Michiana Covenant Presbyterian Church

[Sung Psalm: 86] What is an apology? When someone "apologizes" for a mistake they are defending their action by explaining the circumstances. "I'm sorry that I ran into your car – I was watching the dog that ran into the street." That is an apology. It may include an expression of regret ("I'm sorry that I smashed your car") but it also at least implies a defense. The classic case was Pope Benedict's "apology" after calling Islam a religion of violence. He did not repent of what he said. He apologized. He said that he sincerely regretted "that certain passages of his address could have sounded offensive to the sensitivities of the Muslim faithful." It was not repentance. He clearly believed that what he said was right. There was no need to ask for forgiveness, because he did not sin in what he had said. And so he issued an apology – a defense with an expression of regret. And sometimes an apology is all you can offer. But Paul's point in chapter 2 is that an apology is not enough! God's kindness is designed t