I forgive you. Some of the hardest words to pull from the mouths of people. For the Christian, however, these words are the words that Christ as spoken to you. Therefore, you are to be quick to speak them to your neighbor. When they are uttered, you have the sure and certain promise that Christ Himself is there doing the forgiving. It doesn’t matter if they are said from the pulpit by your pastor or said from a parent to their child or the child to their parent – these are the words of forgiveness to everyone. Luther emphasizes the importance of the Sacrament:

We may at any time and as often as we wish lay our troubles before a brother or sister, seeking advice, comfort, and strength. This type of confession is not included in the commandment like the other two but is left to all to use whenever they need it. Thus by divine ordinance Christ himself has placed absolution in the mouths of his Christian community and commanded us to absolve one another from sins (Martin Luther, The Large Catechism, para. 13-14).

Below you will find the series of sermons and services about Holy Absolution and the wonderful gifts it brings.