Donald Fehlauer posted on October 05, 2005 00:00
Sin breaks the relationship between God and us and between other people and us. The Good News (Gospel) of Jesus is that God forgives us for Jesus’ sake. It is important to hear that Gospel.
We confess our sins both through general confession in worship services and private confession with the pastor. Then we hear the pastor pronounce our forgiveness (Absolution). Jesus promises that the forgiveness spoken by a pastor is truly God’s forgiveness (John 20:21-23).
Reconciliation of relationships broken by sin extends to those who sin against us and those we have sinned against. God has reconciled Himself to us through Christ (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). The sins that we confess to other people have also been made right by Christ, so we forgive, reconcile, and speak forgiveness to each other with the same confidence that God forgives us through Jesus Christ.