The Presence of God

Lord Jesus again as we open up your word We've asked that you would send your spirit open up our hearts our minds help us to rightly understand what you've revealed there. So that we may correctly confess and believe what you have revealed for us as well as to do what you've given us to do.

We ask in Jesus name. Amen a little bit of a review. We've been wandering with the children of Israel. We're back into that story. They have been set free from slavery to a false god-king in Egypt. God has baptized them in the Red Sea.

By the way, if you want to know the cross reference how we know that the Red Sea was a baptism. The cross reference on that is 1st Corinthians chapter 10. The opening verses make that connection. We're at Exodus 20 children of Israel have arrived at Mount Sinai and After arriving at Mount Sinai keep in mind before they got there God began to feed them with the manna from heaven and Arriving at Mount Sinai God now speaks to the children of Israel and gives them the Ten Commandments and you're going to note that their reaction to receiving the Ten Commandments is Along the same lines as what we read in our Old Testament text for the sermon today.

Where God's presence shows up in the mountains quake and the earth Trembles and God causes his name to be known among his adversaries and they Also tremble are in in great fear. This is what God's law does but let's review what the text says.

God spoke these words. I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above or in the earth beneath that is in the water underneath and you shall not bow down To them or serve them for I the Lord your God I'm a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.

But showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. You shall not take the name Of the Lord your God in vain for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it. Holy six days. You shall labor and do all your work on the seventh day is a Sabbath to Yahweh your God on it. You shall not do any work you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your livestock or?

The sojourner who is within your gates for in six days Yahweh made heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them and rested on the seventh day. Therefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God has given you. You shall not murder. This is the commandment. We're really drilling in on today. You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that is your neighbors and now when the people saw the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the Mountain smoking the people were afraid and they trebled and stood far off and said to Moses you speak to us and We will listen, but do not let God speak to us lest we die.

So you'll note that being in the presence of God. While there's peals of lightning and thunder crashes and he's saying thou shalt not and thou shalt not. That is such a terrifying experience that you're going to note that nobody really wants to have God speak to them anymore.

Please don't let God talk to us. You talk to us Moses, but not him and this is God. When he's preaching the law to us, what does it do? It scares us. It terrifies us. It convicts us. It makes us realize Just how far short we come.

Notice that the Ten Commandments upon hearing them didn't make everyone sit there and go. Yeah. Hey, you know, I'm doing alright I actually do it kind of better than I thought. Yeah, that's what God's law does.

Just.

Convicts you of your sin. Totally convicts you of your sin. Now, we've been doing a drill down into the fifth commandment and We noted last week how the fifth commandment you shall not murder Requires us to not only not put a knife into the chest of our neighbor.

Mark is very happy that I didn't put a knife in his chest today. Good, but it's it's far more than not Murdering your neighbor. This text this commandment requires us to answer the question that Cain asked Am I my brother's keeper and answer that question in the affirmative?

And then if you ask the question who is my neighbor the answer that this text and all of the other passages of scriptures that are cross-referenced reveal is that every human being friend or foe Somebody you like or somebody who hates your guts and wants you dead.

We are to even look after their own needs so if they're if they are breathing and They have a pulse and they're made in the image of God. Regardless of what they feel about you or whether or not they want to kill you.

They are your neighbor and we are to look after them. Cross-reference on this that helps us out tremendously is Romans chapter 12 verses 19 and 20 Beloved never avenge yourselves. Leave it to the wrath of God for it is written vengeance is mine.

I Will repay says the Lord. To the contrary if your enemy is hungry notice bodily need feed him. He's thirsty. Give him something to drink. Those that doesn't say fellow believers. It says enemy for by doing so you'll be heaping burning coals on his head.

Do not over be overcome by evil but overcome evil with.

Good.

So you can see the extent to which this fifth commandment really applies. Which kind of let me give you another text then that I think is also very helpful here. So in looking at this, here's Proverbs 31 8 and 9.

