Lutheran Worship: Confession and Absolution

Our Path of Worship:
Centered on the Gospel
Orderly and Reverent
The Invocation
Confession & Absolution
The Word
The Sacraments
Prayer and Praise
Our Offerings
The Blessing

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:8-9)

The shouts of disgust filled the temple courts where Jesus was teaching. The Pharisees and teachers of the law threw a woman down at Jesus’ feet. She had committed adultery. What would Jesus say about her? Would he condemn her and allow the stoning? Jesus gave a surprising answer, “Let him that is without sin among you cast the first stone at her.” The shouting stopped. The stones dropped. The issue of human sinfulness was not up for debate.

John says that if we say we don’t sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth about sin is not in us. God has said that every inclination of man’s heart is by nature evil. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That’s the truth.

We may not so blatantly deny that truth about our sinfulness. But any time we claim by our words or actions that we aren’t sinners, or at least as bad as other people, we deceive ourselves. We see those subtle deceptions in daily life when people make excuses for sin. Children aren’t disobedient, they are just “hyperactive”. We don’t lust, we just “fantasize”. We don’t break the bonds of marriage, we just have a “fling”. We don’t neglect or abuse our families, we just had a “bad day”. We are not drunks or gluttons, we just “let loose” or “need to relax”. We are just innocent victims. That’s what the sinful nature says. That’s what the world says. But it’s not true. Sin is sin. It’s not a blemish, but a spiritually debilitating and eternally damning disease.

When we realize that, we are moved to confess our sins to God. We believe that he chose to love us and change us through the miracle of faith. When we confess our sins, we are turning to God for cleansing and restoration. Then God shows us our Savior. He is faithful and just and he forgives us. At the cross, we see our sins on our Savior. There is our certainty of forgiveness. God separates us from our sins and brings us back into his loving arms. Jesus satisfied his Father’s justice and so we are justified, declared not guilty, and pure in God’s sight. Then God tells us what he told the woman caught in adultery, “Your sins are forgiven. Go and leave your life of sin.” Live in thankful love for your God.

We need God’s reminder of sin every day. We need the proclamation of his loving forgiveness every day. We need spiritual renewal to live for him, serve him, and obey him every day. That’s why, in every worship service, we confess our sins and receive God’s absolution, his forgiveness. We have the privilege to come before God, so that he can wash our sins away. When you hear the pastor declare your forgiveness, it is just as if Jesus is speaking to you himself. “I forgive you all your sins,” he says. Those are some of the most comforting words in our Christian life and our Christian worship.