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Writer's pictureSeattle ALC

The Power on Earth to Forgive Sins


"The Pharisees knew very well that to forgive sins was the work of God and belonged to Him alone. For this reason, they regarded Christ as a blasphemer, who as a man pretended to forgive sins. The forgiveness of sin is of two kinds: the first is to drive sin from the heart and infuse grace into it; this is the work of God alone. The second kind is the declaration of the forgiveness of sin; this man can do to his fellowman. But here Christ does both. He instills the spirit into the heart and externally he declares forgiveness with the word, which is a declaration and public preaching of the internal forgiveness.

 

"All men who are Christians and have been baptized have this power. For with this, they praise Christ, and the word is put into their mouth so that they may and are able to say, if they wish, and as often as necessary: Behold, O man! God offers thee his grace, forgives thee all thy sins, be comforted, thy sins are forgiven; only believe and thou wilt surely have forgiveness. This word of consolation shall not cease among Christians until the last day: 'Thy sins are forgiven, be of good cheer.' Such language a Christian always uses and openly declares the forgiveness of sins. For this reason and in this manner, a Christian has the power to forgive sins.

 

"Therefore, if I say to you: 'Thy sins are forgiven, then believe it as surely as though God himself had said it to you. But who could do this if Christ had not descended, had not instructed me and said that we should forgive one another our trespasses? As when he says in John 20:22-23: "RECEIVE YE THE HOLY GHOST: WHOSESOEVER SINS YE REMIT, THEY ARE REMITTED UNTO THEM, AND WHOSESOEVER SINS YE RETAIN, THEY ARE RETAINED." And at another place, Matthew 18:19-20, he says: "IF TWO OF YOU SHALL AGREE ON EARTH AS TOUCHING ANYTHING THAT THEY SHALL ASK, IT SHALL BE DONE FOR THEM OF MY FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN. FOR WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE GATHERED TOGETHER IN MY NAME, THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM". The word penetrates and performs it.

 

"Now if there were no man on earth to forgive sins, and there were only law and works, what a weak and miserable thing a poor, troubled conscience would be. But now when God adequately instructs everyone, so that he is able to say to others: THY SINS ARE FORGIVEN THEE, wherever thou art; the golden age has arrived. On this account, we are to be defiant and boastful against sin, so that we can say to our brother, who is in anxiety and distress on account of his sins: Be of good cheer, my brother, thy sins are forgiven; although I cannot give thee the Holy Ghost and faith, I can yet declare them unto thee; if thou believest, thou hast them. They who thus believe these words, praise and glorify God, even as they do here in the gospel. That is, God has given man power to forgive sins, and thus the kingdom of Christ is spread, the conscience is strengthened and comforted. This we do now through the Word. God grant that we may also thus understand it."


(The above is a quotation from the writings of Dr. Martin Luther in his commentary on Matt. 9:1-8. This sermon is recorded in the Lenker Edition of the works of Luther, Volume 14, Sermon for the 19th Sunday after Trinity, paragraphs 28 through 31, pages 208 through 210.)

 

"THEREFORE, IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW."

"AND ALL THINGS ARE OF GOD, WHO HAS RECONCILED US TO HIMSELF BY JESUS CHRIST AND HAS GIVEN TO US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION;

"TO WIT, THAT GOD WAS IN CHRIST, RECONCILING THE WORLD UNTO HIMSELF, NOT IMPUTING THEIR TRESPASSES UNTO THEM,

AND HAS COMMITTED UNTO US THE WORD OF RECONCILIATION.

"NOW THEN, WE ARE AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST, AS THOUGH GOD DID BESEECH YOU BY US: WE PRAY YOU IN CHRIST'S STEAD, BE YE RECONCILED TO GOD.

"FOR HE HAS MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN, THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM." II Corinthians 5:17-21


"FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: FOR IT IS THE POWER OF GOD UNTO SALVATION TO EVERYONE THAT BELIEVES; TO THE JEW FIRST, AND ALSO TO THE GREEK." Romans 1:16


From the Archives of the late Pastor A.C. Holmgren- October 1989


Submitted by Pastor Stan

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