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Confession and Forgiveness of Sins
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myopic falcon
Dec 26, 2021, 2:31:23 PM12/26/21
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While I may and often do confess sins to other believers, some of them being priests and some not, I do this by James 5:16, regardless of who else might find out about them in the process of confession.
As it is written:
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
My sins, however, are not being forgiven and cleansed by women, men, or any human no matter how convincing show and emotional sensation they might cause, or how close to the real feeling of the Holy Spirit forgiveness.
The difference is that God is impartial when He forgives, yet His promise is that He will forgive when we confess sins because He is faithful and just:
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I will tell you an example.
There was a war between Serbs and Croats. Serbs did significant war crimes in the process, and some Croats have also done war crimes in vengeance against the Serbs (soldiers or civilians).
Now, Serbian Chetnik paramilitary members may forgive other Serbian paramilitary members their murders and rapes committed against Croats, and even their Orthodox priests may give them absolution. But this is invalid before Croatian victims of those crimes, and so much more before the LORD God.
Likewise, Croats may forgive other Croats the war crimes committed in retaliation against Serbs, and even their Croatian Catholic priests may have given them absolution, but this is invalid before Serbian victims, especially if no remorse for those crimes occurred. Even more before the LORD God.
True forgiveness comes from the LORD, for He is faithful and just, when we confess war crimes as sins (and not heroic acts). Then God is faithful and just to forgive as we have confessed that we have done wrong to the victims and not Him (1 John 1:9).
Psalm 32:5
Then I acknowledged my sin to You
and did not hide my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
and You forgave the guilt of my sin.
This is the word of the LORD.
in Christ Jesus
Amen
As it is written:
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
My sins, however, are not being forgiven and cleansed by women, men, or any human no matter how convincing show and emotional sensation they might cause, or how close to the real feeling of the Holy Spirit forgiveness.
The difference is that God is impartial when He forgives, yet His promise is that He will forgive when we confess sins because He is faithful and just:
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I will tell you an example.
There was a war between Serbs and Croats. Serbs did significant war crimes in the process, and some Croats have also done war crimes in vengeance against the Serbs (soldiers or civilians).
Now, Serbian Chetnik paramilitary members may forgive other Serbian paramilitary members their murders and rapes committed against Croats, and even their Orthodox priests may give them absolution. But this is invalid before Croatian victims of those crimes, and so much more before the LORD God.
Likewise, Croats may forgive other Croats the war crimes committed in retaliation against Serbs, and even their Croatian Catholic priests may have given them absolution, but this is invalid before Serbian victims, especially if no remorse for those crimes occurred. Even more before the LORD God.
True forgiveness comes from the LORD, for He is faithful and just, when we confess war crimes as sins (and not heroic acts). Then God is faithful and just to forgive as we have confessed that we have done wrong to the victims and not Him (1 John 1:9).
Psalm 32:5
Then I acknowledged my sin to You
and did not hide my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
and You forgave the guilt of my sin.
This is the word of the LORD.
in Christ Jesus
Amen
Gregory Carr
Dec 26, 2021, 3:34:12 PM12/26/21
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