Obsession with Confession (1 John 1:9, sin confession)

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Sep 4, 2012
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Since I have received no replies to any of my posts to HeRoseFromTheDead I am guessing I am on ignore. Many just believe what they believe because they want to believe what they believe, and don't want to be distracted from it by the truth. Like a child they just put their hands over their ears and shout "la la la". Which is fine I guess, if you want to remain a child.
No, I don't put people on ignore (I did years ago). I have spent several hours going through this thread and I'm tired and done for the moment.
 
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FreeNChrist

Guest
No, I don't put people on ignore (I did years ago). I have spent several hours going through this thread and I'm tired and done for the moment.
Okay, cool. I look forward to your responses after you have rested then.
 
F

FreeNChrist

Guest
It appears to me that the problems arising in this thread arise because of a failure to see that there are two types of forgiveness. There is the forgiveness of the court (a pardon) which restores a person to being not guilty in the sight of the law and the judge. This is a judicial forgiveness. The person is seen as not subject to future punishment, but no personal relationships are restored. Then there is forgiveness within the family where the question is not one of guilty or not guilty, but is one of relationship. The question is not one of future punishment but of restored relationshp within the family.

When Jesus taught us to pray daily 'forgive us our sins' it was the second that was in question. Those sins had not separated us from God and brought us into judgment, but they had spoiled our relationship with our Father and with our brothers.

On the other hand when Paul spoke of our having received forgiveness of sins he was speaking of the first type of forgiveness (Acts 26.18; compare Acts 2.38). This was a permanent overall forgiveness which applied for all time.

1 John 1.9-10 has in mind the second type of forgiveness, forgiveness for our daily sins which hinder our walk in the light and our relationship with our Father and our brothers.

This is PROVED in 1 John 2.1-2. There he is speaking to people who 'may not sin' (not true of Gnostics), but who may sin and therefore need forgiveness. And that forgiveness, as all forgiveness is, is found in the cross. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, goes on cleaning us from all sin.

Except those in 1 John 2:1-2 who he is writing to so that they may not sin, he goes on to declare not that they need forgiveness, but that they have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ.

And and if we go down to verse 26 we see John confirming that he is not writing about them, but about those who were trying to lead them astray. That is a reference to the Gnostics who are the opponent in first John that John is refuting.
 
Feb 7, 2015
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I see that you aren't a history major. :) Believe what you want, I will enjoy the peace of no condemnation.
I have finally come to the conclusion that there are Christians who actually "need" condemnation. I think they are truly afraid not to be afraid... it has been so ingrained into what they think "religion" is.
 

valiant

Senior Member
Mar 22, 2015
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Except those in 1 John 2:1-2 who he is writing to so that they may not sin, he goes on to declare not that they need forgiveness, but that they have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ.
You omit the crucial fact that it is IF and WHEN they sin that they need their advocate. Thus as he has made clear in 1 John 1. He is aware that at some stage they will sin. So he is declaring that they need forgiveness whenever they sin. This in itself demonstrates that 1 John 1 is not written to Gnostics. And in fact we have no record of what Gnostics in the first century taught. There were many types of Gnostic. The majority were antinomians who saw no harm in sinning, for in their eyes such sins were merely the product of the flesh which they would leave behind when they were finally saved by gnosis. Thus 1 John 1 would not apply to them. The article in the OP is simply using a self-defined gnosticism in order to prove a false exegesis. It is of course true that John had a kind of gnosticism in mind when writing his letter (although we know little of the details). It is NOT true that 1 John 1 had them specifically in mind. Had it done so it would have been worded otherwise.

And and if we go down to verse 26 we see John confirming that he is not writing about them, but about those who were trying to lead them astray. That is a reference to the Gnostics who are the opponent in first John that John is refuting.
'These things have I written to you concerning those who would lead you astray. This confirms that 1 John 1 & 2 were written to Christians not to gnostics. Certainly he had gnostics in mind but he was NOT addressing gnostics. He was pointing out to Christians that they must not be deceived about sin and treat it as unimportant. But must immediately deal with it. . Thank you for proving my point.
 
