Presented by Pastor W Ludewig (pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church, Dawn) at a Church Warden's retreat, held in Dawn on the 22^nd of November 1998.

1. From the heading above it is clear that before this topic can be discussed at all one must first of all have clarity on that which is being confessed, viz., SIN.

What therefore is sin?

It is a sad fact that only too often in Christendom sin is simply equated with a series of actions, which ostensibly violate the will of God. As if, if one avoids those actions one is thereby excluding sin from one's life. The equation runs: avoid sinful actions and you will have a life free from sin. You will be able to say about yourself, "I used to be a sinner." Unfortunately, this type of reasoning totally misses the point as to what the essence of sin is all about. In fact, sin should be seen as an incurable congenital disease, which affects everybody without exception. As for the wrong actions, they are merely the symptoms of the actual disease. In other words, sin is something that belongs to the very essence of our nature as human beings.

That is precisely why the Apostle Paul equated sin with human FLESH! That which is human flesh is sinful in the same way that water is wet and fire is hot. E.g. Romans 8,6-8: "To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law indeed it cannot; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." We are human flesh, we cannot change that situation, it is our nature. One of the clearest of definitions of sin is therefore to be found in the Liturgy of our hymnal, in the Service without communion. "Almighty God, our maker and redeemer, we confess to you that by NATURE we are sinful and unclean, and that we have sinned against you by thought, word and deed. Therefore we flee for refuge to your infinite mercy and plead for your grace for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ."

When we confess our sin therefore, we in the first instance confess as to what we ARE! Only in the second instance do we confess as to what we have done in thought, word and deed. The deeds which flow from that which we are by nature. Also, please note that the confession of sin is always addressed to Almighty God. Also in the Liturgy with Holy Communion, "Almighty God merciful Father, I, a poor helpless sinner confess to you." In other words, the problem of sin becomes evident when one finds oneself in one way or another in God's presence.

2. Having now defined the problem, and as to what the essence of sin actually is, leads us to the question, "What then is the confession of sin? What does it entail? How are we to confess?"

One of the clearest of answers to these questions is to be found in Luther's Small Catechism, in the chapter on the Office of the keys - "What is confession? (Not only Private Confession, as stated by some translations) Answer: Confession consists of two parts. One, that we confess our sins. The other is that we receive absolution or forgiveness from the confessor as from God Himself, by no means doubting, but firmly believing that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in heaven."

"What sins should we confess? Answer: Before God we acknowledge that we are guilty of all manner of sins, even those of which we are not aware, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But in Private Confession, as before the pastor, we should confess only those sins which trouble us in heart and mind."

Note once again that the emphasis falls on that which we are, e.g., that which we have done as a result of our sinful nature and consequently we are not even aware of it. Private Confession however is there to deal with the individual burdens of individual sins.

What is the relationship between Private and General Confession? The Lutheran Church is most concerned with giving the maximum comfort to the penitent sinner. Therefore, the emphasis in Confession falls more on the General Confession rather than the Private Confession. Such as takes place at the beginning of the service, where the emphasis falls on that which we are rather than on that which we have done. Luther puts things nicely into perspective in a sermon that he once preached on the subject.

"A sincere General Confession is usually enough. To confess sin does not mean to recite a long catalogue of sins, but to desire Absolution. This is in itself a sufficient Confession, that is acknowledging yourself guilty and confessing that you are a sinner." (Weimar Edition 21 p 263) In other words Confession of sin is basically the sincere acknowledgement to God that one is a sinner and on the basis of that Confession, desiring to hear the Absolution, viz., the assurance that you are forgiven for Christ's sake. For us as Lutherans the emphasis falls onto that which we are by nature, rather than a list of wrong actions.

3. Why is it however specifically stated in the Catechism that one should receive the Absolution in the sincere belief that it is from God Himself?

In order to answer this question, we must take a look at the job description that the risen Christ gave to His Church.

