THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: 2nd Sunday of Easter

Second Reading: I John 1:1-2:2
April 19, 2009
by Dick Smith

Kris Baudler, a valued friend of mine, in a recent discussion on a theological list serve, pointed out some issues in reference to verse 9 which are included in this Thought for the Day. I wish to express my deep appreciation for his offering.

Of the four verses (1:6, 7, 8, and 9) that begin with a misleading “if” I suspect the most familiar is verse 9. It is the one which is used in the Brief Order for Confession and Forgiveness in the Lutheran Book of Worship. Apparently they lifted it out of the Revised Standard Version and dropped it down into the LBW. Not only is the “if” misleading but the future tense of the sentence is incorrect. It should read “is,” not “will.”

Martin Luther, who was a student of Greek, correctly understood the original and used the word “whenever’ instead of “if.”

The passage correctly reads, “WHENEVER we confess our sins he IS faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In Christ we are always in a forgiven state. We are always 100 percent sinner and at the same time we are always 100 percent holy, perfect, and righteous in the eyes of God because of Jesus Christ.

The manner in which the verse is misquoted both in the RSV and the LBW suggests a “quid pro quo” arrangement between man and God. That is, we confess, God will take that into consideration and then forgive us. We do for God and then He does for us. This suggests a nice bargaining relationship between God and man.

But Man has no such bargaining relationship with God. We are sinners, enemies of God, crucifiers of the Lord of Glory. Rebellious to the core we are, and the wonder of it all is that, while this is the case, God in Christ captures us and places us in a place of redemption, new life, and salvation. Against our will God makes us new creatures in CHRIST. This is what our baptism a about.

In the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Forgive us our trespasses…” we are praying with the confidence that we are already forgiven because of Christ.

I John 1:6 speaks that confidence of forgiveness that is implied in the Lord’s Prayer. “WHENEVER we confess our sins, God IS faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Not a word of “if,” then possibly. Rather it is a word of CERTAINITY. “Whenever” means the forgiveness is already there.

And where there is forgiveness there is already before the forgiveness the real presence of Christ in you as a redeeming reality. This is so because He is the one who brings the forgiveness into you. For where Christ is there is ALWAYS forgiveness.

Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection and His LIFE IS the LIFE that is in you.

He died and so WE ALL DIED (II Cor. 5:14). He lives and LIVES IN US because we have all died (Col. 3:3-4). His resurrected life IS the life in you!

SOLA DEO GLORIA!

© Richard J. Smith