Open your mouth for the mute for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth judge righteously defend the rights of the poor and The needy this all falls under the thou shalt not murder. So those who are mute You look out for them and their rights those who are poor and needy you defend them you help them.

That's the idea. This is what God desires for us to do. This is how our good works are done in this way and this falls under the category of fifth commandment. You're sitting there going. I had no idea that not murdering my neighbor also then required me to consider the needs of the poor and The rights of the poor and the destitute and the mute but that's exactly what this text is saying real quick.

We're gonna we started a little bit of this last week. But we have to consider how this Commandment the fifth commandment then plays out in society as a whole. We need to remember that God has created and preserves and protects all life.

The God is caring. He's compassionate towards all that he has made and Because of that he calls us also to be so we are to reflect as Christians God's mercy and his compassion towards other human beings.

And so it's important for us to realize that God has given special dignity you can think kind of a special worth and protection then for every human life from Conception over and again. I hear people who are pagans or somebody who's you know some doing weird things with the biblical text that They believe that somehow an unborn human being is just a blobby mass of non human tissue or something.

This is not the case. Scripture is so clear on this from conception onward. We are to protect every human life. God has created humanity in his own image. God's Son became a man and shared our human nature.

God has redeemed every human life by the Holy Precious Blood of Christ. Therefore every human life is precious to God and Should be precious to Christians as well. Now a little bit of more law. Let's take a look at Genesis 9 in Genesis 9.

This is after the flood and after the flood God begins to lay down if you would the basis for governmental Authority and how the governments are to work and he places this left-hand Kingdom Commission if you would in the hands of human families.

But here's what God says to Noah's family after the flood. For your lifeblood. I will require a reckoning from every beast. I'll require it and for man from his fellow man. I will require a reckoning for the life of man.

Whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed for God made man in his own image so you'll note that taking another human life is well a big deal in God's sight and so we are not to take life and If we find a gal who's pregnant among us Then we are to forgive her for her sins if she's penitent and do everything to support her and her soon-to-be-born child and If we know anybody among us who has made this grave Terrible decision and sinned against God and against their own child by taking their own life we are to remind them of the mercy of God and Remind them that this is not the unpardonable sin.

Each and every one of us has sinned against God in terrible and grievous ways. And the reality is is that we each of us probably knows more than one person who may have made a decision like this. So we recognize that it is a sin.

But the law doesn't get the final say for the penitent. The gospel does we do not want to cause our neighbors to despair of God's grace and mercy. Especially women who are burdened with the guilt that goes along with a choice like abortion.

This is where law and gospel come to bear serious topic. But nonetheless it has to be addressed straight up now a text I find helpful and talking about how human life begins at conception. He's one that we are going to hear in a few weeks in the book of Luke chapter 1 in this text.

We.

See something kind of amazing happen. The angel Gabriel has appeared to the Virgin Mary and told her that she will conceive and bear a son. Mary has kind of scratched her head and said how is this going to be?

I'm a virgin. She ended up heading off to go spend time with Elizabeth who was at that time Pregnant with John the Baptist. Something kind of amazing happens in those in this text Luke chapter 1 starting at verse 39 in Those days Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country to a town in Judah.

She entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. Now Mary's pregnant Elizabeth is pregnant. Elizabeth is pregnant via the natural means through a husband Zechariah and she at the moment is carrying John the Baptist.

Mary the Virgin is Pregnant with the Son of God Jesus. Something fascinating happens when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary the baby leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry blessed.

Are you among women? Blessed is the fruit of your womb and why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord? should come to me and You'll note that she goes on to say behold when the sound of your greeting came to my ears the baby in my womb leaped for joy and Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.

Now notice Elizabeth thinks that Mary at this point is already the mother of her Lord. Doesn't say potential mother and you'll note that John the Baptist if you look at the prophecies regarding him. That he was going to be the forerunner of Christ.

When did John begin his work as the forerunner of Christ pointing to people to Jesus. Right here. In fact, the Old Testament says that John the Baptist would be filled with the Holy Spirit. From the time he was in his mother's womb.

