confession lesson 3 final

Overview

The Gift of Absolution

Confession is not a stand-alone act; it is the doorway to absolution. Sin, defined biblically as "all wrongdoing" and as "missing the mark," takes two forms: the original sin we inherit as children of Adam (Genesis 5 reminds us Seth was born in Adam's image, not God's unfallen image) and the actual sins we commit in thought, word, and deed. We come to God not in mere attrition—being sorry only because we fear punishment—but in contrition, the broken and contrite heart described in Psalm 51:17. As Joel 2:13 commands, we rend our hearts and not our garments. And we confess not only privately but together, as James 5:16 instructs: "Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

Absolution: Set Free, Absolutely

The word absolution comes from the Latin absolvere—to loosen, to set free. The same root gives us absolute: complete, certain, without doubt. That is exactly the character of the forgiveness Christ secures for us. There is no penance to perform, no debt left for us to pay down. Christ alone made the final sacrifice, and the empty tomb proves the Father accepted it. Scripture pours out this promise: 1 John 1:9 ("he is faithful and just to forgive"); Psalm 32:1 ("blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven"); Psalm 103:8-12 ("as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions"); John 8:36 ("if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed"); and Acts 13:38-39 ("by him everyone who believes is freed"). When you confess, you lay your sin at Christ's feet—and He has already picked it up. To try to take it back is to steal what is no longer yours.

The Office of the Keys and the Ministry of Reconciliation

When the pastor declares forgiveness, the authority is not personal but pastoral—Christ's own authority entrusted to His Church. In John 20:22-23 and Matthew 18:18, our Lord gives the Church the keys: to forgive the sins of the repentant and to declare unforgiven the sins of the unrepentant. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 that pastors are stewards of God's mysteries, and judgment finally belongs to the Lord. In 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, the whole Church receives the "ministry of reconciliation": "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation… God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them."

A Pastoral Word

Forgiveness between brothers and sisters is real and important—when we have wronged a neighbor, the Spirit moves us to make it right, as Zacchaeus did. But never confuse making amends with earning God's pardon. Christ has already done that, fully and finally. So come to worship to unburden your sins. Receive the absolution as the very voice of Christ. Pray with one another, encourage one another, and remind one another who you are in Him. When the accuser whispers and you find yourself trying to "steal back" sin Christ has already carried away, turn to a brother or sister and say so—and let them say to you what Christ has already declared: You are forgiven. You are loved. Christ says so.

Transcript

Thank you so much for the gift of confession. 7s

Because with confession, we know that absolution is soon to follow. 11s

We thank you that you give us an opportunity to confess our sins to you with one another and that we are promised the entire forgiveness of our sins in your mercy and through your gratitude. 17s

Lord, let this time be rich in learning that we may draw closer to you and to understand the absolute forgiveness we have in you and you alone. 29s

We lift this to you in the loving and saving name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 40s

Okay, so to recap last week, we were starting some definitions. 45s

And so we defined sin. Sin is all wrongdoing. Sin in first John, he writes sin or all wrongdoing is sin. 52s

Another word for sin or the word for sin in Greek can be translated as missing the mark. It's being mistaken. It's being an error. 67s

It's not on point. And we know that God's holy and perfect law is on point. That is our mark. However, we don't hit that mark. 77s

We don't hit the perfect and holy word of God. So then we talked about, oh, and with sin, we talked about the original sin and actual sin. Actual sin, those are these sins that you and I commit. 91s

That we that we do in our thoughts, words and deeds by what we have done or left undone. The original sin, this is the sin that we are all born into. 104s

We are all born into a corrupt nature, a sinful nature, because we were born and made in the image of Adam and Eve, the sinful mankind. 117s

Prior to the fall, Adam and Eve were made in the image of God. They were made in that perfect image. However, when sin entered in and they continued to be fruitful and multiply, we find in Genesis 5 that Adam and Eve had Seth. 129s

