One of the key elements in our worship services at Grace Fellowship Church is a confession of sin and assurance of pardon. We try to vary the way we do these and I found last week’s particular effective and moving. Here’s how it went.
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We began this portion of the service by reading Psalm 119:65–72, then singing verses 81-88 (set to Belmont). Then Steve, our associate pastor, said this:
God’s Word is good, delightful, true, and reliable. It always points us in the right direction. If we stay true to God’s Word, then we can be sure that we’ll stay on the path of righteousness. But here’s what happens: Whether it’s forgetfulness, ignorance, or disobedience, we stray from God’s Word and end up sinning.
I invite you to answer these questions out loud, and be very honest as you do so:
Have you sinned against the Lord this week? [Yes]
Have you gone astray from his Word? [Yes]
Have you done that which is wrong in his sight? [Yes]
But is God willing to forgive you again? [Yes]
Did Jesus pay the penalty of your sin in full? [Yes]
Do you now reject your sins and reaffirm your trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ which is your righteousness? [Yes]
Then brothers and sisters, hear this Word of the Lord and rest in this truth: “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:11–12).
If you are in Christ, be assured that God forgives you completely. Praise the Lord!
We responded to this tremendous truth by singing “Only a Holy God.”