Apostles’ Creed Week 12: The Forgiveness of Sins

Introduction

In the coming weeks, we’re going to walk slowly through one of the oldest, most widely embraced confessions in the history of the Church—the Apostles’ Creed. This ancient creed is more than a set of beliefs; it’s a narrative. It tells the story of God, the story of the gospel, and the story we are invited into.

The Kansas City Underground holds this creed as a foundational confession. It’s a declaration of trust, a form of spiritual formation, and a shared language that binds us together with the global Church across time and culture.

Each week, we’ll sit with a single line or phrase. You’ll engage Scripture, linger in reflection, and respond in prayer. This is not a study to rush through, but an invitation to abide with truth until it shapes your imagination and your life.

If you want to dive deeper into the meaning behind each line, we highly recommend The Apostles’ Creed: A Guide to the Ancient Catechism by Ben Myers. It’s a short but powerful companion that can enrich your journey.

Apostles’ Creed

Read the following line from the Apostles’ Creed:

“I believe in the forgiveness of sins.”

This week, we arrive at the center of the gospel’s power:

“I believe in the forgiveness of sins.”

For all the grandeur of creation…

For all the mystery of incarnation and resurrection…

For all the glory of Christ reigning at the right hand of the Father…

It comes down to this—forgiveness.

Because without forgiveness, there is no reconciliation. Without forgiveness, we are trapped—by guilt, by shame, by cycles we can’t break. Without forgiveness, the story is incomplete.

But God forgives.

This is not something we achieve. It’s not something we earn. It’s a gift—flowing from the cross, sealed by the resurrection, offered by the Spirit.

To confess “I believe in the forgiveness of sins” is to declare that we trust in God’s mercy more than our mistakes. It’s to believe that sin doesn’t get the last word. That shame doesn’t get to shape our identity.

That freedom is possible.

And forgiveness isn’t just something we receive—it’s something we’re called to give. In a world bent on vengeance, cancelation, and division, the people of Jesus are marked by mercy. We forgive—not because it’s easy, but because we are forgiven.

This week, we remember:

Forgiveness is not just a theological idea—it’s the air we breathe.

Scripture Readings

• Psalm 103:8–13 – The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger.

• Isaiah 1:18 – “Though your sins are like scarlet…”

• Matthew 6:9–15 – Forgive as you’ve been forgiven (The Lord’s Prayer).

• Luke 7:36–50 – The sinful woman forgiven.

• Colossians 1:13–14 – Redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

• 1 John 1:8–9 – If we confess our sins…

Reflection

Sin is not just a list of mistakes.It’s a fracture in our relationship with God, with others, with ourselves.

And forgiveness is not just a pardon. It’s the restoration of relationship.

At the heart of the gospel is a God who doesn’t leave us stuck in sin—but steps toward us with mercy. A God who, through the cross, absorbs the cost of sin and offers freedom in its place.

When we say, “I believe in the forgiveness of sins,” we’re not just talking about the past—we’re talking about the present. We’re confessing that today, right now, God is still forgiving. Still healing. Still freeing.

And this forgiveness is meant to flow outward.

The forgiven become forgivers. The freed become agents of freedom. Forgiveness is not cheap. It costs. But in Jesus, the cost has been paid. And the freedom is offered.

Consider

Before continuing on to the prayer prompts, considering journaling your answers to the following questions:

• Do you believe that God has truly forgiven you?

• Where are you still holding onto shame, guilt,
  or regret?

• Where are you being called to extend forgiveness to others—not because they deserve it, but because you’ve been forgiven?

• What would change if you trusted fully in God’s forgiveness?

• Who do you need to release from the grip of unforgiveness?

• How could our network be a witness of forgiveness in a world shaped by revenge and division?

Prayer Prompts

Let these prompts guide you into receiving and extending forgiveness.

• Worship: Thank God for His mercy. Let Psalm 103 or Isaiah 1 shape your praise for the forgiveness you’ve received.

• Confess: Bring your sins, regrets, and shame before God. Name them honestly. Trust that His grace is deeper still.

• Receive: Sit in silence. Imagine Jesus saying, “You are forgiven.” Let those words settle in your soul.

• Extend: Ask the Spirit to show you where you need to forgive. Name the person or situation. Ask for the courage to release bitterness and offer mercy.

• Intercede: Pray for our network to be marked by the forgiveness of Jesus. That we would embody grace—in our microchurches, relationships, neighborhoods. Pray that forgiveness would flow freely among us, pointing the world to the mercy of Christ.

---