Comments on: Confession Is Good For The Soul http://www.devotions.com/2009/08/confession-is-good-for-the-soul.html Christian Devotions for Daily Living Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:43:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Donald E. Herrold http://www.devotions.com/2009/08/confession-is-good-for-the-soul.html/comment-page-1#comment-1452 Donald E. Herrold Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:43:36 +0000 http://www.devotions.com/dev/2009/08/confession-is-good-for-the-soul.html#comment-1452 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God . . .14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Heb 10:12, 14 (ESV) The Greek word for "perfected" is teleioo, it means: "to bring to a state of completion. What the law couldn't do, Christ did. The Greek word for "sanctified" is hagiaze, which means: "to be set apart for God, declared righteous." Believers, all believers have been made right with God forever! He didn't perfect us until we sinned next. He didn't bring us into access with God until we blew it and deserved to get kicked out. There is no way a believer can lose that forever forgiveness. This is eternal security. Roman Catholics hold a false view of justification. I share this with you because I think many church goers hold a similar view. Roman Catholic theology teaches that the first plank of justification is found in the sacrament of baptism. By water baptism justifying grace is infused into the human soul. A baptized person remains in a state of grace until or unless that person commits a mortal sin. A mortal sin is called mortal because it kills or destroys saving grace. A person who commits a mortal sin is in need of being justified again. The new justification comes through the sacrament of penance. The sacrament of penance has several parts to it; confession, contrition, priestly absolution, and works of satisfaction. The penitent may be required to say so many "Hail Marys" or "Our Fathers" or other ritual prayers. At times more rigorous and demanding penalties are required. These are the works of satisfaction. They "satisfy" the demand of God and make it fitting for God to restore justification to the penitent. Martin Luther attacked the sacrament of penance at the point of works of satisfaction. Luther argued that the total satisfaction offered for our sins was performed by Christ. No person can add to that satisfaction. Justification is offered freely to all who embrace Christ by faith. Sadly, many Protestants do not feel an assurance of forgiveness for their sins. We harbor a lingering, nagging feeling that somehow the atonement of Jesus is not enough to cover our sins. Grace is something we cannot quite grasp. We feel a need to atone for our own sins. We think that we must somehow make up for our guilt. Many believers base their assurance on their performance and not on the finished work of Christ. When God forgives a person, that person is forgiven whether they feel the forgiveness or not. Forgiveness is objective, feelings of forgiveness are subjective. The sensuous Christian lives by his feelings. The spiritual Christian lives by the Word of God, which declares that we are forgiven when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible tells us that when God forgives us, He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west: Psalms 103:10-12 (NKJV) He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us. The reference to 1 John 1:9 is also something we should all review for our own understanding. The point of the letter was to do with rebutting gnosticism in the church. The first chapter, indeed, does not mention the church. It begins with an apostolic confession that Jesus came in the flesh -- John saw and touched him. Verse 9 is about the prayer of salvation to become a Christian. I believe this was offered to the gnostics for their salvation. Chapter 2 of 1 John begins the discussion with the "children," members of the church -- warning them against false teachings of the gnostics. While Confession of sin (by a Christian) to assuage one’s conscience is certainly all right if kept in perspective. Simple confession and sorrow – all the while realizing Christ’s answer to that prayer is something like the following: “Oh, my dear, dear servant, (put in your own name) – Don’t you know that no one – not even My Father condemns you. [Rom 8:1] For I died for this and all other of your sins and those of all mankind at the cross. I received punishment at the time in that place for each and every one of them, I was scourged mercilessly and my battered body was nailed to the cross and bled and I, myself, died for sins such as those you were guilty of, even those you may have committed today, and will yet commit. Then, as now, the redemption of mankind, all of mankind, is over, finished, completed and ended. Therefore, neither God nor I can ever condemn you as a child of the living God. Your debt was paid for IN FULL by my suffering and death; YOU WERE JUSTIFIED BY MY RESURRECTION. Go, therefore, dear child and sin no more!!!” Or, perhaps another alternative to our familiar confession of sin would be a confession of praise, that is, in faith to grasp the sense that Christ commands we go and sin no more because there is now no condemnation for those who are in Him. Maybe, we should praise his justice and grace, and the work of the HS in rendering our new birth, and proclaim the wonder of such love for us in the new creation by removing us totally and completely from the law of sin and death. Maybe we should understand all our blessings and rejoice in them – looking forward to His coming and our own glorification. PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME; HE WHO IS THE BELOVED OF GOD, OUR LORD AND MIGHTY SAVIOR – HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, AMEN. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God . . .14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. Heb 10:12, 14 (ESV)
The Greek word for “perfected” is teleioo, it means: “to bring to a state of completion. What the law couldn’t do, Christ did. The Greek word for “sanctified” is hagiaze, which means: “to be set apart for God, declared righteous.” Believers, all believers have been made right with God forever! He didn’t perfect us until we sinned next. He didn’t bring us into access with God until we blew it and deserved to get kicked out. There is no way a believer can lose that forever forgiveness. This is eternal security.
Roman Catholics hold a false view of justification. I share this with you because I think many church goers hold a similar view. Roman Catholic theology teaches that the first plank of justification is found in the sacrament of baptism. By water baptism justifying grace is infused into the human soul. A baptized person remains in a state of grace until or unless that person commits a mortal sin. A mortal sin is called mortal because it kills or destroys saving grace. A person who commits a mortal sin is in need of being justified again. The new justification comes through the sacrament of penance. The sacrament of penance has several parts to it; confession, contrition, priestly absolution, and works of satisfaction. The penitent may be required to say so many “Hail Marys” or “Our Fathers” or other ritual prayers. At times more rigorous and demanding penalties are required. These are the works of satisfaction. They “satisfy” the demand of God and make it fitting for God to restore justification to the penitent.
Martin Luther attacked the sacrament of penance at the point of works of satisfaction. Luther argued that the total satisfaction offered for our sins was performed by Christ. No person can add to that satisfaction. Justification is offered freely to all who embrace Christ by faith.
Sadly, many Protestants do not feel an assurance of forgiveness for their sins. We harbor a lingering, nagging feeling that somehow the atonement of Jesus is not enough to cover our sins. Grace is something we cannot quite grasp. We feel a need to atone for our own sins. We think that we must somehow make up for our guilt. Many believers base their assurance on their performance and not on the finished work of Christ.
When God forgives a person, that person is forgiven whether they feel the forgiveness or not. Forgiveness is objective, feelings of forgiveness are subjective. The sensuous Christian lives by his feelings. The spiritual Christian lives by the Word of God, which declares that we are forgiven when we trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible tells us that when God forgives us, He removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west:
Psalms 103:10-12 (NKJV) He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor punished us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.