John 20,21-23 (First encounter with the risen Christ). In the twentieth chapter of the Gospel according to St. John, we encounter Jesus Christ on the evening of the day of His resurrection, the first Christian Sunday, giving to the fledgling Church its Job Description. It is in that scene where the Disciples cease to be Disciples and become Apostles. The disciple is somebody who follows a teacher, as did the twelve during the ministry of Jesus on Earth, an apostle however is somebody who has been sent to do a job. Note John 20,21f. "Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father SENT me so I SEND you." When He has said this He breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any they are forgiven them, if you retain the sins of any they are retained." In other words, the Job Description of the Church is in the first instance to mediate the forgiveness of sin, which is to pronounce the Absolution to the guilt-ridden sinner.

In this regard, we should remind ourselves of the fact that our Liturgy as it is structured is an expression of the great celebration of the presence of God. We are literally engaging in a conversation with God. So, we should also remind ourselves of the fact that all people in the Bible who find themselves in the presence of God are inevitably overcome by their own sinfulness. Not, in the first instance, by that which they have done, but by that which they are. They are overcome by their nature, which is alien to God. For Example, Zachaeus, when he realises as to who Jesus really is.

Peter at the great catch of fish says to Jesus, "Depart from me Lord, I am a sinful man." Moses at the burning bush and all others who suddenly realise that they are in God's presence, be it Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and all the others. Not to forget Peter, James and John on the mount of the transfiguration, where all they can do is to simply grovel in the dirt and hide their faces. Their sinful nature is more than they can bear. As I have said the same thing applies to all other characters in the Bible who find themselves in God's presence. If, therefore the Liturgy, the Divine Service, is a celebration of God's presence, it follows that it is fitting, as we enter God's presence to admit to our nature, to begin the service with a confession of that which we are, viz., sinners by nature.

As I have said before this confession is not made to the liturgist, nor is it made to the other members of the Congregation. It is made to God Himself. (Almighty God merciful Father I . . . confess to you . . . ) Therefore, it should be noted that the reply also comes from God Himself.

God created the Church, He gave it its Job Description to mediate the Forgiveness of sin, but the Church does not forgive, God forgives. According to John 20,19-23, the Church is merely God's instrument of forgiveness. God is the active party in the Absolution therefore. That is why the Absolution is pronounced in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. It is pronounced in God's name because God is active, the liturgist or the confessor, is merely the spokesperson of God.

As also Baptism, which is also administered in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Because God is there likewise active. It is in fact totally wrong when a pastor says, "I baptised so and so." The pastor did not. The pastor only CONDUCTED the baptism; it was God who did the baptising. The pastor was only acting as somebody who has been sent to mediate the forgiveness of sin. He acted as an apostle. (John 20,19-23) So also with the Absolution in Confession and Absolution. It is pronounced by the liturgist, or the confessor, as an Apostle of God, active as an officer of the Church of God.

It is for this reason that the Lutheran Church preaches, teaches and confesses that Absolution should be received as having been spoken by God Himself. The liturgist or the confessor is merely the spanner in the hands of the mechanic. Without the mechanic no job is done. So also when it comes to God's Word and His Sacraments, which include Confession and Absolution. God is the mechanic doing the job.

With regard to the essential Character of Confession in the life of a Christian, note also the following passages.

James 5,16; Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.

I John 1,9; If we confess our sins, He who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Once again, the emphasis is on the fact that God cleanses. God is the one active in the Absolution. God forgives. Hence take Him at His Word and believe that the Absolution is from Him.

4. Are there any sins that are too severe to be forgiven? The simple answer to this question is a categorical NO!!

From God's vista, all actions, which are the result of our sinful nature, are forgiven FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. Everything from the so-called innocent white lie, to the most brutal of murders. After all, as I have said Sin is Sin, no matter what it is. In the same way as one is able to say that a woman is pregnant. It does not matter as to whether she has just conceived and nobody is aware of anything, or whether she is due to give birth within 10 minutes and it is totally visible. She is pregnant. It is not as if, in the first instance, she is just a little bit pregnant and, in the latter instance, she is a big bit pregnant. She is pregnant full stop. So also with sin, we are sinners full stop, and all sin is forgiven through the atonement of the cross.

