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12 Reasons Why Christians Don’t Need to Confess-to-be-Forgiven
JANUARY 14, 2011 BY PAUL ELLIS 120 COMMENTS
The grace of God has many expressions, but forgiveness is the first. Miss forgiveness and you’ll miss grace. How do we set aside grace? One way is to treat forgiveness as something other than a gift. If you think you have to work to earn what God has freely given, then you have made the cross of Christ of no effect. You have set aside grace and made yourself a co-savior.
Over the past few weeks we have looked at 12 reasons why Christians never need to confess their sins to be forgiven. By “confess” I mean listing all your sins. I thought it might be worth pulling all these reasons together in a single list with links back to the original posts…
12 reasons why Christians don’t need to confess-to-be-forgiven
1. It’s not in the Bible. To confess (homologeo) is to agree with God. Sinners need to agree that they are sinful and in need of a Savior. Saints need to agree that their sins have been dealt with and they are forgiven.
2. You were forgiven 2000 years ago. All your sins were future sins – you hadn’t been born yet.
3. You were forgiven through His blood. Your forgiveness was paid for with God’s blood. Your works don’t come into it.
4. You were forgiven completely for all time. Jesus will never go to the cross again.
5. You were forgiven in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Forgiveness is His business and His gift to give. Receive it or reject it but you can’t earn it.
6. Your sins are long gone. Jesus’ sacrifice was the atom bomb that did away with sin.
7. God chooses to forget your sin. God is love. Love keeps no record of wrong. Your heavenly Father is not a fault-finder.
8. The Holy Spirit is not convicting you. The law convicts, but the Holy Spirit liberates. How could He convict you of something He chooses not to remember?
9. Confessing-to-be-forgiven puts us under law. Mixing God’s grace with man’s works is like mixing milk with poison. The result is not going to be good for you.
10. Confessing-to-be-forgiven empowers sin. Instead of dealing with sin and releasing life, law-based confession stirs up sin and leads to death.
11. Confessing-to-be-forgiven keeps us from God. When dealing with people, confessing sins and seeking forgiveness may help heal a guilty conscience. But God doesn’t relate to us with human love.
12. Confessing-to-be-forgiven makes us sin-conscious, not Christ-conscious. Every minute you spend dwelling on your sin is a minute wasted. You’re not worthy? Get over yourself! Christ is worthy!
Why do Christians confess-to-be-forgiven when it’s not in the Bible?
I am not against confession. True confession is putting faith into words; it is articulating God’s promises, God’s declarations, and God’s will. But confessing-to-be-forgiven is a work of the flesh. Whether you confess to a priest or directly to God makes no difference. If you do it because you believe it makes you righteous or acceptable to God, then what need have you of a Savior? You have set aside grace and put yourself under law.
You won’t find any believer in the New Testament confessing their sins to be forgiven. So why do we do it? Why do we spend so much time and energy on a death-dealing extra-Biblical practice? I can think of at least 4 reasons. We do it simply because we’ve always done it. (So read your Bible, renew your mind and live free.) We do it because we think our sin is greater than God’s grace. (It isn’t.) We do it because we are fearful of “unconfessed sin.” (Sin is sin and on the cross Jesus dealt with it all – big sin, small sin, secret sin and unconfessed sin. There is no sin that escaped His perfect redeeming work.) Or we do it because we are fearful of judgment day and uncertain about our forgiveness. We hope we’ve been forgiven, but we worry that might not be. If this is you, listen to the words of Jesus:
“My friend, don’t worry! Your sins are forgiven.” (Mt 9:2, CEV)
At some point you’re just going to have to step out in faith and trust that when Jesus said “it is finished” that it really was finished. At the cross, your sin was dealt with once and for all time. Look at Jesus and cheer up!
JANUARY 14, 2011 BY PAUL ELLIS 120 COMMENTS
The grace of God has many expressions, but forgiveness is the first. Miss forgiveness and you’ll miss grace. How do we set aside grace? One way is to treat forgiveness as something other than a gift. If you think you have to work to earn what God has freely given, then you have made the cross of Christ of no effect. You have set aside grace and made yourself a co-savior.
