We confess that God is Holy. We are sinful beings deserving His wrath and judgement, and yet He put that wrath and judgment on His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. We confess that Christ died for all our sins and rose again for our justification, now and in eternity.
In John 20, Jesus breathed on His disciples telling them they have His authority to forgive sins. Today, we take that mandate seriously and announce the forgiveness Christ has won for us. We forgive because Christ forgives us.
We love, as God first loved us. However, our love is not perfect. We fail to love God with our whole hearts and others as ourselves. Although our love is weak, our Savior's love in us is strong. Our fellowship, confession, forgiveness and love is not shown through our own efforts, but in Christ Jesus, who lived, died and rose again for us and now dwells in our hearts by His Spirit.
Jesus promises to provide all who trust fully in Him a life that is filled with abundant blessings (love, grace, peace, power, protection, purpose and so much more), and therefore we live each day with deep and abiding joy, for He has done everything to save us and restore us to an eternal relationship with God, our heavenly Father. Joy is found here at Waikoloa Lutheran Church!