English (United States) 
Part 3 of 4 "Forgiveness of sins" in the Autumn 2015 VISION Newsletter
In the international District Apostle Meeting in March of this year, Chief Apostle Schneider shared some thoughts concerning the forgiveness of sins and the importance it has in our spiritual lives. Here is the third main part of his teaching.
3. Forgiveness of sins strengthens the unity of the children of God
We also need to consider the communal aspect of forgiveness of sins, which strengthens our fellowship as children of God. Together, the congregation confesses their sins by singing the repentance hymn and praying with each other the Lord’s Prayer. In this open confession, each one publicly acknowledges their sin and admits that one is not better than another brother or sister. When the congregation says together, “deliver us from the evil one,” in the Lord’s Prayer, it signifies that all are joined together in the fight against the evil one. We pray and hope for each one that we can overcome temptations and fight sin. After the Lord’s Prayer, we hear the absolution together. This confirms not only that our individual sins have been pardoned, but also that my brother and sister’s sins have been pardoned. When we experience repentance and forgiveness of sins together, we grow stronger in our relationships with each other. This is a major element of our “Joy in Christ.” We can be joyful that not only are our individual sins forgiven, but that the sins of our brothers and sisters are forgiven.