The reference to 1 John 1:9 is also something we should all review for our own understanding. The point of the letter was to do with rebutting gnosticism in the church. The first chapter, indeed, does not mention the church. It begins with an apostolic confession that Jesus came in the flesh — John saw and touched him. Verse 9 is about the prayer of salvation to become a Christian. I believe this was offered to the gnostics for their salvation. Chapter 2 of 1 John begins the discussion with the “children,” members of the church — warning them against false teachings of the gnostics.

While Confession of sin (by a Christian) to assuage one’s conscience is certainly all right if kept in perspective. Simple confession and sorrow – all the while realizing Christ’s answer to that prayer is something like the following:

“Oh, my dear, dear servant, (put in your own name) – Don’t you know that no one – not even My Father condemns you. [Rom 8:1] For I died for this and all other of your sins and those of all mankind at the cross. I received punishment at the time in that place for each and every one of them, I was scourged mercilessly and my battered body was nailed to the cross and bled and I, myself, died for sins such as those you were guilty of, even those you may have committed today, and will yet commit. Then, as now, the redemption of mankind, all of mankind, is over, finished, completed and ended. Therefore, neither God nor I can ever condemn you as a child of the living God. Your debt was paid for IN FULL by my suffering and death; YOU WERE JUSTIFIED BY MY RESURRECTION. Go, therefore, dear child and sin no more!!!”

Or, perhaps another alternative to our familiar confession of sin would be a confession of praise, that is, in faith to grasp the sense that Christ commands we go and sin no more because there is now no condemnation for those who are in Him. Maybe, we should praise his justice and grace, and the work of the HS in rendering our new birth, and proclaim the wonder of such love for us in the new creation by removing us totally and completely from the law of sin and death. Maybe we should understand all our blessings and rejoice in them – looking forward to His coming and our own glorification. PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME; HE WHO IS THE BELOVED OF GOD, OUR LORD AND MIGHTY SAVIOR – HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, AMEN.

]]> By: john http://www.devotions.com/2009/08/confession-is-good-for-the-soul.html/comment-page-1#comment-1125 john Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:30:39 +0000 http://www.devotions.com/dev/2009/08/confession-is-good-for-the-soul.html#comment-1125 you made the statement: If you believe for a moment that Jesus’ work on the cross saved you automatically from hell, you are dead wrong. That is a very brash and bold statement that is unbiblical: There are two types of confession that the bible speaks about: confession of faith and confession of sin. But what we must first understand is we are quickened, brought to life first, before we can repent or confess. When the HS breathes life into us, the first "breathings out" of the Christian is repentance and confession. So we have to understand that regeneration precedes confession ore repentance. Dead people cannot repent or confess. you made the statement: If you believe for a moment that Jesus’ work on the cross saved you automatically from hell, you are dead wrong.
That is a very brash and bold statement that is unbiblical: There are two types of confession that the bible speaks about: confession of faith and confession of sin. But what we must first understand is we are quickened, brought to life first, before we can repent or confess.
When the HS breathes life into us, the first
“breathings out” of the Christian is repentance and confession. So we have to understand that regeneration precedes confession ore repentance. Dead people cannot repent or confess.