Over the past few weeks we have looked at 12 reasons why Christians never need to confess their sins to be forgiven. By “confess” I mean listing all your sins. I thought it might be worth pulling all these reasons together in a single list with links back to the original posts…
12 reasons why Christians don’t need to confess-to-be-forgiven
1. It’s not in the Bible. To confess (homologeo) is to agree with God. Sinners need to agree that they are sinful and in need of a Savior. Saints need to agree that their sins have been dealt with and they are forgiven.
2. You were forgiven 2000 years ago. All your sins were future sins – you hadn’t been born yet.
3. You were forgiven through His blood. Your forgiveness was paid for with God’s blood. Your works don’t come into it.
4. You were forgiven completely for all time. Jesus will never go to the cross again.
5. You were forgiven in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Forgiveness is His business and His gift to give. Receive it or reject it but you can’t earn it.
6. Your sins are long gone. Jesus’ sacrifice was the atom bomb that did away with sin.
7. God chooses to forget your sin. God is love. Love keeps no record of wrong. Your heavenly Father is not a fault-finder.
8. The Holy Spirit is not convicting you. The law convicts, but the Holy Spirit liberates. How could He convict you of something He chooses not to remember?
9. Confessing-to-be-forgiven puts us under law. Mixing God’s grace with man’s works is like mixing milk with poison. The result is not going to be good for you.
10. Confessing-to-be-forgiven empowers sin. Instead of dealing with sin and releasing life, law-based confession stirs up sin and leads to death.
11. Confessing-to-be-forgiven keeps us from God. When dealing with people, confessing sins and seeking forgiveness may help heal a guilty conscience. But God doesn’t relate to us with human love.
12. Confessing-to-be-forgiven makes us sin-conscious, not Christ-conscious. Every minute you spend dwelling on your sin is a minute wasted. You’re not worthy? Get over yourself! Christ is worthy!
Why do Christians confess-to-be-forgiven when it’s not in the Bible?
I am not against confession. True confession is putting faith into words; it is articulating God’s promises, God’s declarations, and God’s will. But confessing-to-be-forgiven is a work of the flesh. Whether you confess to a priest or directly to God makes no difference. If you do it because you believe it makes you righteous or acceptable to God, then what need have you of a Savior? You have set aside grace and put yourself under law.
You won’t find any believer in the New Testament confessing their sins to be forgiven. So why do we do it? Why do we spend so much time and energy on a death-dealing extra-Biblical practice? I can think of at least 4 reasons. We do it simply because we’ve always done it. (So read your Bible, renew your mind and live free.) We do it because we think our sin is greater than God’s grace. (It isn’t.) We do it because we are fearful of “unconfessed sin.” (Sin is sin and on the cross Jesus dealt with it all – big sin, small sin, secret sin and unconfessed sin. There is no sin that escaped His perfect redeeming work.) Or we do it because we are fearful of judgment day and uncertain about our forgiveness. We hope we’ve been forgiven, but we worry that might not be. If this is you, listen to the words of Jesus:
“My friend, don’t worry! Your sins are forgiven.” (Mt 9:2, CEV)
At some point you’re just going to have to step out in faith and trust that when Jesus said “it is finished” that it really was finished. At the cross, your sin was dealt with once and for all time. Look at Jesus and cheer up!
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k00L, lets go buy a bottle of Jack Daniels and 16th of coke, get a couple of hookers and have some fun!
Why not, we're going to heaven anyway, right? This is how many grace only oriented people think because
they are un-balanced in that they do not look at the entire NT.
They should remove this from their Bible since many would consider this to be legalism, or under the law:
Romans 6:12-19
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
Yes, and the NT also teaches that God’s hyper-love allows man to walk away from Him back in to sin if man decides he wants to place a sinful lifestyle before a relationship with God (adhering to the New Covenant)... and so it is possible for one to lose their salvation although it's not God removing salvation but the person is who ignores God.