And Seth was made in Adam's image, in the image of mankind. So that's where we have original sin. All are born with original sin. And then we all have actual sin. 151s

We don't all have the same actual sins necessarily, but we all have the same original sin. Then we get to attrition and contrition. Attrition is being sorry because I'm scared. 165s

I fear the punishment that's coming. And so it's not actually being sorry. It's just not wanting to get in trouble. 179s

Contrition, however, is that that sorrowfulness for our sin. In the 51st Psalm, David says, he says a broken and contrite spirit, oh, oh God, you will not despise. 188s

We are to come to the Lord in our confession with contrite hearts that we are sorry for our sins, not because we fear the punishment, but because we are sorry. We know we have done wrong. 205s

We know that we have missed the mark that we have gone against God, willingly and deliberately. 219s

And then we talked about with that contrition, I had brought up, oh, there's a prophet. I couldn't remember which prophet it's written in that we are to render hearts and not our garments. 228s

One of our dear saints came up afterwards and let me know. Remind me, this is in Joel. It's in Joel 2 verse 13. So if you want to mark that down and look that up, you surely can. 238s

Joel 2 verse 13, where the Lord tells us to render our hearts, not our garments. So in the olden days, they would literally render their garments tear, their robes, and cry out and sit in ash and sack cloth. 250s

And this God is saying, that's an act. That's an act you're trying to make up for sin because of attrition. You fear. I want you to render your hearts. I want you to be sorry for your sin. 268s

So then we talked about how we are called to confess. Confessing is acknowledging our sin. It is professing that we know we have sinned. What do we do? Every single Sunday, I confess to you that I have sinned against you and thought word indeed by what we have done by what we have left undone. 287s

We have not loved you with our whole heart. All of this is that confession. It's that acknowledging that we indeed have sinned. Now this is another point where I brought us to James 5 and then started reading and said, I have no idea I wrote down the wrong thing. 308s

So I did have the right book. I did have the right chapter. James chapter 5 and you don't have to go here. You can, but I just wanted to rectify my mistake. So James chapter 5 verse 16 says, 329s

therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed. Again, he's exhorting us, commanding us to confess our sins. And I like how he says, confess them to one another and pray for one another. 347s

You know, we think about confession. We think about our sin and we know, I mean, we don't even know the depths of our sin. I think that's an act of mercy from God that we don't actually know the extent in the depth of our sin. 367s

But we know our sin. As David says, my sin is ever before me and do we want to come to others and say, let me lay this on you. Want to know what I did? No, it's uncomfortable. It's uncomfortable having to confess our sins. And yet, and yet, when we confess our sins with a trusted brother or sister, when we come in and confess our sins as a corporate church body, 382s

we are all acknowledging together that we are sinners and then we in turn get to pray with and for one another. And as you'll hear in an incredible sermon today, I can say that because it's not my sermon in an incredible sermon today, God hears us. He hears us. And so, so we, we confess our sins. 410s

And we find that we are repentant. We repent to repent is to turn around to go the other way. So if I'm headed this direction in my sin and I confess and I repent, I'm going to turn around and I'm going to go the other way, seeking to lead a godly life, seeking to to flee from the direction of my wrongdoing, the direction of my sin. 436s

Jonah, Jonah was really angry and did not want to go to Nineveh, not because he feared the Ninevites, which they were very scary. They, they, they were a scary people. He didn't, he wasn't so scared about going there to talk to the people. He didn't want to go and talk to them because he didn't want them to repent. 466s

Because he knew if they repented, God would not take them out. And he wanted to see them smoted, smited, gone. And so even after he went through the city and he proclaimed the word much to his chagrin, he proclaimed the word they repented, they rendered their garments satin ashes and sat cloth. 488s

And he went up to the hill and he's sitting there just waiting, wanting to see the demolishment of this people. And yet they repented. And so they were not taken out. That's what made Jonah angry. He knew that God is faithful, he knew that God is just and merciful and loving. And he knew that if they repented, he would not. 517s

