Withholding forgiveness from others is dangerous; for the Lord has said, “if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.”  Jesus used a ‘seven’ to describe the number of times a disciple is obligated to forgive others.  In the Hebrew culture, numbers carried very profound symbolic significance; the number seven represents completion; in turn, the obligation to forgive is limitless, infinite, or complete.  Since the fall of creation until the present day, men and women have fervently sought God’s forgiveness; none whose hearts were sincere have ever been denied (for God is merciful above all things.)  We are called to be like God; and so we must forgive without exception [Note:  Even if a person doesn’t repent and request our forgiveness, we are still obligated to forgive them completely; we see Jesus exercising such mercy during his crucifixion; as the people mocked him, and the religious leaders teased him, they were not repentant.  They did not ask for forgiveness, and yet Jesus said, “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.”  We have our example in Christ.