Many grace teachers today are saying you can live in sin and still go to heaven which is not what the NT teaches at all.
If we choose to put sin first, then that is an idol that we worship before God which is what is in our heart evident by our actions since we act on what is in our heart.
Bottom line is, there are a growing number of people who follow so called grace teachers who engage in sinful behavior without shame or repentance and will even argue that it matters not how they live since Jesus bore their sin and they will go to Heaven anyway.
Boy, are they gonna be shocked to learn that sowing to the flesh results in reaping corruption!
Nowhere in the NT does it teach that God's grace eliminates seedtime and harvest after we get born-again, nor does it teach we are no longer responsible for our actions after being saved.
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Messy
Well-Known Member
2 Corinthians 12:21
21 lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness which they have practiced.
James 5
15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.
19 Brethren, if anyone among you that´s a believer wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
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Messy
Well-Known Member
I found some more
Luke 18
13 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast,saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other
1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Acts 19:18
18 Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices.
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Ah but it does teach this:
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
We having the same spirit that raised Christ from the dead are lead by him to sanctification of the flesh if needed daily or hourly lol.
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OldDogDiver
Living the Good Life
Hyper grace - greasy grace - is a deadly heresy. I just read Steve Hill's "Spiritual Avalanche". Should be required reading for all Christians.
We mature Christians may understand true grace, but those immature or not-yet-saved haven't a clue and are being lulled into a false salvation because of the way hyper-grace is preached.
We mature Christians may understand true grace, but those immature or not-yet-saved haven't a clue and are being lulled into a false salvation because of the way hyper-grace is preached.
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Walking in the flesh = condemnation, go to hell
Walking in the Spirit = righteousness, go to Heaven
Are there any questions?
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Are we in this world or of this world when we have salvation?
Is there a difference between the saved and unsaved pertaining to sin?
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1. Proposition: God has already forgiven us, knowing that sin will occur.
Response: Forgiveness is not given to sin further, but given to not sin further. Our Lord said, Go and sin no more. God knowing that sin will occur is different from God providing His forgiveness to not sin. Just because God knows sin will occur does not mean that God provides forgiveness to sin. Will God say, Go and sin no more without making a provision to not sin? No. What is His provision? It is the opportunity to exercise faith in His Grace contained in Rom 8: 3, Rom 7: 8 etc. Sin happens when such a faith is not exercised.
2. Proposition: ...and then WE can lose it (according to the lost salvation belief) because of what WE DO; and then to regain salvation, WE have to perform again, and again, and again...You are right that this is not Calvinistic: it is not a predestined elect (with a predestined non-elect automatically lost). But we have to remember when and how forgiveness happens. It happened AT THE CROSS.
Response: This is not Calvinism? I dont think so. Its still Calvinism. Just one point less. OSAS is already non-Arminian. Does just a point less make it Arminian? And WOF has Wesleyan/Arminian influence.
3. Proposition: when could we ever perish? never. Who can take us from Jesus' hand? Nobody. Who can snatch us from the Father's hand? No one is able.
Response: Very true. No one would perish if he/she does not stop exercising the continual faith in this word of Grace. That is the role of faith Teachers to help lead new converts to be stabilised in His word so that they do not walk away from faith in His Grace.
4. Proposition: Born again people cannot lose salvation. God never quits hugging us even if we sin.
Response: If OSAS is true why would His word tell us Galatians 5: 19 21? God never stops hugging us? He sure will stop hugging, when He is displeased (Hebrews 10: 38), and instead would rebuke them (Rev 3: 19) by His word when born-again people stop exercising faith in His Grace that has condemned sin and made us a new creature.
5. After we receive salvation, we are in this world and not of this world, "if" we continue exercising faith in His Grace that has condemned sin (Rom 8:3), destroyed sin (Rom 7: 8) and made us a new creature (2 Cor 5: 17). The difference between the saved and the unsaved is the continual exercise of faith.