The only exception mentioned in the New Testament is the Sin against the Holy Spirit. cf Luke 12,10; "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven."

We will speak against the Son of Man by virtue of our sinful natures. By virtue of that nature, our sin was there in Jerusalem on that fateful Good Friday, shouting with the crowd there, Crucify Him, Crucify Him. Away with Him, away with Him.

But the miracle of God's grace is that God forgives that very sin by which we crucified Christ, through the very cross which our sin instigated. And God assures us of that forgiveness in the Absolution after we have confessed our sin.

What therefore is the Sin against the Holy Spirit?

In order to answer that question let us first of all ask ourselves as to the Job Description of the Holy Spirit?

According to John 16,12-15, the function of the Holy Spirit is to reveal Jesus Christ and the Grace of God active in Him. Note v14, where Jesus says, "The Holy Spirit will glorify me because He will take what is mine and DECLARE IT TO YOU." In other words the sin against the Holy Spirit is the rejection of God's Grace mediated in Christ, after it has been revealed by the Holy Spirit. It comes down to the Holy Spirit, through the Word and the Sacraments, bringing to the sinner the message of forgiveness and the sinner responds by saying, "I don't want it thank you very much."

Obviously in that situation, the unconditional forgiveness of sin through the cross of Christ will be of no value to the person concerned. The forgiveness is there, it has been mediated, but it was rejected. It is this rejection of the Holy Spirit's mediation of forgiveness for Christ's sake, which is the sin against the Holy Spirit.

Therefore to the penitent, self-confessed sinner, the Absolution is to be pronounced unconditionally. It is to state, in God's name; "You are forgiven." It is not to be formulated, "You will be forgiven, IF!!" This applies to both the General Confession in the Liturgy, as well as to private Confession with the pastor. (Private Confession is most definitely a Lutheran practice.)

5. Confession and Absolution is not to be seen as a Rite of Purification.

1. Confession is, as I have said, the sinner admitting to being a sinner and saying with Peter, "Depart from me, I am a sinful man. This is a Personal Confession, both in the General Confession and in the Private Confession.
2. The Absolution is God replying through Word and Sacrament:

1. In the proclamation of the Absolution: Yes sinner you are, but sinner forgiven, come to me, I want to own you in my Kingdom, I want to converse with you, and I want to use you in my plans. Unlike the sermon therefore, the Absolution is a highly personal mediation of the forgiveness to the sinner who has personally confessed.
2. The proclamation of forgiveness in the readings and in the sermon. This is a general assurance of forgiveness. There is no confession, no actual facing up to one's sinfulness. It might very well have happened, but there is no confession that it has happened.
3. The mediation of forgiveness in Baptism. Here the sinner is accepted into God's family of the forgiven, for Christ's sake. An assurance which God Himself mediates. Baptism is, after all, as is the Absolution, conducted in God's name. Hence, God is active.
4. Baptism is a highly personal assurance of Grace and forgiveness. It takes place by name. God's name as well as the person's name.
5. The further mediation of Grace and forgiveness, through the tangible elements of bread and wine, through which we partake of the body and blood of our Lord in the Lord's Supper. Once again a very personal mediation for the forgiveness of sin, but without actually having confessed to that sin.

In fact, Confession and Absolution are the very expression of the Job Description of the Church as it is announced by Jesus Christ in John 20,19-23. Confession enables one to admit as to what one is. A Sinner. One must ask oneself therefore as to whether the Church is still living up to its Job Description if Confession and Absolution is not practised.

A quote from Luther's Large Catechism on this topic: