Authority to Forgive Sinners

Everyone has an intrinsic sense of the 'rightness' of justice. Evil must be judged. The righteous must be vindicated. And so when the announcement comes to undeserving sinners, 'Your sins are forgiven!' we need to know that the one who declares our forgiveness has the authority to do so. Unless we know that Jesus is fully qualified to forgive, our consciences will not know full assurance. The thief on the cross next to Jesus knew this assurance: that Jesus could grant him full and unconditional pardon, and entrance into paradise. He knew Jesus had authority to forgive, and not only because the sign on his cross said he was a king.