Response: Forgiveness is not given to sin further, but given to not sin further. Our Lord said, Go and sin no more. God knowing that sin will occur is different from God providing His forgiveness to not sin. Just because God knows sin will occur does not mean that God provides forgiveness to sin. Will God say, Go and sin no more without making a provision to not sin? No. What is His provision? It is the opportunity to exercise faith in His Grace contained in Rom 8: 3, Rom 7: 8 etc. Sin happens when such a faith is not exercised.
2. Proposition: ...and then WE can lose it (according to the lost salvation belief) because of what WE DO; and then to regain salvation, WE have to perform again, and again, and again...You are right that this is not Calvinistic: it is not a predestined elect (with a predestined non-elect automatically lost). But we have to remember when and how forgiveness happens. It happened AT THE CROSS.
Response: This is not Calvinism? I dont think so. Its still Calvinism. Just one point less. OSAS is already non-Arminian. Does just a point less make it Arminian? And WOF has Wesleyan/Arminian influence.
3. Proposition: when could we ever perish? never. Who can take us from Jesus' hand? Nobody. Who can snatch us from the Father's hand? No one is able.
Response: Very true. No one would perish if he/she does not stop exercising the continual faith in this word of Grace. That is the role of faith Teachers to help lead new converts to be stabilised in His word so that they do not walk away from faith in His Grace.
4. Proposition: Born again people cannot lose salvation. God never quits hugging us even if we sin.
Response: If OSAS is true why would His word tell us Galatians 5: 19 21? God never stops hugging us? He sure will stop hugging, when He is displeased (Hebrews 10: 38), and instead would rebuke them (Rev 3: 19) by His word when born-again people stop exercising faith in His Grace that has condemned sin and made us a new creature.
5. After we receive salvation, we are in this world and not of this world, "if" we continue exercising faith in His Grace that has condemned sin (Rom 8:3), destroyed sin (Rom 7: 8) and made us a new creature (2 Cor 5: 17). The difference between the saved and the unsaved is the continual exercise of faith.
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We ourselves are the only ones who can remove ourselves from His hand in that God created us in His image giving us the right to sow and reap just like He has which makes us the ones to ultimately decides our fate in that we choose to walk after the flesh or walk after the Spirit. This is what Jesus was referring to when He said we were gods.
Along with the ability to sow and reap comes the responsibility to reap what we sow. With that in mind, if someone gets saved and decides to walk in the flesh, which is ignoring the Lord in that we are refusing to have a relationship with Him... what's God supposed to do? Force the person to serve Him? He cannot do that since He is the One who sovereignty decided to create us in His own image which is how we have free will, which is what the responsibility for sowing and reaping is!
This is how someone can "lose their salvation" although they didn't really lose it in the sense that God took it away from them since He said the gifts and callings of God are without repentance... no, we are the ones who have the ability to choose to walk away from God and He has to allow us to go if this is what we decide!
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Ok let try this one more time:
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. 14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. 16 Let not then your good be evil spoken of: 17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. 18 For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
19 Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 20 For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. 21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. 22 Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. 23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
What so ever is not faith is sin;profound indeed.
This is a point that people get caught up in.
Judge mental sermons,assumptions ,and a man deciding who and what is sin.
I'm not talking about the written commandments in the New Testament common sense would tell you not to go with hookers because its in the Word(would God be joined with a harlot?)
You are taking being led by the spirit out of context,it's not a sin permit.
Someone who is filled with the spirit has been given gifts by the grace of God.
We are no longer babes tossed to and fro sin is I believe taken more seriously by full gospel people than those who deny the Anointing of the Holy Ghost.
What divides people is petty rules set fourth as sin that simply not in the Bible,
Such as shorts,and other dress codes and many other rants by the Preacher who has about 20 sheep he sheers every Sunday.
