Some Thoughts on Sin and Forgiveness
Last Sunday, as I preached through the lessons of Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23; Psalm 49:1-12; Colossians 3:1-11; and Luke 12:13-21, including Jesus' parable of the Rich Fool, I took some time to explore the notions of judgment and sin. Sin can be a translation for the word "Illusion" in the Brueggemann quote above. Our illusion as a society and as individuals is that we do not sin, that we have no illusions, that we see the world clearly for what it is. However, we don't know the world as clearly as we should, and the Truth is that we are filled with illusions and that our sin is real. That's just life, that is the Truth of it. It is why I often greet you on Sunday with "Good morning, saints! Good morning sinners!" We are both. It is also why worship typically begins at the font with Confession and Forgiveness. Only by acknowledging our sins and illusions do we have any chance of moving forward in freedom and clarity.
Sadly, a key reason we are so jittery and frightened of admitting our sins and illusions is the fear of judgment. We fear that by confessing our sins, we will be judged by God and by others. But… because we are people of faith, fear can be banished. For those who believe we enjoy the promise that when we confess, we are immediately offered the consolation of forgiveness.
Another sad reality is that our fears are not simply individual and private; we live in a whole society that teaches we are to be judged by our sins. We have been taught to hide our sins because if we are caught with them, then we must pay a price. Sometimes that price is personal, such as a broken relationship, or it can be civil, like going to jail for breaking a law. We are taught that we are bad people and that others are bad people. And worst of all, we are encouraged to believe that God thinks we are bad and that God's judgment will rain down upon us and others. We are taught that we can't be forgiven until we've personally paid the price. But nothing could be further from the Truth!
Below are two quotes from the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King that refute both our skewed theological beliefs and society's teachings. I read these on Sunday and promised I'd post them. Here they are. I'll offer a brief explanation after you've read them. They were written 500 years ago, so you might need some patience with the language, but I think you'll find the ultimate meaning clear and quite lovely.
Let us learn, therefore, to distinguish Christ as completely as possible from all works, whether good or evil; from all laws, whether divine or human; and from all distressed consciences. For Christ does not pertain to any of these. He does indeed pertain to sad consciences, not to trouble them even more but to raise them up again and to comfort them when they have been troubled. Therefore if Christ appears in the guise of a wrathful judge or lawgiver who demands an accounting of how we have spent our lives, we should know for certain that this is not really Christ but the devil. For Scripture portrays Christ as our Propitiator, Mediator, and Comforter. This is what He always is and remains; He cannot be untrue to His very nature. Therefore when the devil assumes the guise of Christ and argues with us this way: "At the urging of My Word you were obliged to do this, and you failed to do so; and you were obliged to avoid that, and you failed to do so. Therefore you should know that I shall exact punishment from you," this should not bother us at all; but we should immediately think: "Christ does not speak this way to despairing consciences. He does not add affliction to those who are afflicted. 'A bruised reed He will not break, and a dimly burning wick He will not quench' (Is. 42:3). To those who are rough He speaks roughly, but those who are in terror He invites most sweetly: 'Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden' (Matt. 11:28); 'I came not to call the righteous, but sinners' (Matt. 9:13); 'Take heart, My son; your sins are forgiven' (Matt. 9:2); 'Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world' (John 16:33); 'The Son of man came to seek and to save the lost' (Luke 19:10)." Therefore we should be on our guard, lest the amazing skill and infinite wiles of Satan deceive us into mistaking the accuser and condemner for the Comforter and Savior, and thus losing the true Christ behind the mask of the false Christ, that is, of the devil, and making Him of no advantage to us. So much for personal temptations and for the proper way of dealing with them.
Luther, M. (1999). Luther's works, vol. 27: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 5-6; 1519, Chapters 1-6 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.; pp. 11–12). Concordia Publishing House.
Scripture presents Christ as an example for us to imitate. But I will not let this Christ be presented to me as exemplar except at a time of rejoicing, when I am out of reach of temptations (when I can hardly attain a thousandth part of His example), so that I may have a mirror in which to contemplate how much I am still lacking, lest I become smug. But in a time of tribulation I will not listen to or accept Christ except as a gift, as Him who died for my sins, who has bestowed His righteousness on me, and who accomplished and fulfilled what is lacking in my life. For He 'is the end of the Law, that everyone who has faith may be justified' (Rom. 10:4)."
Luther, M. (1999). Luther's works, vol. 27: Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 5-6; 1519, Chapters 1-6 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.; p. 34). Concordia Publishing House.
And another
"So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and hell, tell him this: "I admit that I deserve death and hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction on my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!"
I was unable to find the attribution for this third quote, but I have no doubt it is from Luther.
In August, I will revisit this theme and these quotes. Luther does a marvelous and sublime job of teaching the scriptural reality that God in Christ deeply loves us. If you feel like God is wagging His finger at you, then that's not God, but the deceiver. He also makes the point that we can't imitate Christ the way we'd like when we are in a state of judgment. Because we'll either feel judged to be in the right and feel smug or judged to be wrong and therefore less than what God created, either way, we can't imitate Christ in that state. Instead, Luther says "wait." Wait until you're in a state of joy. It is out of joy and thanksgiving that you'll be the version of Christ you were meant to be.
The lessons for the next four Sundays challenge us with our sin, but more than that, they extend to us the promise of God's love in the person of Jesus. And it is this very Jesus who gave his life to free you and me from debilitating lives of constant judgment. He also freed you and me from having to judge others. My sin is real, my illusions are real. I am flawed, imperfect, and weak. BUT…I know the One who is real, who knows my flaws, who perfects me and is strong enough for everyone, and the One who loves me and the One who loves you.