Historic Reformed Assurances Of Pardon

Public Absolution Of Sins

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance: that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. (1 Tim. 1:15)

Let everyone, with St. Paul, truly acknowledge this in his heart and believe in Christ. Thus, in His name, I proclaim unto you the forgiveness of all your sins, and declare you to be loosed of them on earth, that you be loosed of them also in heaven, in eternity. Amen.

—Strasbourg Liturgy (1539)

Public Absolution Of Sins

Let each of you truly acknowledge that he is a sinner, humbling himself before God, and believe that the heavenly Father wills to be gracious unto him in Jesus Christ.

To all those that repent in this way, and look to Jesus Christ for their salvation, I declare that the absolution of sins is effected, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

—Strasbourg Liturgy (1545)

The Absolution to be Pronounced by the Minister Alone

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who does not desire the death of a sinner, but rather than he may turn from his wickedness and live; who has given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, who are repentant, the absolution and remission of their sins, he pardons and absolves all those who sincerely repent, and sincerely believe his holy gospel. Therefore, we ask him to grand us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him, which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life from now on may be pure and holy; so that we come to his eternal joy at the last, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

—Book of Common Prayer (1552)1

Absolution

We have a sure and certain promise concerning the eternal and immutable will of God (Ezek 18; John 3), that for all who are truly penitent, that is, who, acknowledging their sins and bringing an accusation against themselves, implore his grace through the name of Christ the Lord, he certainly pardons and blots out all their sins and will after this never to remember those sins in any way (Mark 16; John 3)….

—Form and Method (1555) 2

Declaration of Pardon

Listen now to the comforting assurance of the grace of God, promised in the gospel to all that believe.

Now hear the firm comfort of God’s grace, which he promises to al believers in the gospel:

Thus says the Lord Christ (in John, chapter 3): For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, so that all who believe in him, should not perish but have eternal life.

As many among you who are displeased with themselves and their sins, and believe that they are completely forgiven through the merit of Jesus Christ alone, and have resolved to die to sin more and more and to serve the Lord in true holiness and righteousness; to them (since they believe in the Son of the living God) I proclaim on account of God’s commandment, that they are loosed from all their sins in heaven (as he promises in his holy gospel) by the perfect satisfaction of the holiest suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

—Heidelberg Liturgy (1563)3

notes

  1. Jonathan Gibson and Mark Earngey, ed., Reformation Worship: Liturgies from the Past for the Present (New Growth Press, 2018), 395–96.
  2. Gibson and Earngey, ed., Reformation Worship, 466
  3. Gibson and Earngey, ed., Reformation Worship, 611–12.

RESOURCES

Heidelberg Reformation Association
1637 E. Valley Parkway #391
Escondido CA 92027
USA
The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization

Subscribe to the Heidelblog today!