Believe

"Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away." -acts of the apostles 3:19

Sounds easy, right? Just repent. And you are forgiven?

Really?

"...if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins, and not for our sins only but for those of the whole world. - the first epistle of saint john 2:1-2

Repent and the whole world is forgiven?

Such is the power of the sacrifice of Jesus. The apostles witnessed it all - from the birth of Christ's short-lived ministry to his crucifixion to his resurrection. And ultimately to Christ's ascension into heaven.

And they still doubted. They just weren't sure. Christ had to, once again, show them his hands and feet. In today's Gospel he even eats some dried fish to prove he was flesh and blood, not a ghost.

Yet Christ never chastises them. He never tells them are foolish for not believing what they are seeing. Before they even ask him, they are forgiven for their lack of faith in that moment.

And so it is for us. Before we even ask God, thru Jesus, to forgive our sins - we are already forgiven. The blood Christ shed for us guaranteed that to us.

Wolf Moon, October 2019
as seen from the summit of Cadillac Mountain
in Acadia National Park

I can't quite wrap my mind around that with my mere human understanding. But if I am to believe - and I do - that God's forgiveness is there for the asking, AND that he sees all and knows all - then it must follow that he knows my sins and my heart. He knows that I am repentant and thus, forgives me before I can put the words together to repent.

Thru Jesus Christ, my sins are forgiven.

Repent.

And believe.