Forgiveness With Sacred Boundaries
Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Matthew 10:16 (NIV) 

One of the most misunderstood aspects of forgiveness is this assumption: Forgiveness means unlimited access. The trap that can be laid for you is to think forgiveness has no boundaries.

Forgiveness addresses the internal emotional landscape, but wisdom governs future interaction. When you mete out forgiveness without boundaries, it invites repeats that chip away at you over time. Forgiveness does not mean abandoning discernment.

You are spiritually responsible for stewarding your heart. Some people may retain access to your presence but not to your inner world. They may be welcome into your fellowshipping space, but not into your internal feeling space.

Jesus modeled this. Judas had access to Jesus’s inner circle until Satan entered his heart, and then Jesus told him, “Go and do what you are going to do.” Access changed. Forgiveness remained.

Forgiveness does not mean pretending you weren’t hurt. It is seeing the hurt, acknowledging it, and deciding not to allow it to be the last word in the relationship. Growth allows you to forgive without surrendering sacred space.

Forgiveness releases. Boundaries protect. Both are necessary for a healed and holy life.