Are we sinless no,are we forgiven yes,we have put on the new man our spirit seeks to serve God,we do not look for excuses to sin.
We consider our bodies the temple of God,glory the same spirit who raised Christ from the dead is in us and is our inner witness.
Why would we seek to defile God?
Gods grace is sufficient in all things.
Those who do not walk in the spirit cannot discern spiritual things,they are temporal ,earthly and blinded by satan to steal the joy God has given us.
I have lived on both sides of the fence,and I know there is nothing but dry land from where I came bless God for bring me to heavenly places in this world and the worlds to come.
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I think you art saying what I wuz saying. Did you read what I wrote? I was being facetious in saying let's go drink some whiskey, snort coke, and run with hookers! (I'm not Jimmy Swaggert )
Here's another olne to add to yer list:
Romans 8:13,14
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Walking in the Spirit IS actually required to go to Heaven.
) Here's another olne to add to yer list:
Romans 8:13,14
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Walking in the Spirit IS actually required to go to Heaven.
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[FONT="]Responses in red to some propositions in the following article:[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]12 Reasons Why Christians Don’t Need to Confess-to-be-Forgiven
JANUARY 14, 2011 BY PAUL ELLIS 120 COMMENTS
The grace of God has many expressions, but forgiveness is the first. Miss forgiveness and you’ll miss grace. Forgiveness itself is a blessing given as an unmerited favor. It is received by faith. How do we set aside grace? One way is to treat forgiveness as something other than a gift. If you think you have to work to earn what God has freely given, then you have made the cross of Christ of no effect. Born-again Christians are taught to do one work which is believing. Only faith is called as work (John 6: 28, 29).
You have set aside grace and made yourself a co-savior.
Over the past few weeks we have looked at 12 reasons why Christians never need to confess their sins to be forgiven. By “confess” I mean listing all your sins. I thought it might be worth pulling all these reasons together in a single list with links back to the original posts…
12 reasons why Christians don’t need to confess-to-be-forgiven
1. It’s not in the Bible. 1 John 1: 9 is written to Believers and not to sinners. To confess (homologeo) is to agree with God. Sinners need to agree that they are sinful and in need of a Savior. Saints need to agree that their sins have been dealt with and they are forgiven. Saints need to admit they have a desire to give up sin. Saints need to admit their lack of exercise of faith in His word, which causes sin.
2. You were forgiven 2000 years ago. All your sins were future sins – you hadn’t been born yet. Yes, but forgiveness is not based on a one time faith but a continual exercise of faith in His word that contains His Grace. Born again Believers are held responsible for their lack of exercise of faith. Teachers ought not to only state the truth but exhort the Believers to believe and confess the truth.
3. You were forgiven through His blood. Your forgiveness was paid for with God’s blood. Your works don’t come into it. Is it stated anywhere in His word that confession of sin is works.
4. You were forgiven completely for all time. Jesus will never go to the cross again. Confessing sins does not crucify Christ once again. Rather, it is saying, "Lord, I have sinned. It was my lack of faith that has led me to sin. I trust You will forgive me. I believe Your Grace is sufficient to keep the faith. You have carried my sins on Yourself. I accept Your forgiveness". Thus it is a statement of faith in His works.
5. You were forgiven in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Forgiveness is His business and His gift to give. Receive it or reject it but you can’t earn it. Confessing a sin is not an act of earning forgiveness. Rather it is acknowledging His works that earned forgiveness for us.
6. Your sins are long gone. Jesus’ sacrifice was the atom bomb that did away with sin. Yes, according to Romans 7: 8, sin is dead when one believes he is dead in Christ to the law. When law is eliminated, sin is dead. Our Lord did away with sin. But it is faith that receives the victory.
7. God chooses to forget your sin. Forgetting follows forgiveness. God is love. Love keeps no record of wrong. Your heavenly Father is not a fault-finder. Rather than find fault, He rebukes (Rev 3: 19) when His people fall slack in exercising faith, to prevent them from sinning. He is proactive. However, OSAS theory prevents people from hearing this rebuke.