So, so then we talked about penance. You can see it's crossed out. It's crossed out because there is no such thing as penance. We cannot make up for our sin. Penance is something that we are told to do to make up for our sin. 551s

But as we read last week, there is nothing that we can offer, nothing that we can do that will atone for our sin. But Christ, Christ alone made the final and only sacrifice for sin, which is giving up his own perfect life as atonement for our sin. 570s

He took the punishment of God upon himself so that you and I can come before the throne and stand forgiven and righteous. We are righteous through the one sacrifice made by Christ. 594s

Okay, so we've sinned, we've had sorrow, we've confessed our sins, we've repented. And then we know that we have forgiveness. We know we have forgiveness. 610s

And this is where we come to the next part. What happens after we confess our sins? What happens is that we receive something called absolution. 630s

Absolution. Okay, this is where it gets really, really exciting. So absolution, it literally means set free. 648s

It literally means to set free, to cancel, to forgive. Let's go ahead and go to first John, chapter 1, first John, this is towards the end of the Bible. 657s

If you reach revelation, or if you are at revelation, go backwards, just a couple of pages and you'll find yourself at first John. 671s

Verse 9, if we confess our sins, so if we acknowledge our sins before the Lord, if we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 682s

Let's go to Psalm 32, Psalm 32, this is in the middle of your Bible, if you open up, if you find that you are in the prophets, go back, if you find that you are in Job, go forward. 704s

So Psalm 32 verse 1, there we go. 717s

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 729s

Happy are those whose transgression, whose sins are forgiven, whose sin is covered. 737s

Let's go to Psalm 103, Psalm 103. 745s

Okay, so we're going to go ahead and pick up, let's go ahead and just start at the beginning. 761s

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name, bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits. 771s

And he's going to continue what are the benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed. 781s

Let's go over to, let's go down to verse 8. 803s

The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and a bounding in steadfast love. 809s

He will not always accuse nor will he keep his anger forever. 814s

He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 820s

For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him. 827s

As far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us. 833s

They are gone, we are set free from them. They are no longer near to us. 841s

We no longer have our sin that clings to us, but it is forgiven, and we have been set free from them. 847s

Let's go over to John chapter 8. This is the fourth gospel. 856s

So New Testament Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, John chapter 8 verse 36, 861s

where Jesus is speaking about who his true disciples are, and he says, 878s

If the sun makes you free, you will be free indeed. 884s

There is no if and or but about it. If you are made free in Christ, you are free. 890s

You are free. And then let's go to Acts 13, chapter 13 verses 38 through 39. 899s

Let it be known to you, therefore, my brothers, that through this man, that's Jesus, forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 915s

By this Jesus, everyone who believes is set free from all those sins, from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 925s

Again, saying there is no such thing as penance, you cannot be set free by anything that you may want or may do. 934s

You are set free by Christ and Christ alone. 944s

I'm taking time on this whole idea or the defining of absolution because it is so critical. 949s

It is so critical that we understand this, that we know it certainly, but the more that we know and meditate on what absolution is, the more we know it, the more we know it in the depths of our souls, that we have been set free in Christ and Christ alone. 961s

Absolution is derived from a Latin word absolvary. I'm not, I don't speak Latin. 989s

So we're going to just excuse the accent on that. 996s

The prefix ab is meaning from or away from and the root, solvary means to loosen or to set free. 1000s

So then we combine that and that conveys the idea of being set free from something and it's something from outside of ourselves or someone from outside of ourselves. 1010s

What I want to point out here, the word absolute meaning holy, complete, without doubt, for sure, that is derived from the same Latin word. 1026s

And when you think about absolution, it is guaranteed 100% without doubt absolute that you are forgiven. 1040s

You are absolutely absolved of the sin that you as a Christian people have confessed, that you have come before the Lord with. 1058s

The forgiveness of our sins is absolute and we are set free from one who is outside ourselves. 1071s