So you'll note that in this text it says Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. I think the right way to understand it then is that John the Baptist Just in merely being in the presence of Christ the one he was to be the forerunner for he's filled with the Spirit leaps for joy and He's so overflowing with the Spirit that Elizabeth can't help it as well.

She too is filled and everybody is talking about the unborn Jesus. John the Baptist begins his work of pointing to Christ Before he's even born. Now if that isn't an argument for life begins at conception.

I don't know What does because here we have John the Baptist beginning his prophetic work in? Utero, that's a big deal. And by the way if John the Baptist can begin his work in utero. Can infants be given the gift of faith by God?

Absolutely, of course, that's the idea now. Jeremiah chapter 1 verse 5 Also is a fascinating text, which is Wonderful because you can see this is the calling of the Prophet Jeremiah. I'll start in verse 4 now the word of Yahweh came to me.

Jeremiah is writing in first person before I formed you in the womb. I Knew you who does the forming in the womb? Don't sit there and say science God does it before I formed you in the womb. I knew you before you were born.

I Consecrated you. I appointed you a prophet to the nation's. Hmm. Psalm 139 also great text. We're going to look at a few verses in here starting verse 13 psalmist writes. For you formed my inward parts you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works. My soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was being made in secret. Intricately woven in the depths of the earth you saw my unformed substance.

And your book were written every one of them days that were formed for me when as yet there was none of them.

Hmm.

So you'll note again this affirms God is the creator and he is the one who's doing the creative work when we were being formed in our mom's wombs and. That we were already precious in his sight even before we had taken our first breath.

This then note the dignity that God himself gives to the unborn. He knows them he's forming them they are precious in his sight. That's the idea that dignity. Because they are made in the image of God like every one of us.

We are to protect them like every other human being. Yeah, this is a it's a it's a lame argument. Yeah, I how many countless numbers of couples are infertile and They would Rejoice to have the gift of any child.

To raise them as their own. There's no such thing as an unwanted child. There may be a woman who is experiencing a pregnancy that she didn't want by the way I hope you guys have figured this out. Sex creates human beings.

It's just real simple if you don't want to be pregnant. Don't have sex. The two go together. Yeah, one of these things, you know, that's like this is peanut butter and jelly. This is how this happens, by the way abstinence works 100 of the time.

Yes. Yeah, so here's the issue then is this that the worth of a human being is based upon in this argument based upon how? What somebody gives to that child you're worth less. I'm going to kill you you are a child.

I want when I want you so you have value. Note that what God's law Tells us is that the worth of a human being is not dependent upon anybody's feelings. Toward that human being the worth of a human being is based upon the value that God has placed on that human being.

That's outside of us outside of our feelings. So the idea then is is that this is one of the wonderful things about God's law. It gives us an objective standard by which we can rightly judge and it comes from outside of us.

Now for instance, if you don't understand how God's law works then how do you determine what is good as opposed to what is evil is Good and evil based upon whether or not you can get 51 of the population to agree with what you believe is good versus evil and you'll note that Good versus evil if you look at it in that sense takes on different Hues and different emphases in different countries.

For instance in the Netherlands where we have some of our elythians in the Netherlands the euthanasia is Being practiced and I'm not talking about young children in China. That's not euthanasia. Euthanasia is is the active killing of somebody it's called mercy killing.

But I mean that's like putting your dog down and the fifth commandment. Fifth commandment does not allow for this. So we sit there and say well in this community. They've decided this is right in our community.

We've decided this is right. And when you get on to that slippery slope the immediate question that should come to people's mind is well the German people decided that Jews had no value and Exterminated six million of them.

Who are we to say that what they did was wrong. How do we say that what they did was wrong? Is it just because we won the war? That's how the Nazi war criminals argued at Nuremberg. The only reason why we are on trial and you're the ones judging us is because you won the war.

