EXHORTATION
God doesn’t give us his grace so that we can go easy on ourselves. He gives us his grace so that we can be truthful with ourselves. If we know that after we’ve been completely truthful to God his grace remains, then we have every encouragement not to go easy on our sin. Good news church: where sin did abound, grace did much more abound, so let’s go to our Father and confess our sins together.
CONFESSION
Father of Mercies,
Thank you that your grace is sufficient to cover all of our sins. Forgive our frivolous attitude toward life, our callousness toward suffering, our envy of those who have more than we have, our obsession with creating a life of constant pleasure, our indifference to the treasures of heaven, our neglect of your wise and gracious law.
In this next moment, make your grace weigh heavily on us so that we might not go easy on our sin. So, hear us as we silently confess our individual sins to you now in silence.
Father, thank you that while we were your enemies, you reconciled us through the death of Christ. Help us now to live a life dependent upon your grace. A life that of repentance and faith. Do this all for Christ’s sake, and in his name, Amen.
(Exhortation & Prayer based on a portion of a Redeemer Downtown NYC service)
ASSURANCE OF PARDON – Isaiah 54:8; 43:25; 54:22
8 In overflowing anger for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,”
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
25 “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.
22 I have blotted out your transgressions like a cloud
and your sins like mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you.