The absolution is not something that we can do for ourselves. 1083s

The freedom from sin is not something that we can capture for ourselves. 1089s

But it is done for us in Christ's sacrifice and it is proclaimed to us through his word. 1096s

No other name under no other name shall we be saved but the name of Jesus. 1110s

Something else with absolute, you know, when you think about penance, when you think there is something I have to do, then we don't ever have that absoluteness of absolution. 1119s

We don't ever really find that full absolution. 1136s

There is a cult of Christianity. 1141s

It is a cult that is not a Christian church. 1145s

They claim to be but they are not. 1149s

That teaches confession, that teaches repentance. 1152s

And when you repent, then you are forgiven but if you sin again, that sin that you commit and all the other sins that you have committed are heaped back on your head. 1157s

That is a dangerous, dangerous game to be playing. 1175s

A dangerous game to be playing. 1179s

So we know that there is one forgiveness for sin that is the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross. 1182s

We know the sacrifice was accepted because the tomb is empty. 1188s

We don't see Jesus on the cross. We don't see Him in the tomb. 1193s

The sacrifice is accepted. 1198s

So we know that it has been taken. 1199s

And when we come to the Lord, we lay our sin before Him and we are told we are forgiven, that is absolute. 1205s

It is done. 1214s

You are forgiven. 1216s

That sin is no longer yours. 1217s

There is a seminary professor and I love this teaching that he had given us in class. 1221s

He said, you don't get to steal your sin back because then you are just sinning. 1230s

You are stealing. 1238s

When we lay our sin, when we confess our sin to the Lord, we are laying it at his feet. 1239s

He has already picked it up. 1246s

He carries our sin for us and he removes it from us as far as the east is from the west. 1249s

And if we try to go and pick it back up for ourselves, we are trying to take something that is no longer ours. 1255s

And I know we talked about private confession and it is those sins that continue to nag and to hit and to be thrown at us by the accuser. 1266s

But they are not for us to pick up. 1279s

And it is really hard not to. 1283s

It is really hard not to want to cling to our sin because that is something we know at least. 1285s

And if we can be assured in our sin that we are sinners, then we have something to think about and worry about and work on. 1298s

But then we are finding ourselves back in this penance. 1312s

And we are still trying to work off our sin. 1317s

Oh, a raised hand. Yes. 1323s

Okay, so we don't need minutes to show hands for God. 1327s

But we need to get some others and we know we have heard them. 1333s

Should we do things to show hands to them? 1339s

We know we need to give them a deal. 1342s

We know we not, but we let them still. 1345s

Yeah, no, this is a great question. 1351s

Okay, so he is asking, okay, so penance to God, making up for our sin to God. 1352s

We know that we can't do that. 1359s

However, if we have wronged our neighbor, if we have sinned against our neighbor, should we try to make it up to them? 1361s

Well, I don't know how we can make up, however, however, it is good. 1371s

We are told to go to our neighbor, to go to the one that we have beef with, whether it's our doing or they're doing, and we ask and seek forgiveness. 1378s

And we're also called to grant forgiveness. 1393s

That is a forgiveness between brother and sister, between neighbors. 1399s

And if there is something, if I steal five dollars from you, and I find that I am convicted of that, I have a guilty conscience, I am contrite about it, and I come before the Lord. 1404s

By the grace of the Holy Spirit, He will urge me to go and make it right. 1421s

And I can come to you and say, Chris, I am so sorry, I've stolen five dollars from you, please forgive me and give it back. 1427s

When Levi, Levi, it's Levi, the tax collector, when, when, or is it Zikias, when Jesus comes to him and he says, I'm going to pay back everything that I've taken into then some. 1438s

He is not making penance according to God, he's not trying to make up to God for his sin, he is trying to do what is right. 1455s

So is it right to do right by our neighbors? Absolutely. 1470s

But forgiveness between brother and sister is different than forgiveness between God and us. 1475s

