Repentance and Forgiveness

“[R]epentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations” (Luke 24:47). Only persons who trustingly obey God’s commanded method of sin-dissolving, as stated in his Holy Word, have found success in this otherwise futile venture: “Repent, ….every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven’ (Acts 2:38).

All sin including that which offends our fellow humans, is ultimately an offense against God – a violation of his will as perceived (often inadequately) by the human conscience. Sin is therefore a rupture in a relationship between a rational (conscience-responsive) creature and his or her Creator.

A conscience is either well-formed or malformed and can either accuse or excuse any given person, as Paul states (see Romans 2:15). (Inculpable ignorance can excuse one also). In its accusatory form conscience operates – as explained earlier – either as “prior” conscience, reining us in, or “posterior” conscience, spawning a guilt feeling for wrongs already done. In one case we should trust God to help us avoid sin, and in the other case we should trust him to forgive our sin.

Because it is a personal relationship that is ruptured by sin, the restoration must be a very direct one-to-one personal act. We can’t relate personally to some impersonal or sub-personal cosmic “force” or entity. Divine revelation shows us that our God is a personal God, incredibly loving and merciful and far more eager to forgive us creatures than we are eager to be forgiven. Yet he requires us to be open to his proffered loving forgiveness; the faith act of accepting it is precisely an act of trust in his mercy.

All of this makes it consummately easy, even in a flashing moment, to be totally exonerated, relieved of all guilt. No self-scourging or other self-imposed hardships are required. It’s simply a matter of soul-regret (remorse for having offended a loving God) and then surrender to his forgiving love, made meaningful for us by the sufferings of his Son, Jesus. In this context trust in his mercy is the most beneficial act of personalized faith possible. It confirms, up to that moment, one’s very salvation.

It’s heartening to know that something so necessary as salvation is so easy. Salvation is simply trusting God to manage our sins, just as we trust him to manage the supply of the air we breathe, the movement of atoms throughout the cosmos or the rising of the sun. Of the thousands of ways of attempting to attain true freedom from guilt and authentic peace, the only workable one is totally trusting the Lord. He dissolves our sins in his merciful love, like tissue paper in a blast furnace.

[I]f the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right…[n]one of the transgressions that they have committed shall be remembered against them…..Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that they should turn from their ways and live? (Ezekiel 18:21-23).

A reliance on Christ’s sin-atonement brings about a Christlike peace – one that transcends any worldly imitation of tranquility” “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubles” (John 14:27). But the moment we stop trusting him, we are left to drown in a sea of guilt. So let him wash those sins away?

This excerpt is from the book The Awesome Mercy of God, by John H. Hampsch,C.M.F., originally published by Servant Books. It and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/visual materials can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408.