times 7. Well, I want you all to know that I’m keeping a chart.

It’s important to recognize that forgiveness is more than mere words; it’s a heart attitude that induces a spiritual transformation.

Forgiveness really is so misunderstood, as well as the power it can release in an individual.

It is very east to forgive others their mistakes; it takes more grit and gumption to forgive them for having witnessed your own.

Knowing that you are completely forgiven destroys the power of sin in your life.

Forgiveness is indifference. Forgiveness is impossible while love lasts.

I really do believe that God is love, one of deep affection and grace and forgiveness and inspiration.

The biggest takeaway from a memoir is that you have to play fair. Within the first draft, I was writing very angrily because I had a lot of resentment and a lot to process. Through revision is where a lot of learning happened and a lot of forgiveness happened.

I learned about forgiveness, and I’ve reached out to others to make amends.

God’s forgiveness is the only thing. And, well, I take full responsibility for the adultery. It was my fault and, you know, no matter what went on, the man has to take responsibility; and I do.

I am a minister and I preach forgiveness all time.

Nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge.

For the support and help from the people of Indonesia that I received during my leadership, I ask for forgiveness if there have been any mistakes or shortcomings. Hopefully the people of Indonesia will remain victorious based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

Anger begets more anger, and forgiveness and love lead to more forgiveness and love.

Forgiveness is important in families, especially when there are so many secrets that need to be healed – for the most part, every family’s got them.

We’d do better to follow the admonition of Jesus about loving our neighbours. People in the U.S. are capable of forgiveness and willing to see one another‘s point of view, but when matters become politicised, we’re less able to do that.

In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus assumes that asking for forgiveness would be a daily occurrence, as would praying that we might be delivered from evil and led not into temptation.

Historically, narratives of forgiveness were part of both the anti-slavery movement and the civil rights movement in America. ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin,’ for instance, was based loosely on the life of the Rev. Josiah Henson, who forgave his master that wanted to sell him and beat him after Henson begged him not to.

We need Grace and forgiveness.

One can’t relive one’s life. Forgiveness is not what’s difficult; one’s always too ready to forgive. And it does no good, that’s obvious.

Any story about revenge is ultimately a story about forgiveness, redemption, or the futility of revenge.

The people who did you wrong or who didn’t quite know how to show up, you forgive them. And forgiving them allows you to forgive yourself too.

Forgiveness isn’t about condoning what has happened to you or someone else‘s actions against you.

Amnesty is the forgiveness of something. Amnesty is anything that says, ‘Do it illegally, it will be cheaper and easier.’

If you’re truthful with yourself and others, forgiveness clears the path to righteousness, to grace. All we want is grace. We all want that light in our lives. And we can only get that when we go deep into truth.

No poem in the world could do my mom justice. Despite circumstance and adversity, she had an unwavering love for her kids and a faith-based, boundless capacity for forgiveness.

You’ve just got to have a sense of respect for the person you have children with. Anger doesn’t help anybody. Ultimately you have to say forgiveness is important, and honoring what you had together is important. But it’s easy to say and harder to do.

God may forgive your sins, but your nervous system won‘t.

Christians – whether as a priest, a nun, a minister, whatever – have just been stereotyped to death. You try to be a model of kindness and love and forgiveness to all those around you, because you have received kindness and love and forgiveness from God through Christ. That’s what Christianity is.

Our history is an inevitable component of our being. One thing only can release us from the grip of our history. That one thing is forgiveness.

Forgive yourself for your faults and your mistakes and move on.

Not only were the Jewish people beloved, but God himself had taken pains to let them know it. Could there be any clearer sign that he continued to believe in their potential, even without the Temple, to achieve forgiveness and ultimately merit the Temple’s rebuilding?

‘Ida’ is about humanity, about guilt and forgiveness. It’s not a film that deals with an issue as such. It’s more universal.

The full benefit of forgiveness of sin through the Savior‘s Atonement begins with repentance and baptism and then expands upon receiving the Holy Ghost.

I believe in the redemptive need to admit mistakes, express regret, and ask for forgiveness.

Murder is unique in that it abolishes the party it injures, so that society has to take the place of the victim and on his behalf demand atonement or grant forgiveness; it is the one crime in which society has a direct interest.