8. The Holy Spirit is not convicting you. The law convicts, The God-given conscience convicts (John 8: 9 - KJV). but the Holy Spirit liberates. Yes, He liberates from sin when one exercise faith in the appropriate verses in His word. Primarily God's Spirit acts when believers speak and confess God's word. How could He convict you of something He chooses not to remember? He chooses not to remember when one believes that God is holy, that sin grieves Him, and admit he has grieved His holy nature. No human dad would want to see their children hide their sins, would they?
9. Confessing-to-be-forgiven puts us under law. Mixing God’s grace with man’s works is like mixing milk with poison. The result is not going to be good for you. I would like to be provided with a verse to warrant that sin confession is "works".
10. Confessing-to-be-forgiven empowers sin. Instead of dealing with sin and releasing life, law-based confession stirs up sin and leads to death. His word says that the law stirs up sin (Rom 7: 8) but I am yet to see a verse which states that sin confession does the same.
11. Confessing-to-be-forgiven keeps us from God. When dealing with people, confessing sins and seeking forgiveness may help heal a guilty conscience. But God doesn’t relate to us with human love. Yes, God is divine love but doesn't He demand a continual exercise of faith? And of course hasn't He given us His Grace to do so.
12. Confessing-to-be-forgiven makes us sin-conscious, not Christ-conscious. Every minute you spend dwelling on your sin is a minute wasted. You’re not worthy? Get over yourself! Christ is worthy! Faith in His forgiveness is what is expressed by sin confession, and such a faith always makes us Christ-conscious.
Why do Christians confess-to-be-forgiven when it’s not in the Bible? I need to find a Biblical warrant.
I am not against confession. True confession is putting faith into words; it is articulating God’s promises, God’s declarations, and God’s will. But confessing-to-be-forgiven is a work of the flesh. Here again I need to find a Biblical warrant. Whether you confess to a priest or directly to God makes no difference. If you do it because you believe it makes you righteous or acceptable to God, then what need have you of a Savior? You have set aside grace and put yourself under law. Again, Biblical sin-confession ought not to be confused with Catholic confession. Sometimes the heretical assumptions and practices of Believers-sin-confession of some, especially during the pre-reformed era, makes some others in the reformed era to move to the other extreme of denying the basic authenticity of it. You won’t find any believer in the New Testament confessing their sins to be forgiven. I think verses to the contrary have already been supplied. So why do we do it? Why do we spend so much time and energy on a death-dealing extra-Biblical practice? I can think of at least 4 reasons. We do it simply because we’ve always done it. (So read your Bible, renew your mind and live free.) We do it because we think our sin is greater than God’s grace. (It isn’t.) We do it because we are fearful of “unconfessed sin.” (Sin is sin and on the cross Jesus dealt with it all – big sin, small sin, secret sin and unconfessed sin. There is no sin that escaped His perfect redeeming work.) This is not so when a Believer is unwilling to give up sin and tries to justify sin claiming, "once forgiven I have ever been forgiven (OFEF or OSAS)", or "I tried to confess His word to overcome the habit of sinning but it doesn't work". Or we do it because we are fearful of judgment day and uncertain about our forgiveness. We hope we’ve been forgiven, but we worry that might not be. If this is you, listen to the words of Jesus:
“My friend, don’t worry! Your sins are forgiven.” (Mt 9:2, CEV) The Lord did so to prove He had the authority to forgive sins. The rest seek His forgiveness if they stop or be slack in believing.