They argued one of the u .s. Huh? Mike doesn't make right. Mike does not make determined right or wrong. And so one of the u .s. Attorneys, you know at Nuremberg basically said no, sir. No, sir, you are on trial because you have committed crimes against humanity and you've objectively broken The eternal law of God and that it without God's law coming from outside of us.

Telling us what is right or wrong? Because of our sinful nature and our fallenness. What ends up happening is is that right and wrong starts to become something that's movable. I mean you think of the savages in Papua New Guinea, they practice cannibalism for years.

Are we to say that that's wrong? In a way, yes, let me explain. You'll note that despite some of the differences in society. For the most part every nation. Punishes those who murder punishes those who steal.

Punishes, you know just name, you know. Just go through the Ten Commandments and you sit there and go. I know countries that have laws against this including our own. This has to do with the fact that scripture in Romans chapters 1 and 2 reveals that God's law is written on our hearts.

So the category that falls into in kind of the broader theological discussion we call that natural law natural law where we see in even pagans them having an Understanding of God's law, even though it's never been taught to them.

They just know murder is bad and stuff like that. So it's kind of it's intuitive God has written his law on the hearts of all of us.

So.

Humanity has God's law written on their hearts so that's God's law and we that particular category is called natural law and There are there are really good Lutheran theologians and guys who specialize in natural law who make the argument.

That when it comes to like a representative Republic like ours. That Christians would do better to make arguments using natural law rather than biblical arguments using the Bible. Yes, it's still it's still it's still God's law and in here I made this point a couple weeks ago and I'll kind of make it again.

If you didn't have God's law written on your heart, would any of us watch the news on? At night, you don't watch the news. I personally I gave it up a while ago and I am so much happier. Okay, but there are those who you know, they they have one of the you know.

One of the news channels on all the time the news.

It assumes.

Every news.

Broadcast assumes.

The law of God written on our hearts does they don't know it. But I mean you so you'll you'll hear a story in Crookston today a two-year-old was has gone missing and they found her body. You know down by the river and we all go.

Oh, that's terrible. That's awful. That's just ah, and why do we feel that way because we all know that an innocent child Has been murdered and that's bad and we're scandalized by it and we feel terrible for the family that goes through it or.

Or a politician. I mean right now it's like raining Hollywood stars and politicians. He's just like wake up. Who's whose turn is it tomorrow? You know, this is kind of a reckoning the so you'll note then that would would we care about Harvey Weinstein or or?

The senator from Minnesota or whatever if we didn't have God's law written on our heart. For instance do cows care that Harvey Weinstein behaved like he did they care less. They aren't scandalized by this.

Yes, but see that takes that actually takes you have to kind of burn your conscience. You have to sear it. Yeah, you have to sear your conscience and and here's this coming back to our sermon today. That you if you remember from the Isaiah text that melting in our iniquities that sin itself ever.

Ever-increasing appetite for sin is a form of God's punishment and so you'll note that when somebody commits a sin for the first time and They've really crossed a line like this is the first time a fellow has hit his wife or the first time a wife has cheated On her husband or whatever.

There's huge guilt that goes along with that. But once you've crossed that threshold the second time is a lot easier and Then it just gets easier and easier and easier after that and this is this is the ever-increasing Nature of how sin dominates us and then you see it, you know, you see it in you know, like behavior.

Alcoholics and drug users and things like this to where at some point they are so consumed by their sin. That it literally dominates their entire life the person who hardens themselves against God's law.

That hardening results in an increasing hardening and an increasing magnitude of sin. Let me show it to you from Scripture so you can kind of see how it works. Romans chapter 1 is our Chapter and you can kind of see this ever-increasing thing on sin.

We're gonna start at verse 18 and watch what happens Romans 1 18 for the wrath of God is revealed from heaven. Against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who by their righteousness listen to what they do.

Suppress.

The truth who by their unrighteousness they suppress the truth. The picture there. You know, I like to use this illustration the picture there's of a person who's just smoked a cigarette down to the butt.

