Love is a prerequisite for forgiveness for without love anyone who trespasses the other must receive the punishment or reprisal. God does not grade sins into either small or great but man, to sanction sins, created two sets of laws codified into civil and criminal laws while sin remains sin and hurtful from divine perspective. It is written, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers up all sins” Proverb 10: 12 (NKJV)

This is best illustrated by a scenario of two prominent political rivals. One lost to the other, but by virtue of love, the loser came back to play a golden role in the tenure of the winner. There is no malice in love. It is an unchanging truism. Love covers all sins.