The Bondage Breaker by Neil T. Anderson
Week 10: Chapter 9 — Steps to Freedom in Christ (Part 2): Forgiving Others
Read Chapter 9 of The Bondage Breaker. Key Scriptures: Matthew 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:26-27; Colossians 3:13.
Previewing Week 10 of The Bondage Breaker
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
Anderson identifies unforgiveness as one of the most common and consequential open doors in a believer's spiritual life — and shows why releasing others is not optional for those who want to be free.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Anderson argues that unforgiveness is one of the primary ways the enemy gains a foothold in a Christian's life, drawing on Ephesians 4:26-27 ('do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold'). Does this connection between unforgiveness and spiritual bondage surprise you? Have you experienced it?
2.In Matthew 18, the unforgiving servant is 'handed over to the torturers' after refusing to forgive. Anderson interprets this as a spiritual reality — that unforgiveness opens the door to a kind of inner torment. Have you observed or experienced this kind of torment connected to bitterness or resentment?
3.Anderson makes a crucial distinction: forgiveness is not the same as trust, reconciliation, excusing, or forgetting. Forgiveness is a choice to release a person from the debt you feel they owe you. How does this definition make forgiveness more accessible for people who have been genuinely and severely wronged?
a.Is there someone in your life you need to forgive but haven't because you confused forgiveness with one of these other things?
b.What would it look like to forgive that person this week — specifically and verbally, before God?