Things happen for a reason, and the only thing you can do is at night time get on your knees and ask God for forgiveness for anything that you did that you didn’t feel was right.

As our nation‘s student debt crisis has reached a breaking point, we’ve been hearing lots of talk about student loan forgiveness. It’s taken me 20 years to forgive myself for my loan – and just as long to pay it off.

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

Forgotten is forgiven.

As a matter of fact, forgiveness is not something you feel like doing, it’s really a choice.

Eid is here! On the first day, it is a custom for all Malaysian Muslims to ask for forgiveness from our parents. We kiss their hands and wish them ‘Selamat Hari Raya’ or ‘Eid Mubarak.’ ‘Maaf Zahir dan Batin’ means ‘to apologize in spirit and actions.’

Forgiveness is like faith. You have to keep reviving it.

Forgiveness takes time. It is the last step of the grieving process.

I love my children. That will never change. I have prayed to them for forgiveness and hope that they will forgive me. I never meant to hurt them!!

Forgiveness is hard for me, man. It is for most American-Western males. It’s a sign of weakness.

Forgiveness is the key to action and freedom.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

A winner rebukes and forgives; a loser is too timid to rebuke and too petty to forgive.

To confer dignity, forgive. To express contempt, forget.

The power of forgiveness transcends personal relationships.

People have to render judgment. In my case, I’ve said upfront openly, I’ve made mistakes at times. I’ve had to go to God for forgiveness. I’ve had to seek reconciliation. But I’m also a 68-year-old grandfather, and I think people have to measure who I am now and whether I’m a person they can trust.

I believe the Scriptures teach that there’s a literal heaven and a literal hell, just like Jesus said. And without forgiveness of sins that, yeah, the place of punishment is called hell.

Forgiveness for one’s self is the only way we can keep going through life and give ourselves the best chance at being the best people we can be.

I’m a minister, I preach forgiveness all the time.

Acceptance and tolerance and forgiveness, those are life-altering lessons.

There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.

Sometimes I see myself fine, sometimes I need a witness. And I like the whole truth, but there are nights I only need forgiveness.

What is forgiveness? An emotion? A coping mechanism? An element of deepest faith? A way for the heart and soul to combat the type of hate, anger, rage and a thirst for revenge that could ultimately consume a person? All of those and more?

No person is perfect. I haven‘t, thank God, had any infidelity issues. But you can’t say what you won’t ever do. And you can’t say that you won’t have forgiveness in your heart if there were to be an issue like that.

Love in the real world means saying you’re sorry 10 times a day.

If I owe Smith ten dollars and God forgives me, that doesn’t pay Smith.

Forgiveness isn’t just a blessing you deliver to another human being. Forgiveness is also a gift you give yourself.

To my younger self, I would say unless you’re literally in danger, ask forgiveness instead of asking permission.

Do you ever achieve total forgiveness after screwing up?

All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.

Forgiveness is the economy of the heart… forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits.

We have to look at loan forgiveness to incentivise young people to pursue degrees in areas where we know we need help.

Forgive many things in others; nothing in yourself.

Anger ventilated often hurries towards forgiveness; anger concealed often hardens into revenge.

I do not bring forgiveness with me, nor forgetfulness. The only ones who can forgive are dead; the living have no right to forget.

God pardons like a mother, who kisses the offense into everlasting forgiveness.

I could see that it was God’s forgiveness and His mercy that I needed, and that was provided through Christ on the Cross for those who will receive Him as Lord and Savior. That is how I came to Christ.

You can’t legislate into existence an act of forgiveness and a true confession; those are mysteries of the human heart, and they occur between one individual and another individual, not a panel of judges sitting asking questions, trying to test your truth.

Forgiveness is God’s command.

The mere acknowledgment that ‘God is watching‘ can act as a trap, fueling bad behavior, corruption, and guilt, all remedied by God’s forgiveness. No personal responsibility is needed – someone on the outside sees whatever we’re doing and makes it all OK.

Reconciliation and forgiveness can actually help all of us move on in a healthier, happier way.

The Queen has well-informed opinions of many of her bishops and likes those who are straightforward and intelligent. Both she and Prince Philip believe Christianity is as much about forgiveness as morality.

