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Certainly no mere human has power to forgive sins, as Jesus' enemies correctly noted (Mk. 2:5-7). However, in ever-widening circles Jesus empowered first Peter, then all the Apostles and finally the whole church to speak forgiveness in his name after he ascended to the Father (Matt. 16:18-19; John 20:21-23; Matt. 18:15-20). James later acknowledged the proper exercise of this function, both by office-bearers acting for the believing community and by individual believers as well (James 5:14-16).

The fact is that "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them"  (2 Cor. 5:19). Through the faithful obedience of Jesus Christ culminating in his death on the cross "there resulted life to all" (Rom. 5:18). The gospel is the good news of our salvation (Eph. 1:13). It is the message that, through the blood of Jesus Christ, God has "made peace" with every estranged being on earth and in heaven (Col. 1:19-20). Based on this cosmic achievement, believers can confidently assure each other of God's pardon (1 John 2:12). The same divine accomplishment also impels believers to inform others who have not yet learned of God's forgiveness and to beg them to receive God's grace and be reconciled (2 Cor. 5:20 - 6:1).

You ask about confessing sins to another person. Obviously, one should exercise judgment in selecting a person in whom to confide personal sins. Even well-intentioned people are not all capable of handling such a responsibility. For that reason, I am here encouraging what sometimes is called "the general confession," in which the gathered congregation reads together a common confession of sin and asks God's forgiveness, to which another believer responds with an affirmation of pardon. There is great blessing in hearing someone actually say, "You are forgiven for Jesus Christ's sake." With this purpose in mind, I have assembled a variety of responsive Scripture readings for use in any church that does not already have such a form. Each set includes a declaration of confession, of pardon and of praise. To access these readings, click here.

For more on fighting sin, click here.