]]> By: p. ward http://www.devotions.com/2009/08/confession-is-good-for-the-soul.html/comment-page-1#comment-951 p. ward Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:04:08 +0000 http://www.devotions.com/dev/2009/08/confession-is-good-for-the-soul.html#comment-951 i was challenged by a skeptical seeker of Truth concerning the validity of my belief in The Loving LORD JESUS CHRIST because i was tempted to sin in view of the non-believer. i immediately informed him that i am a sinner SAVED by GRACE, and that as long as i am in the FLESH, i will sin occasionally. GOD's purpose is to return His children to Himself, in spite of the fact that Satan (GOD's once TRUSTED chief angel) betrayed Him (GOD), by secretly betraying His (GOD's) TRUST! Satan secretly and deceptively tempted Mankind to sin against GOD, then in turn reported to GOD that Mankind had sinned against Him (GOD). With knowledge of the deceptive information that satan delivered to Him (GOD), GOD determined to destroy Mankind, whom He (GOD) had created upon the face of the Earth! However, Jesus, The Son of GOD, requested that He and GOD, through His (GOD's) Holy SPIRIT go down to the EARTH and examine the heart of Mankind. {I hope you know the BLESSED story from there,,.read the full chapter of the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible} And since GOD had declared that the sinner who sins shall die, He (GOD) remained TRUE to His (GOD) WORD, in that, we DO indeed die NATURALLY, but PRAISE GOD, we are Holy Spiritually RESURRECTED through The LORD JESUS CHRIST! In OTHER WORDS-because of The UNDERSTANDING FORGIVING LOVE OF GOD...and our TRUE open confession of our NATURAL sinful state,including our open confession of the FACT that Jesus has SAVED us from our sins, NOTHING can pluck us from HIS (GODS) HOLY HANDS! PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!! We MUST BELIEVE that JESUS PAID THE PRICE OF DYING NATURALLY-as we MUST DO(for our sins, but then PROVING that we, as we FOLLOW HIM (JESUS), are RESURRECTED HOLY SPIRITUALLY, through THE BLESSED PROOF of HIS HOLY SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION!!! "I LOVE YOU NICKOLAS...TRUST GOD; PRAY for HIS (GOD's) WISDOM when studying HIS (GOD's) HOLY WORD!!! i was challenged by a skeptical seeker of
Truth concerning the validity of my belief in The Loving LORD JESUS CHRIST because i was tempted to sin in view of the non-believer.
i immediately informed him that i am a sinner SAVED by GRACE, and that as long as i am in the FLESH, i will sin occasionally.
GOD’s purpose is to return His children to Himself, in spite of the fact that Satan (GOD’s once TRUSTED chief angel) betrayed Him (GOD), by secretly betraying His (GOD’s) TRUST!
Satan secretly and deceptively tempted Mankind to sin against GOD, then in turn reported to GOD that Mankind had sinned against Him (GOD).
With knowledge of the deceptive information that satan delivered to Him (GOD), GOD determined to destroy Mankind, whom He (GOD) had created upon the face of the Earth!
However, Jesus, The Son of GOD, requested that He and GOD, through His (GOD’s) Holy SPIRIT go down to the EARTH and examine the heart of Mankind. {I hope you know the BLESSED story from there,,.read the full chapter of the book of Genesis in the Holy Bible}
And since GOD had declared that the sinner who sins shall die, He (GOD) remained TRUE to His (GOD) WORD, in that, we DO indeed die NATURALLY, but PRAISE GOD, we are Holy Spiritually RESURRECTED through The LORD JESUS CHRIST!
In OTHER WORDS-because of The UNDERSTANDING FORGIVING LOVE OF GOD…and our TRUE open confession of our NATURAL sinful state,including our open confession of the FACT that Jesus has SAVED us from our sins, NOTHING can pluck us from HIS (GODS) HOLY HANDS!
PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW!!!
We MUST BELIEVE that JESUS PAID THE PRICE OF DYING NATURALLY-as we MUST DO(for our sins, but
then PROVING that we, as we FOLLOW HIM (JESUS), are RESURRECTED HOLY SPIRITUALLY, through THE BLESSED PROOF of HIS HOLY SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION!!!
“I LOVE YOU NICKOLAS…TRUST GOD; PRAY for HIS (GOD’s) WISDOM when studying HIS (GOD’s) HOLY WORD!!!

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