At some point you’re just going to have to step out in faith and trust that when Jesus said “it is finished” that it really was finished. At the cross, your sin was dealt with once and for all time. Look at Jesus and cheer up! At the Cross His work was finished. But our work (John 6: 28, 29) continues till we reach the heaven's shore (Heb 10: 38).[/FONT]
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[FONT="]12 Reasons Why Christians Don’t Need to Confess-to-be-Forgiven
JANUARY 14, 2011 BY PAUL ELLIS 120 COMMENTS
The grace of God has many expressions, but forgiveness is the first. Miss forgiveness and you’ll miss grace. Forgiveness itself is a blessing given as an unmerited favor. It is received by faith. How do we set aside grace? One way is to treat forgiveness as something other than a gift. If you think you have to work to earn what God has freely given, then you have made the cross of Christ of no effect. Born-again Christians are taught to do one work which is believing. Only faith is called as work (John 6: 28, 29).
You have set aside grace and made yourself a co-savior.
Over the past few weeks we have looked at 12 reasons why Christians never need to confess their sins to be forgiven. By “confess” I mean listing all your sins. I thought it might be worth pulling all these reasons together in a single list with links back to the original posts…
12 reasons why Christians don’t need to confess-to-be-forgiven
1. It’s not in the Bible. 1 John 1: 9 is written to Believers and not to sinners. To confess (homologeo) is to agree with God. Sinners need to agree that they are sinful and in need of a Savior. Saints need to agree that their sins have been dealt with and they are forgiven. Saints need to admit they have a desire to give up sin. Saints need to admit their lack of exercise of faith in His word, which causes sin.
2. You were forgiven 2000 years ago. All your sins were future sins – you hadn’t been born yet. Yes, but forgiveness is not based on a one time faith but a continual exercise of faith in His word that contains His Grace. Born again Believers are held responsible for their lack of exercise of faith. Teachers ought not to only state the truth but exhort the Believers to believe and confess the truth.
3. You were forgiven through His blood. Your forgiveness was paid for with God’s blood. Your works don’t come into it. Is it stated anywhere in His word that confession of sin is works.
4. You were forgiven completely for all time. Jesus will never go to the cross again. Confessing sins does not crucify Christ once again. Rather, it is saying, "Lord, I have sinned. It was my lack of faith that has led me to sin. I trust You will forgive me. I believe Your Grace is sufficient to keep the faith. You have carried my sins on Yourself. I accept Your forgiveness". Thus it is a statement of faith in His works.
5. You were forgiven in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Forgiveness is His business and His gift to give. Receive it or reject it but you can’t earn it. Confessing a sin is not an act of earning forgiveness. Rather it is acknowledging His works that earned forgiveness for us.
6. Your sins are long gone. Jesus’ sacrifice was the atom bomb that did away with sin. Yes, according to Romans 7: 8, sin is dead when one believes he is dead in Christ to the law. When law is eliminated, sin is dead. Our Lord did away with sin. But it is faith that receives the victory.
7. God chooses to forget your sin. Forgetting follows forgiveness. God is love. Love keeps no record of wrong. Your heavenly Father is not a fault-finder. Rather than find fault, He rebukes (Rev 3: 19) when His people fall slack in exercising faith, to prevent them from sinning. He is proactive. However, OSAS theory prevents people from hearing this rebuke.
8. The Holy Spirit is not convicting you. The law convicts, The God-given conscience convicts (John 8: 9 - KJV). but the Holy Spirit liberates. Yes, He liberates from sin when one exercise faith in the appropriate verses in His word. Primarily God's Spirit acts when believers speak and confess God's word. How could He convict you of something He chooses not to remember? He chooses not to remember when one believes that God is holy, that sin grieves Him, and admit he has grieved His holy nature. No human dad would want to see their children hide their sins, would they?
9. Confessing-to-be-forgiven puts us under law. Mixing God’s grace with man’s works is like mixing milk with poison. The result is not going to be good for you. I would like to be provided with a verse to warrant that sin confession is "works".
10. Confessing-to-be-forgiven empowers sin. Instead of dealing with sin and releasing life, law-based confession stirs up sin and leads to death. His word says that the law stirs up sin (Rom 7: 8) but I am yet to see a verse which states that sin confession does the same.
