Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you.
Colossians 3:13
Christ has forgiven us so much therefore our forgiveness to others should also be much. Love covers a multitude of sins.
14If you forgive others for the wrongs they do to you, your Father in heaven will forgive you. 15But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:14-15
Without forgiveness given to others we may not expect God to forgive us. God requires that we forgive everyone who do us wrong. In doing this we have to remember that true forgiveness is always birthed out of repentance shown by the person who did the wrong. Without that it is really impossible to forgive anyone without opening ourselves to further abuse. The person who has been wronged have to find a way whereby the other person will be confronted about his behaviour. This leads to repentance and forgiveness. But if it is not possible in some circumstances then forgiveness without repentance may be necessary. But the best way is forgiveness with repentance.
44He turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Have you noticed this woman? When I came into your home, you didn’t give me any water so I could wash my feet. But she has washed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46You didn’t even pour olive oil on my head, [d] but she has poured expensive perfume on my feet. 47So I tell you that all her sins are forgiven, and that is why she has shown great love. But anyone who has been forgiven for only a little will show only a little love.” 48Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.
Luke 7:44-48
Forgiveness always comes after repentance has been shown whether it is verbal or not. God listens to our hearts more than our words. If we have a broken and contrite spirit, be sure that God will not refuse forgiveness to us.
But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away.
1 John 1:9
As Christians there are times when we make mistakes. It is during those times that we can depend on the forgiveness of God. God forgives not because we merit forgiveness but because Jesus Christ shed His blood for our sins on the cross. Now He is our High Priest always interceding and praying for us before the Father. When we confess our sins, God sees the blood of His Son being presented before His throne. And it is His blood that washes us from every sin both knowing and unknowing.