Minister’s Message 22nd September 2019

Is Bieber really sorry?

Recently I was listening to the 2015 chart topping pop song ‘Sorry’ by Justin Bieber. The song is clearly an apology!

Some interpreted it to mean that Bieber was apologising for some of his questionable antics. Although he added to the song, Bieber didn’t actually write it , and confirmed that the song is actually an apology to a love interest.

Still, in a world where apologies don’t come easy, I was struck by the song’s profound nature and on my recent listening of the song I was caught by a lyric which I hadn’t thought too much on before. It goes like this “You gotta go and get angry at all of my honesty”.

This sentence actually carries a sense of indignation, ie ‘I was just honest and now you’re angry with me, why?’  And this got me thinking about apologies.

With apologies and being honest (or perhaps coming clean with transgressions in Bieber’s case) we can sometimes assume that our confession should be met with respect, admiration and an understanding response, but this is a wrong assumption.

Yes we should be honest and come clean with the things we do wrong, confess and bring sin into the light, but we should not assume that it won’t cause hurt, sadness and anger.

When we betray God through our sin we are foolish to think that God is ambivalent about our actions. When seeking forgiveness we cheapen God’s grace when we casually think that our sins were easy to wipe away.

Jesus took our punishment and now intercedes for us so that we can not only have eternal life but live life in God’s freedom while we are here on this earth.

Is Bieber really sorry? Forget him, and turn your thoughts onto how you approach your own forgiveness in Jesus Christ.

Are you sorry?

In Christ,

Rev. Michael Frost

22-09-19