We use scripture to discern why Jesus has taught us certain things. In Hebrews, the writer whom we believe to be Paul, gives us a very chilling statement. It should shake us to the core and fall on our knees before a Holy God. If it doesn’t, then the fear of God is not before our eyes. The verse is:
26 For
if we sin wilfully after having the knowledge of the truth, there is now left no sacrifice for sins,
27 But a certain dreadful expectation of judgment, and the rage of a fire which shall consume the adversaries.
28 A man making void the law of Moses, dieth without any mercy under two or three witnesses:
29 How much more, do you think he deserveth worse punishments, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath esteemed the blood of the testament unclean, by which he was sanctified, and hath offered an affront to the Spirit of grace?
30 For we know him that hath said: Vengeance belongeth to me, and I will repay. And again: The Lord shall judge his people.
Why is this scary? Because we are so easily overcome by sin. We have come to Jesus, He has forgiven all our sins, but then we sin again, not out of habit but willfully. There is no longer any sacrifice for sin. We have cut ourselves off from God and no longer have access to His sacrifice, as we counted it an unholy thing and trampled it on the ground.
This is why Catholics cannot receive His body and blood while in a state of mortal sin. They are cut off from the sacrifice.
What can we do? Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus gave His apostles the power to forgive sins and prescribe penance.
We read in John 20
21 He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you.
22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost.
23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.
Jesus knew we were weak and would sin again, so He gave His Apostles His power to forgive or retain.
We come to a priest to confess, not because he can forgive our sins, but because he represents Jesus from whom we seek forgiveness, and then the priest prescribes acts of penance for us to demonstrate godly sorrow for our sins. If we don’t do the penance, our sins are retained by the words of Christ acting through the priest. It is what Jesus directly says in Scripture, not what the Catholic Church made up to control the people
We can see that if we sin once we received Jesus, we have rejected His sacrifice and we cannot crucify Him again and bring Him to open shame. To receive forgiveness, we must confess and do penance as prescribed by Christ’s representative
To ignore that gift God has given us would be to act very presumptuously if done deliberately. You may be safe at the throne of grace if you can claim that you did not know any better, but I am not gong to take that chance. I am gong to confession
I don’t see how we can interpret these scriptures any other way than how the Catholic Church interprets them.
Another verse that should bring holy fear of God were it not for the gift of confession which He bestowed on His priests
.
4 For
it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, have tasted also the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 Have moreover tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 And are fallen away: to be renewed again to penance, crucifying again to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery
