I have been discussing the subject of confession lately and most of my friends do not, as you read before, stand where I am standing now. Somehow I get the notion that God forgivess our sins when we confess and the basis of that forgiveness is that confession of sins - the famous passage is of course 1 John 1:9. You can quote this, so I won't.
This got me thinking, I had a strange suspicion ,so, does God forgive me because I confessed? Hmmm, so God forgives me because I have done the "work" of confessing? I went back again to 1 John and before that famous passage we read verse 7. Check it out.
I conclude, NO. God indeed forgives me when I confess, but I am not forgiven because of that confession of sins, I am being forgiven because Jesus died for the sins I am confessing. There is no way that God can forgive me simply on the basis of my confession. No way.
His forgiveness for me is never separated from the work of His Son - Jesus at the Cross. Once things get separated from Jesus' cross, all spiritual activity are turned into a form of works. Works will never make you secure.
I conclude too that the reason why God answers my prayer, in fact any prayer of anyone given in Christ's name is because Jesus purchased for me (and you) the good standing God requires from man.
So how does it feel to always be helpless and hopeless without the Cross of Christ? Very uneasy because it makes you always dependent on Christ, there is none of you that you can bring on God's table. The human mind rebels against that.
It makes you always in debt, and none of us likes that.
Uneasy? Maybe, but secure and happy. I am guaranteed to be forgiven because Scripture declares, Jesus purchased God's attention for me, at the Cross. He will answer my prayer not on the basis that I deserve anything - that is good news, that is a good thing, He answers on the basis that Jesus got God's attention for me -- and you too!
Back to thesis writing...
4 comments:
"So how does it feel to always be helpless and hopeless without the Cross of Christ? Very uneasy because it makes you always dependent on Christ, there is none of you that you can bring on God's table." You have just described the monumental mindset change that God worked in me a couple of years ago. And yet, how wonderfully ironic is it that the uneasy feeling drives you to the cross? Driven not so much out of fear as much as joy and thankfulness for the one who now saves you.
What you have just written about it the one universal truth I've seen in all who ascribe to Luther's spiritual conversion. We all have that same story of God convicting us of our sin while simultaneously showing us the fantastic news that we are saved. We suddenly realize that that is the gospel: to be in debt and saved all in one swoop.
This post really encouraged me this morning!
Sister TK,
Firstly, AMEN!
You said "Driven not so much out of fear as much as joy and thankfulness for the one who now saves you."
That is my reaction too - I can not describe the comfort and the thankfulness to God for his great and unspeakable / undescribable gift. I am happy the Lord died for you/ for me. For this reason we bow down and worship - worthy is the Lamb.
The peace of our Lord be with you, may you be blessed in your coming in and your going out...
Lito
Awesome. It is truly freeing to recognize this blessing.
All sins were paid for by Christ. All sins before His earthly life and all after. God forgives us for Christ's sake because He has already paid for all of them.
I could never confess all my sins, because they are too many, and I know I've forgotten a lot of them. And I go on sinning in my flesh. But it doesn't matter does it? Because God has already reconciled us to Himself. May we never doubt, question or reject that fact. Those sins I go on sinning have all been paid for, too. It is finished forever and ever. It has absolutely nothing to do with us and everything to do with Him. And we get the victory.
Blessings, sir.
Dear Scottius,
Amen.
NO, it does not matter in respect to the fact that Jesus took the punishment of all of our sins, past, present and future. This is hard to swallow - it seems too good to be true, that is why we humans want to corrupt the Gospel and turn it into something we ought to do. It is a done deal.
It is for the readon that Faith in God's Promises in Christ is what we pray for. We pray for faith to be steadfast and made strong standing on what Jesus has won for us the sinner. We look not in ourselves but to the author of faith - the author of our salvation - Glory be to his name!
Peace to you, bro.
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