If you have not watched Pastor Eibel's adult education on forgiveness, it was from a few years ago, I cannot recommend that highly enough. 1484s

It is absolutely stunning. 1494s

The class is so good, and he talks about that, about understanding how forgiveness works, how forgiveness works between brother and sister and how it works between God and us. 1499s

So with this class, what we are understanding is that we can confess our sins to God, and when we confess our sins to God, we know that we are forgiven. 1514s

He tells us that we are forgiven. 1528s

So what? Because, I mean, we can hear it in his word, but every single week, when we confess our sins before the Lord, so this week, we confess our sins, and then the pastor, who is presiding, it's me today. 1531s

I say to you, by the mercy of God, we are united with Jesus Christ, and in Him we are forgiven. 1553s

I declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 1559s

What gives me the right to forgive your sins? 1566s

Because I got news for you, if Carrie Malanak is the one in charge of forgiving your sins, Carrie Malanak is a sinner, and needs forgiveness herself. 1573s

So what gives me the right to tell you that you are forgiven, and what gives that assurance that you are indeed forgiven? 1587s

Well, there's a little part in there. 1595s

By the mercy of God, we are united with Jesus Christ, and in Him we are forgiven as a called and ordained minister of the Church of Christ, and by His authority. 1598s

I declare to you the entire forgiveness of all your sins, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 1612s

It is not in my authority, it is not because of my words, it is not because I am worthy to forgive, but it is the office which I hold, the office of ordained ministry, which gives me the authority, and it is the authority given by Jesus Christ. 1617s

In the small catechism, I'm so glad you asked. In the small catechism. 1640s

We learn about the office of the keys, and every time we start learning about the office of the keys with the kids, they are like, okay, where is this office? 1647s

And trying to figure out where this office is, and what key exactly is it? 1657s

But the office is the position. I hold the office of ordained ministry. Pastor, I will hold the office of ordained ministry. 1662s

And so that is the office. It is the role of the Church. Christ handed to the Church the authority to forgive or to bind sin. 1675s

So the question is asked, what is the office of the keys and the answer? It is that authority which Christ gave to His Church to forgive the sins of those who repent, and to declare to those who do not repent that their sins are not forgiven. 1691s

We talked about the struggling sinner and the unrepentant sinner. So there is a difference between repentant and unrepentant. 1710s

The repentant sinner is the one who says, I'm sorry for my sin. Please forgive me and give me the strength to not fall into this sin again. 1717s

The unrepentant sinner is the one who says, sorry, not sorry. And they don't really have a repentant or a contrite heart. 1729s

In fact, they don't really have a trition happening. They don't fear. And they're not sorry for their sin. 1741s

What are the words of Christ? Our Lord Jesus Christ said to His disciples, receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. 1751s

That's in John chapter 20. Again, in Matthew 18, he says, truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 1766s

So it is not me that gets to make the judgment call of who is or is not forgiven. Thank God for that. You don't want me in charge of that one. 1780s

But we do have the office of the keys and we are part of the apostolic church that is that Christ taught His apostles. He ordained His apostles. His apostles then taught. 1792s

Remember in Acts chapter 2, how all of the believers were devoted to the apostles teaching. And through that then, we have through the lines of history, 1809s

of the church we come to today. And so we are part of the apostolic church. And so we have the authority to forgive or not forgive sins. 1822s

Second Corinthians. Let's go there. Second Corinthians chapter 5. Actually, before we do that, let's go to first Corinthians chapter 4. 1833s

First Corinthians chapter 4, beginning in verse 4. So this is right after the book of Acts, right after Romans, we're in first Corinthians chapter 4. 1844s

We're Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Says, think of us in this way. As servants of Christ and stewards of God's mysteries, moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. 1856s

But with me, it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. 1870s

So we're going to pause here for a second. So this is where Paul is saying, I don't know what my sins are right now. I don't know what I have done. 1885s