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KennethC

Guest
I have finally come to the conclusion that there are Christians who actually "need" condemnation. I think they are truly afraid not to be afraid... it has been so ingrained into what they think "religion" is.
It is not about Christians needing condemnation because we do not feel we have condemnation because we are not under the law but under grace.

The thing is that some like me are doing thanks be to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is trying to wake others up out of sleep who thank there is no standards in the new covenant that apply, and who think what Jesus said in the gospel books are not for us.

All the virgins, all the servants, and the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 thought they were all saved until they stood before the Lord at judgment and found out other wise. Same as those in Matthew 7:21-23 as these people thought they were saved to until standing before the Lord at judgment. Half of them in Matthew 25 and all those in Matthew 7 found out otherwise !!!
 

valiant

Senior Member
Mar 22, 2015
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It is not about Christians needing condemnation because we do not feel we have condemnation because we are not under the law but under grace.

The thing is that some like me are doing thanks be to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is trying to wake others up out of sleep who thank there is no standards in the new covenant that apply, and who think what Jesus said in the gospel books are not for us.
How sad for those who disagree with you that they have no guidance and leading from the Holy Spirit even though they have produced some of the greatest evangelists and teachers that the world has known.

How grateful we should be that prophet Kenneth has now arrived to teach us the fallacies that we left behind years ago because the Holy Spirit DID enlighten us.

All the virgins, all the servants, and the sheep and goats in Matthew 25 thought they were all saved until they stood before the Lord at judgment and found out other wise.
NONSENSE. The goats only denied illtreating the Messiah and His brothers. They made no claims to be saved. The virgins were professing followers, but there is no suggestion that they all thought that they were saved. They simply saw themselves as friends of the bride and bridegroom.You read into a simple parable what you want to read in not what it says.

Same as those in Matthew 7:21-23 as these people thought they were saved to until standing before the Lord at judgment. Half of them in Matthew 25 and all those in Matthew 7 found out otherwise !!!
But what did they find out? That they had NEVER been saved. You just ignore what is actually said/
 
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valiant

Senior Member
Mar 22, 2015
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When it comes to the truth in God's Holy Word then yes we should all always be excited about it !!!

This reminds me of the speaker who wrote on parts of his notes, speak with emphasis here, case weak.
 
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sydlit

Guest
oh, and my signature is about the New Covenant of grace and how we have total peace with God and ourselves because of God's love for us. While we were yet sinners, weak and unable to help ourselves, He sent Jesus to die for the ungodly. There is no more condemnation because grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. We can't be at peace with God, ourselves or other people unless we have Jesus.
Hi lynn, thx. I tried twice to respond...one really lengthy reply, only to have them both disappear. I'm so AARRGGHHravated! I cant do it all again, this tablet is Really malfunctioning, except it's usually only when I'm on c chat, and the experts cant figure it out. Seems like sabotage. All I can say is thank you and I'll try again later. Hope this posts now. Peace.
 
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VioletReigns

Guest
Confess what? Jesus already forgave us ALL of our sins. From the point that you become His child, His Holy Spirit in us is our Teacher. We now can follow the Shepherd’s Voice. If we get weak and fall, He picks us up. If we get tempted, He gives us a way of escape. If we are in error, He shows us the right way. If someone accuses us, He is our Advocate. We are forgiven. IT’S FINISHED!! THAT’S THE END OF IT!! No more groveling around like an unholy worm in false humility. You are a holy vessel of God in the spiritual realm and He is making you more and more into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. IT IS THE MIRACULOUS WORK OF GOD!

We do not live in the carnal world anymore. We are validated only in the spirit by Jesus Christ. We don’t judge things by appearances any more. It is a spiritual life now. Jesus says, This is the way, walk in it.” Walk according to the spirit of life in Jesus Christ, not according to your “logical” mind.

