CONFESSION OF SINS:
The Church Dispensation Has Nothing of the Sort!

CONFESSION OF SINS:

THE CHURCH DISPENSATION

HAS NOTHING OF THE SORT!

JAN LILLEBY

 ​​​​ Watching TV-series or otherwise, one cannot help noticing that once in a while we can see scenes in which people are taking the Catholic practice of ‘Confession of Sin’. Thus they enter that​​ booth​​ closure in which the sinner may be anonymous, and in the closure next to him, the Vicar will listen to the confession.

After the confession (at least the way it is​​ often​​ presented in TV-series) the Vicar says​​ the ritualistic words…going, ‘Your sins has been forgiven, say ten Hail Mary’s, and go in peace’.

My reference to this​​ may be a bit simplified, for which I beg your pardon if you are a Catholic believer.

I have not searched the textbooks for the exact line of words used in such ordinances.

But anyhow: We cannot find in Paul’s Church doctrine any clear command or exposition to make confession of sin! ​​ It is simply not there. I am of course referring to Ephesians and Colossians, the two only Church epistles given.

I have even seen TV-series or films, regarding Mafia-crimes and the likes…where villains goes to Confession, after having killed a man. But we find this killer still keeps on killing, as a ‘soldier’ hired by the Mafia. His confession​​ does certainly not free him of guilt and sin. He will lose the​​ salvation. God will not have any such despicable evildoers up in heaven!​​ It is pertaining to Biblical true faith in Jesus Christ, that believers abstain from all sort of grave sin; however, we are not charged by God to perform a lifestyle in ‘Sinless Perfection’. See my articles here on my web regarding this.

During Acts period,​​ confession​​ was in order for believers.​​ Rom. 10:8-11, NASB,

8​​ But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, in your mouth and in your heart "-that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,​​ 

9​​ that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;​​ 

10​​ for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.​​ 

11​​ For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."

Not in any manner can this passage of Scripture be used as a magical ‘mantra’ – which can wipe away whatever evil we commit. It is not a ‘tool’ we can use, after every murder we commit, or theft, or robbery, or what not. No ‘confession’ can justify pre-meditated murder or other crimes.​​ Only if we LEAVE such evil behind, is there any real hope of salvation.

But this​​ kind of abuse of the Word of God​​ is what these dumb Mafia-films and TV-series are telling the viewers.​​ You can sin and sin and sin…and just escape judgment for each sin by going to the confessional booth. What a lie!

The Catholic Church denomination,​​ anywhere we may find their churches,​​ are not following Paul’s doctrine of faith. They have made their own ways in Scripture over the centuries (as have several other denominations) – and the result is heresies and lack of proper Biblical instruction for believers.

The passage above, Rom. 10, was valid​​ only​​ during the times of the apostles. They preached to Israel and proselytes, not our kind of Grace Gospel (found in Eph. 3:1-9) but the Kingdom-Gospel for Israel, the millennial reign of Christ on earth.

And the Jewish believers had also two operating covenants with God: That of the Law of Moses, plus that New Covenant in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Heb. 9:15. Under these ordinances it was found also the confession of sins; not only before God, but​​ between believers​​ also. James​​ 5:16, NASB,

​​ 

“Therefore,​​ confess​​ your​​ sins​​ to​​ one​​ another, and​​ pray​​ for​​ one​​ another​​ so​​ that you may be​​ healed. The​​ effective​​ prayer​​ of a​​ righteous​​ man​​ can​​ accomplish​​ much.”

Paul made it very clear to his believers, writing Ephesians and Colossians from the jail cell in Rome 63-64 CE, that our salvation is a GIFT OF GOD and not something we can make us deserve by works and good behavior.​​ The two mentioned epistles, Paul points us to a FINISHED salvation,​​ in​​ so much as to say that we are ALREADY placed up in the heavens together with Christ, and we have been – from when we first came to faith in Jesus – given ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS in Him. Thus He has already made us part of His body, for which He is the Head, Eph. 1:3, NASB,​​ 

“Blessed​​ be the​​ God​​ and​​ Father​​ of our​​ Lord​​ Jesus​​ Christ, who has​​ blessed​​ us with​​ every​​ spiritual​​ blessing​​ in the​​ heavenly​​ places in​​ Christ,”

What’s more, we have also been given the​​ seal of the Holy Spirit​​ from the moment we came to faith, Eph.1:13, 14, NASB,

“​​ 13​​ In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation -having also believed, you were​​ sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,​​ 

14​​ who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of His glory.”​​ (Editor’s emphasize).

Thus Paul made his excellent statement for our benefit, Eph. 2:8, 9, NASB,

“8​​ For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;​​ 

9​​ not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

CONCLUSION

There is​​ nowhere to be found any teachings from Paul, our apostle, of having to confess sins; not in any form or manner.

Church denominations practicing such ordinances are in great error.

Only the ancient people of God, Israel, had such ordinances included in the Law of Moses, as well as in the New Covenant – as seen with James and all the apostles in Acts time.

Post-Acts, we find Ephesians and Colossians as the only valid Church faith-doctrine, that of the free Grace of God, which was established by Christ visiting Paul in​​ revelation​​ given him of the so-called Mystery, Eph. 3:1-6, NASB,

«1​​ For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles -​​ 

2​​ if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;

​​ 

3​​ that by revelation​​ there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief.​​ 

4​​ By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ,​​ 

5​​ which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;​​ 

6​​ to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,”​​ 

Editor’s emphasize.

We cannot, and must not, try to drag Acts-time doctrines into Paul’s fresh revelation of the free Grace Gospel and the establishing of that ‘One new Man’ in Eph. 2:14, 15.​​ The Law with its ordinances was​​ entirely taken away, abolished, littered.

Acts doctrine had as basis the Law of Moses, and the New Covenant.

Post-Acts doctrine, given the Church dispensation, has nothing but what God revealed to Paul, making him write the two only valid Church Epistles, Ephesians and Colossians.

We are all saved by faith alone, and no works (confessions of sin is works) or ordinances have any saying in the matter.

Gracepano.com