Thrown it on the ground and then smashes it with their foot. That's the suppression that's going on. You take God's law and you just kind of do this with it suppressing. The truth is a dangerous thing to do.

Very dangerous for what can be known about God is Plain to them because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes namely his eternal power his divine nature. They have all been clearly perceived ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made.

So that men are without excuse. For although they knew God so, you know, everybody knows that God exists. There's no such thing as an atheist God does not believe in atheists. Well, here's the thing atheists.

I mean, have you ever noticed they spend an extremely bizarre obsessive amount of time studying about how God doesn't exist. I mean, do you know anybody that spends who's obsessing about proving that Buddha is False and doesn't exist or that do you see anybody?

I mean, do you see all these Santa Claus atheists every Christmas a Santa doesn't exist. Don't believe in Santa stop believe it. Nobody does this, right? Why do they obsess about God and more specifically?

Why do they obsess about Jesus? That's the God that really upsets them.

Hmm. Uh-huh.

You can you note this. They can care less about a law. They can care less about Buddha. They can care less about Shiva or Vishnu. But man you start talking to them about Jesus. They come on.

Glued.

They really do.

Huh?

As Shakespeare said thou protested too much. For his invisible attributes his eternal power been clearly perceived. Ever since the creation of the world and the things that have been made so they are without excuse.

For although they knew God they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him. But they became futile in their thinking and foolish and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise they became fools.

They exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity to the Dishonoring of their bodies amongst themselves.

Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and Worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator who was forever blessed. Amen. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable Passions.

There are women exchange natural relations for those that are contrary to nature. That is lesbianism and men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another.

That's homosexuality men committing shameless acts with men receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness evil covetousness malice. They're full of envy murder strife deceit maliciousness their gossips slanderers haters of God insolent haughty boastful inventors of evil.

Disobedient to their parents foolish faithless heartless ruthless. Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die. They not only do them but give approval to those who practice them so you can see in there the ever-increasing Consuming nature of sin.

I'm gonna keep reading them because this is an important text. Therefore you have no excuse. Oh, man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself because you the judge practice the very same things.

So, you know the nature of the law just because you have the law doesn't mean you're righteous. You sit there and go you're a sinner. And it's just remember when you point that one finger at the sinner.

There's how many more pointing back at you. That's kind of the point. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. So do you suppose oh man you who judge those who practice such things and yet not in yet do them yourself that somehow you will escape the judgment of God or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and Forbearance and patience not knowing that it is God's kindness that is meant to lead you to repentance.

Notice that what is the definition of repentance? Contrition and sorrow even terror for sin and the belief. That God forgives forgives even you. So you'll note then the law itself cannot work. Repentance it has to be both law and Gospel.

So the law of God comes to us. Convicts us terrorizes us makes us sorrowful for our sins. And then the gospel comes around and you know it's God's kindness that leads you to repentance because repentance requires both terror and Comfort you get it, but because of your hard and impenitent heart.

You are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's judgment will be revealed He will render to each one according to his works to those who by patience and well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality He will give eternal life which by the way is the fruit of faith and repentance.

For those who are self-seeking do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness. There will be wrath more than wrath fury. I Do not want to know what the fury of God looks like. Yet alone experience that firsthand being thrown at me if you would.

There will be tribulation distress for every human being who does evil first to the Jew and also the Greek. But glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good the Jew first and also the Greek for God shows no partiality for all who sinned.

Without the law will also perish without the law. All who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God. But the doers of the law who will be justified.

For when the Gentiles who do not have the law by nature Do what the law requires? They are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts while their consciences also bears witness their conflicting thoughts excuse or Even accuse them on that day when according to my gospel God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

So you'll note then that this is the text Janet that answers your question. So even unbelievers have the law of God written on their hearts. That law of God is still the same law that we all have. Are we talking about the Roman Catholic concept?

I can't think of a text off the top box. I can let me give you one. I adjust. There is but if we're gonna talk about biblical penance. If you're gonna if you're gonna define biblical penance correctly the law convicts you of your sin.

