As I mentioned last week, our posture is not one of perpetual kneeling, for after confession we rise and hear “…the pastor proclaim the Lord’s forgiveness to all who have publicly confessed their sins and trusted in Christ alone.”[1] We rise because we are no longer in the Old Creation. We rise because Christ has come with authority and power. We rise because Messiah defeated sin on the Third Day.
We rise to hear the Word of the Lord. It is not the pastor who forgives your sins; it is God who forgives your sins. The pastor pronounces as God’s representative what the Word of God pronounces to all who confess their sins. The Assurance of Pardon is God’s assurance of Pardon.
We need God’s forgiveness daily, but how precious it is when we are forgiven together as a body. How precious it is to know that all of us are coming to Christ with our hearts cleansed and purified by the blood of the Lamb. This is the part of the liturgy that causes you to rise from your knees and shout aloud: Thank be to God! Our Sins are Forgiven in Jesus’ Name! Amen.
[1] The Lord’s Service, 188.
