Posted by Searcher on 9/2/2009, 7:00 pm, in reply to "The need for confession"
75.104.128.54
Dear Ray,
Is the confession of sins a perquisite to having our sins forgiven? The short answer is no.
We have to deal with this subject because of the rebellious old nature or man that is in us and we will always have that struggle until death. We can't say that it doesn't exist and we can't pass it by as if it were nothing. What is sin?
1. Sin is negative, it is lawlessness. 1John 3:4, "Whosoever committeth sin trangresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
The good news is found in John 3:5, "And ye know that He was manifested to take away our sins; and in Him is no sin."
2. Sin is unrighteousness, that which is not right. John 5:17, "All unrighteousness is sin"
The good news once again is found in 1Timothy 1:15, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief."
3. Whatever is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:23, "for whatsoever is not of faith is sin."
The good news once again can be found in Romans 6:6-14,18
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin...For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace...Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
Ro 6:22,23
But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Christ died ONCE unto sin. That was all the sacrifice that was needed. Our sins are forgiven!
Hebrew 10:11,12
And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after He had offered One sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.
Eph 1:6,7
To the praise of the glory of His grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved. In Whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.
2Cor 5:19
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
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Ray, Matt 18:15-20; James 5:16, and 1John 5:18 are all in reference to the Law of Moses. The synagogue was not only a place of worship. The synagogue was also a court of law. All three of these refer to the law found in Deut 19:15
"One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established."
Cp. Matt 18:16 and James 5:14-16 and 1Cor 11:30 with 1John with John 8:17, "It is also written in your Law, that the testimony of two men is true." Under the law, the punishment was temporal suffering and even death as seen in 1Cor 11.
It is likely that 1John was written to the diaspora. John was one of the "pillars" or teachers of the law and therefore a minister of the circumcision. See Gal 2:9.
Only Christ is without sin. All men, including believers, sin every day, but we have an Advocate that has taken care of it. God took the place of the guilty sinner and acquitted us. Christ, by His own blood, has acquitted us. Even though we still sin, it is as if we have never sinned. We are forgiven. We are to consider the old man dead and be put on the new man which is Christ in us. Confessing our sin is just putting focus on the old man rather than the new man. It is denying His great sacrifice for us. Ro 3:26. God is just and the Justifier of the ungodly. God took the place of the sinner and took away the sin of the world.
Searcher
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