When Jesus rose from the dead he appeared to his disciples and he breathed on them saying, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld." (John 20:22-23) In giving them the Holy Spirit he also gave them the authority to forgive or withhold sins. Many people are confused by this verse because we have equated being born again with having our sins forgiven. But forgiveness of sins existed in the Old Covenant through the sacrificial system where the blood of bulls and goats would temporarily cleanse the conscience of the worshipper. Then when the Old Covenant was coming to an end, John the Baptist came preaching a message of repentance and offered the people forgiveness of sins through water baptism. 

Though Jesus said there was no man born of a woman that was greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John (Matthew 11:11)...but how? It is because the one who has been born into the kingdom of heaven has been filled with the Holy Spirit and given the authority to forgive or withhold sins. In this podcast, Peter explains this great responsibility and how it is not to be confused with the power to get people "born again" but is an integral part of our ministry in reconciling the world back to the Father.

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