Fully Pardoned

A four-year-old boy was throwing a temper tantrum in his bedroom.  His mother,  unable to calm him down, decided to leave him in his room. She went downstairs to do her chores. When the boy realized that there was no one around to listen to him, and that he was left alone, he got frightened and scared.  His tantrum had caused his mother, who was his only source of comfort and protection, to leave.  Fear replaced anger.  In desperation,  he left his room crying, “Mommy, momy. I’m sorry!”  When he reached the bottom of the stairs, his mother was waiting for him arms outstretched. He did not have to look for her. She was waiting at the bottom of the stairs arms outstretched to receive him.

This is always the way it is when we offer our prayers of confession.  We always find that God has already turned to us, and is just waiting for us to come to Him, so that He can receive us back into His blessing.  This assurance of pardon is why we know we can always confess our sins and be heard.

In the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, which provided the basis for many denominations’ worship, when a congregation confesses their sins, this prayer (or something like it) is used

“Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who does not desire a sinner’s death,  but his turning from wickedness to life. . . grant us true repentance so that the rest of our life may be pure and holy so that we may at last come to eternal joy through Jesus Christ, Amen.”

This is the absolution, or assurance of pardon of our sins.  People do not forgive sins against God, any more than we can forgive sins committed against another person. But we can,  by God’s own Words, assure and be assured that our sins can be forgiven, if we repent and turn to Christ.  

The Bible makes this clear to us  in many places. For example, in Romans 5:8

“For God demonstrated His love to us that when we were still Sinners, Christ died for us.”

And in 1 John 1:9

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness.”

And in John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever would believe in Him would not perish, but would have everlasting life.”

God did not give us the power to forgive sins—He already did it Himself, though the sacrifice of Jesus.

We confess our sins to God because we know that God has already forgiven.  Whenever we turn to Him, we discover that He has already turned to us.

Today, like yesterday, keep your confession notebook with God.  This time, however,  add this one thing.  After you have confess your sins to God, write over them these words from 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, then He is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and cleanse us of all unrighteousness.”

God is waiting hands outstretched to give you the forgiveness you need.   

Father, thank you that we an never outsin your grace.  No matter what we may have done,  we know that You are waiting to receive us back to Yourself. Help us, Lord to confess as boldly as we have sinned,  trusting in Your grace to receive us.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.