The gospel comforts you of the forgiveness of sins. And then only then is there amendment of life. Amendment of life is the fruit of repentance and You can see it in one particular fellow. Let me find him real quick.

Luke 19 is our text. Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through and behold there was a man named Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a wee little man. A wee little man was he. He climbed up a what? Sycamore tree, that's how the song goes.

He was a chief tax collector. Now. He isn't a tax collector. He's like the chief of the tax collectors. He's like the chieftain of the whole tribe of tax collectors, which means he's a rotten.

Stealing dirty.

Thief scumbag who's oppressed all of the people of Jericho and has made himself very wealthy in doing so and he's a complete traitor as well because he's a Jew who has Decided to go to work and be employed by the evil Roman Empire.

So he was seeking he to see who Jesus was because he'd heard about him. But on account of the crowd he could not. Because he was small in stature Zacchaeus was a wee little man. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for as he was about to pass that way.

And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him Zacchaeus hurry and come down for I must stay at your house today. Now it doesn't seem like that big of a deal. But I want you to consider this in an honor culture and in the ancient world to have a meal with somebody.

That's like you saying I love you you and I were did this. It's it's a big statement that Jesus is doing here and This is the last person Jesus should be eating with.

Huh?

Oh, yeah, and despised and rightly so. So Jesus honors him by saying he's gonna eat at his house, which is a way of pardoning him. And so he hurried and came down and received him joyfully and when they saw it.

They all grumbled he's gone. To be the guest of a man. Who is a sinner? Of course, I always like to point out Jesus had no choice but to eat with sinners every single night unless he wanted to eat by himself.

I had invited Jesus to my home. He would have been eating with a sinner. So they grumbled said he's eating with a sinner and watch this behold Lord the half of my goods I give to the poor and if I have defrauded anyone of anything I restore it to fourfold and Jesus said to him today salvation has come to this house.

So note Christ is saying he's forgiven since he also was the son of Abraham for the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. So salvation is a gift given. Repentance is sorrow for sin. Trust in the mercy of God and then true repentance leads to amendment of life and so you can see all of these here.

Christ has forgiven him and So in the truest sense of the word he recognizes that as a sinner He has done things that he ought not to do and as the fruit of his repentance. He's going to restore Those whom he's defrauded.

With interest he's going to make right what he's done wrong. That's the penance now. Here's the thing is if you sit there and say to you know, you're not forgiven until you fix this. That's not a true absolution and penance becomes the work that you get yet you do in order to earn merit forgiveness if You being forgiven.

Desire to do right and to do good to your neighbor and to restore what you've taken from them. That's the fruit of repentance and that's because you are forgiven. Yeah restitution. So if so, I mean if one of you came to me and said, you know pastor, you know I years ago I went on to one of these websites and they were telling me that That I didn't have to really true truly pay my taxes and the Constitution didn't require me to do so.

And so I haven't paid my taxes for ten years. This is this is the conversation that we're going to have it again. This is a hypothetical. This is the conversation. We're gonna have the conversation is going to begin with we're gonna go up there we're gonna take two chairs and you're gonna confess this sin before God and the confession is going to go along the lines of Lord God.

I have Not done what your word commands me to do. I have not paid my taxes. I am sorry. Please forgive me. That's the first part of the conversation and that's that person talking to God now as the pastor I'm listening in on the conversation.

It's kind of like a party line. And once once the confession is made My requirement is to speak on behalf of Christ. And what's my word? I Forgive you all of your sins. They hear the absolution full stop now that you are forgiven for tax evasion.

What's your next move better start getting those tax returns in and paying uncle Sam what I own. If you don't do that, are you truly penitent? No, you're not. You see it. You're not forgiven because you make restitution you make restitution because you are forgiven long.

Gospels dictates that. This is what Zacchaeus did what happens is in the penance system the man-made version of penance. What ends up happening is is that those churches that still have a private, you know confession in absolution, but they've brought penance in.