In 2006, 2 years ago, I made a very serious mistake. A mistake that I am responsible for and no one else. In 2006, I told Elizabeth about the mistake, asked her for her forgiveness, asked God for his forgiveness.

I would say the hierarchy has made terrible errors in judgment and it has to seek forgiveness by its members.

Forgiveness is not a one-time thing that happened the day you received Christ. It is an everyday thing, for the rest of your life.

Only the brave know how to forgive… a coward never forgave; it is not in his nature.

If there are dreams about a beautiful South Africa, there are also roads that lead to their goal. Two of these roads could be named Goodness and Forgiveness.

And the only thing to do with a sin is to confess, do penance and then, after some kind of decent interval, ask for forgiveness.

It’s so important in marriage to let the little things go and let the pride go. Forgiveness is so important, and communication. Don’t major on the minors.

As a practicing Catholic all my life, my faith and the church are never far from my mind. The lessons I learned in the church have structured the way I’ve approached my life and my career. They were lessons of grace, kindness, forgiveness, and compassion.

I’ve been interested in the idea of forgiveness and the necessity of it. I think of it as the most critical piece of any relationship, whether that be business, or romantic, or familial. We fail each other. We make mistakes. If we contract to go on after those mistakes, forgiveness is involved. Forgiveness is required.

The glory of Christianity is to conquer by forgiveness.

Forgiveness provides hope, joy, and a bright future that nothing else can.

Each life is unique. But for all, repentance will surely include passing through the portal of humble prayer. Our Father in Heaven can allow us to feel fully the conviction of our sins. He knows the depths of our remorse. He can then direct what we must do to qualify for forgiveness.

People will constantly bring up my past and throw it in my face, but the Creator of the Universe doesn’t. If you ask forgiveness from Him, then it’s gone forever. The past is never brought up to shame you or degrade you.

I think if there’s a support system in place, and you’re acting adult-to-adult with a sense of unconditional love and forgiveness, only good things will come from any relationship between men and women.

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.

Forgiveness isn’t just the absence of anger. I think it’s also the presence of self-love, when you actually begin to value yourself.

The first step in forgiveness is the willingness to forgive.

If you look at everything I do – even in ‘Boo!’ there’s a message, and it’s always ‘faith, family, forgiveness.’ That’s the greatest gift that I’ve been given. I can get a message to the very people I grew up with, the millions who love what I do.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.

The themes in ‘Violet‘ are universal: accepting yourself with all of your flaws, moving on, and the forgiveness and freedom that comes along with that.

There is freedom in forgiveness, and it’s not that hard to do once you get into the habit.

The FREED Vets Act will make student debt forgiveness for eligible disabled veterans automatic, both now and in the future.

Many people have trouble with forgiveness because they have been taught it is a singular act to be completed in one sitting. That is not so. Forgiveness has many layers, many seasons.

We are not forgiven because we are good. We are forgiven because Christ bore our sins.

Forgiveness is that subtle thread that binds both love and friendship. Without forgiveness, you may not even have a child one day.

Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope of a cure.

Forgiveness is not a feeling – it’s a decision we make because we want to do what’s right before God. It’s a quality decision that won’t be easy and it may take time to get through the process, depending on the severity of the offense.

The ineffable joy of forgiving and being forgiven forms an ecstasy that might well arouse the envy of the gods.

Sweet mercy is nobility‘s true badge.

As we know, forgiveness of oneself is the hardest of all the forgivenesses.

Hate is self-destructive. If you hate somebody, you’re not hurting the person you hate. You’re hurting yourself. And that’s a healing. Actually, it’s a real healing, forgiveness.

He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he must pass himself; for every man has need to be forgiven.

If we can find forgiveness in our hearts for those who have caused us hurt and injury, we will rise to a higher level of self-esteem and well-being.

For me, forgiveness and compassion are always linked: how do we hold people accountable for wrongdoing and yet at the same time remain in touch with their humanity enough to believe in their capacity to be transformed?

If only I wasn’t an atheist, I could get away with anything. You’d just ask for forgiveness and then you’d be forgiven. It sounds much better than having to live with guilt.