But that doesn't mean that I'm perfect. That does not mean that I have not sinned. When we have confession oftentimes, some of the words are, I, I, the sins known and unknown. I confess the sins known and unknown because we don't, we don't know one moment to the next. 1895s

I mean, it would be exhausting to try to enumerate, to try to number and try to catch every sin of ours because that would be all we spent our time doing. 1918s

So the sins that we don't even know, I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. 1928s

Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart, then each one will receive commendation from God. 1935s

So we cannot judge, we cannot judge or stand in judgment of one another, but we do all stand before the Lord. 1948s

And we know that the Lord is our judge and we know what his judgment is for those who have been called in faith through the waters of baptism. 1965s

We know the judgment of those that he has claimed as his own and the judgment is free and righteous before the Lord. 1979s

And we know that the Lord is the judge and the Word because we stand before the Lord in the robe of righteousness given by Christ. 1994s

So now let's go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. 2002s

2 Corinthians chapter 5 beginning in verse 11. 2006s

And this is on the ministry of reconciliation. 2011s

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others, but we ourselves are well known to God. 2015s

And I hope that we are also well known to your consciences. 2021s

We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to boast about us so that you may be able to answer those who boast in outward appearance and not in the heart. 2025s

For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God. If we are in our right mind, it is for you. 2034s

For the love of Christ urges us on because we are convinced that one has died for all. 2041s

Therefore all have died. 2046s

And he died for all so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. 2047s

From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view. 2054s

Even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. 2060s

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation. 2065s

Everything old has passed away. See everything has become new. 2070s

We are going to pause there for a moment. 2074s

So that original sin being born in that nature of corruption. 2078s

When we are called into faith, when we are reborn in this spirit, we are in Christ. 2084s

And anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. 2090s

Everything old, the old Adam, the old Eve is gone. 2094s

We struggle in the flesh, but our true identity is in Christ, who we are is truly in Christ. 2101s

Everything old has passed away. See everything has become new. 2112s

All this is from God who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. 2116s

He has given us the ministry of reconciliation, the church to pronounce to the sinner forgiveness, atonement, righteousness before the Lord in Christ and Christ alone. 2127s

That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. 2147s

So we are ambassadors for Christ. 2160s

Since God is making His appeal through us, we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 2162s

For our sake, He made Him to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2169s

We have been given the gift and the responsibility of the ministry of reconciliation. 2178s

We, as the church, have been given the command and the gift to confess with one another and to pray for one another and to receive that beautiful word with one another, that we are forgiven. 2188s

And then we, as the church, are called to encourage one another, reminding one another who we are in Christ and what we have in Christ. 2207s

That identity. 2221s

This is why it's so important that we are plugged in, that we are involved, that we are coming week after week to worship, to hear that word, to unburden ourselves of our sin. 2223s

And then to hear that absolute promise of forgiveness in the absolution and then to have that fellowship and prayer with one another so that we can come to each other and say, I struggle. 2237s

And this is how I'm struggling and be reminded through that ministry of reconciliation, who we are in Christ and to pray with our brother and our sister in Christ, not to steal our sin back, but to stand in the absolute promise of absolute forgiveness. 2256s

Rapt in the robe of righteousness before the Lord. 2286s

Today is Christ the King Sunday. It's the last Sunday in the church year. 2291s

What a glorious, glorious proclamation to proclaim that Christ indeed is King, that he sits on his throne even today. 2299s

Having made the sacrifice for sin and standing with the Father until he comes to call us to himself to take us to his very throne room and to say, forgiven, forgiven, forgiven, forgiven. 2313s

He is King, He is sovereign, He has called you as His own. And in His sovereignty, He has seen it right and fit to tell you that you are forgiven. 2336s

You do not get to be a thief. If you are a thief, turn to your brother, your sister in Christ and say, I'm trying to steal my sin. 2350s

And if someone turns to you and says, I'm trying to steal my sin, you turn to them and say, stop it. You are forgiven and you are loved. Christ says so. And He gives me authority to say so too. 2360s