Forgiveness works different in the new testament than in it did in the Old Testament.If you hear people telling you that you have to forgive people to get freedom then you know their perspective is old testament.

Jesus says before the crucifixion(which is actually Old Testament).

For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.Mat 6:14

And we could mention this one as well :

“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;Luke 6:37

Many still quote these verses to Christians today to try condemn them into forgiving people.

After the cross forgiveness is talked about this way.

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.Ephesians 4:32

bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.Col 3:13

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight. Eph 1:7-8

It is in being forgiven(past tense) that we gain the ability and perspective of being free from people and what happened in the past, now we can forgive them out of our own freedom provided in Christ.

When we try the old testament way of trying to forgive people enough to get free ourselves we realise we can’t get free, because people around us keep misbehaving.

But the blood of Christ is faithful and steadfast, it will keep us clean and free personally if we keep our focus there instead of on people.

he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.Col 1 :22-23

After Christ rose from the dead He said this :

And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”John 20:22‭-‬23 NKJV

Isn’t that a contrast to “forgive so you can be forgiven”? Now it is “forgive so they can be forgiven”. Because your forgiveness is past tense and the gospel message you now carry is forgiveness for all. That is our reason for forgiving, otherwise people will live in unforgiveness, so we share forgiveness so they can live free too.

Too read how John 20:20-23 works, checkout forgiveness part 2.