11. Confessing-to-be-forgiven keeps us from God. When dealing with people, confessing sins and seeking forgiveness may help heal a guilty conscience. But God doesn’t relate to us with human love. Yes, God is divine love but doesn't He demand a continual exercise of faith? And of course hasn't He given us His Grace to do so.
12. Confessing-to-be-forgiven makes us sin-conscious, not Christ-conscious. Every minute you spend dwelling on your sin is a minute wasted. You’re not worthy? Get over yourself! Christ is worthy! Faith in His forgiveness is what is expressed by sin confession, and such a faith always makes us Christ-conscious.
Why do Christians confess-to-be-forgiven when it’s not in the Bible? I need to find a Biblical warrant.
I am not against confession. True confession is putting faith into words; it is articulating God’s promises, God’s declarations, and God’s will. But confessing-to-be-forgiven is a work of the flesh. Here again I need to find a Biblical warrant. Whether you confess to a priest or directly to God makes no difference. If you do it because you believe it makes you righteous or acceptable to God, then what need have you of a Savior? You have set aside grace and put yourself under law. Again, Biblical sin-confession ought not to be confused with Catholic confession. Sometimes the heretical assumptions and practices of Believers-sin-confession of some, especially during the pre-reformed era, makes some others in the reformed era to move to the other extreme of denying the basic authenticity of it. You won’t find any believer in the New Testament confessing their sins to be forgiven. I think verses to the contrary have already been supplied. So why do we do it? Why do we spend so much time and energy on a death-dealing extra-Biblical practice? I can think of at least 4 reasons. We do it simply because we’ve always done it. (So read your Bible, renew your mind and live free.) We do it because we think our sin is greater than God’s grace. (It isn’t.) We do it because we are fearful of “unconfessed sin.” (Sin is sin and on the cross Jesus dealt with it all – big sin, small sin, secret sin and unconfessed sin. There is no sin that escaped His perfect redeeming work.) This is not so when a Believer is unwilling to give up sin and tries to justify sin claiming, "once forgiven I have ever been forgiven (OFEF or OSAS)", or "I tried to confess His word to overcome the habit of sinning but it doesn't work". Or we do it because we are fearful of judgment day and uncertain about our forgiveness. We hope we’ve been forgiven, but we worry that might not be. If this is you, listen to the words of Jesus:
“My friend, don’t worry! Your sins are forgiven.” (Mt 9:2, CEV) The Lord did so to prove He had the authority to forgive sins. The rest seek His forgiveness if they stop or be slack in believing.
At some point you’re just going to have to step out in faith and trust that when Jesus said “it is finished” that it really was finished. At the cross, your sin was dealt with once and for all time. Look at Jesus and cheer up! At the Cross His work was finished. But our work (John 6: 28, 29) continues till we reach the heaven's shore (Heb 10: 38).[/FONT]
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How to walk in the Spirit?
By believing and confessing His Grace (unmerited favor) that is contained in His word of promises through acts of praise, worship, prayer requests, intercessions, singing songs, fasting, meditating His word, instructing one another, sharing the gospel to unbelievers.
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By believing and confessing His Grace (unmerited favor) that is contained in His word of promises through acts of praise, worship, prayer requests, intercessions, singing songs, fasting, meditating His word, instructing one another, sharing the gospel to unbelievers.
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Yes, if you walk in the Spirit you will not be fulfilling the lusts of the flesh.
So, walking in the Spirit includes not willingly and knowingly committing things the NT lists as being sin... not because we are under a bunch of rules and regulations, but because we are in a RELATIONSHIP with The Father Who says these things are not His ways and those that do them are worthy of death because they have rejected a personal relationship with Him in favor of doing sin.
It's all very simple!
So, walking in the Spirit includes not willingly and knowingly committing things the NT lists as being sin... not because we are under a bunch of rules and regulations, but because we are in a RELATIONSHIP with The Father Who says these things are not His ways and those that do them are worthy of death because they have rejected a personal relationship with Him in favor of doing sin.
It's all very simple!
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