Read John 20:19-23
It is the first day of the week and the disciples are hiding from the Jews when Jesus appears in the room. His first words are: "Peace be to you." Then he shows them his hands and his side to prove to them that he is in fact Jesus. Then he commissions them out just as God had commissioned him to come to earth. He breathes on them and says, "Receive the Holy Ghost." Then he gives them the power to forgive sins or to retain them. I understand him breathing on them and telling them to receive the Holy Spirit because that is what he died to release to us. But what did he mean by whoever's sins you remit will be remitted and whoever's sins you retain, they are retained? That is a lot of power given to us. So why aren't we going around telling people their sins are forgiven? And why would we retain someone's sins? I don't know the answers but I do know that forgiveness is a powerful force. To give forgiveness to people can cause bodily healing and mental healing. Unforgiveness can cause cancer, arthritis, and migraines to name a few. If you hold a person in unforgiveness you keep them and yourself in a prison, but if you release them through forgiveness you release both.
I wonder if we as a church have learned either of those things: how to receive the Holy Spirit or how to remit or retain sins. I know I haven't touched the surface. That is the great thing about God: he is a bottomless well of living water and there is always more. Teach us, Lord how to honor your teachings and implement them into our lives.
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