Since when does Jesus ever say, “Wait - - - what did you do wrong today? Did you sin against me? Ooops, you must first confess all your sins before proceeding further. Wait… you forgot to mention yesterday’s sins. And what about last week when you messed up. Oops, you just had an evil thought. That’s another strike. Do you also recall all the worthless things you said to the neighbors? You forgot to mention all the vain words you spoke. And all the times you didn't say prayers. And all the times you watched television instead of reading the Bible. What about your envy and your anger and your unforgiveness? And didn’t you eat junk food for dinner last night? Wow, these demerits are adding up fast! Looks like you're unworthy. Start confessing them sins. You got a bunch of 'em and time's a'wastin!"

THAT'S INSANE!!!!!!!!!!

We would be on our knees forever if we were to confess all of our sins because THERE’S NOTHING GOOD IN OUR FLESH!! Good luck finding anything pure in your carnal mind. We don’t rely on our own efforts, we are banking everything on the Spirit of Jesus Christ in us. Nothing of ourselves. You are crucified with Christ, it is no longer YOUR FLESH which has any merit. It is CHRIST in YOU! He gets all the glory. You get to rest now and just follow Him.

People try so hard to be obedient to God in their flesh and try to understand His Word in their carnal nature. They follow laws, create formulas, and try to explain things logically that only God Himself can reveal to us by His Holy Spirit. It's never gonna happen in the carnal realm! Your flesh will never, ever change or become holy and acceptable. Nor your carnal “common sense” mind.

We are never going to be congratulated by God for anything we are quite capable of doing in the flesh by our own free will and being aware of our own performance. That is totally carnal! Only when we are aware of Jesus Christ alone in a matter is God pleased.

All we can do is seek the Lord Himself, speak to Him, listen to His voice, focus your heart's desires on Him, rest in Him, hope in Him, cast everything onto Him. A relationship with Christ Jesus. That is all He wants from us. The LORD wants our heart. When we are empty of the flesh, He will do His will through us, there won't be any praying about, "What is Your will for me?" He would be working His purposes out through you when you are surrendered to Him like that. And we will find rest.

Unless God builds the house, we labor in vain trying to do works for Him. If it's not God doing His will through us, it is wood, hay and stubble. And when we stand before Him, all of those self-willed works will be consumed in a fire as no good. If it isn't God Himself doing the thing, it is worthless. We cannot conjure up in our own flesh anything worthy of the holiness of God.

An empty vessel. That's what God wants. The Lord works out His purposes through a totally surrendered soul. To trust God is to believe He can do as He says. He performs His will through us. He gets all the glory forever. And we get HIM!!!!
 
Sep 4, 2012
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I challenge anyone to show me one scripture that says the Holy Spirit convicts the believer of sin. Just one.

Hint: John 16:8 doesn't work.
Who do you think does convince a believer of sin he has committed?
 
Feb 7, 2015
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Who do you think does convince a believer of sin he has committed?
Even you made the quite obvious change of "convict" to "convince".... which is the truth of the Scripture. And make no mistake, there IS a very distinctive difference in those two words and what they mean.
 
Sep 4, 2012
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What are the commands that the believer is to keep?
Jesus' commandments:

This is [GOD's] commandment, 1) That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and 2) love one another, as he gave us commandment. 1 John 3:23

1. Believe in Christ

[The people] said to [Jesus], 'What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?' Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe into him whom he has sent.' John 6:28-29

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord [by faith], so walk in him [by faith]. Colossians 2:6

2. Love your neighbor as yourself

A new commandment I give to you: that you love one another. As I have loved you, also you love one another. John 13:34

For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are summed up in this statement: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does not commit evil against a neighbor, therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:9-10

Therefore all things whatsoever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

That's how simple it really is.
 
Sep 4, 2012
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Even you made the quite obvious change of "convict" to "convince".... which is the truth of the Scripture. And make no mistake, there IS a very distinctive difference in those two words and what they mean.
"Even me"? LOL you are so clueless.
 

valiant

Senior Member
Mar 22, 2015
8,025
126
63
Confess what? Jesus already forgave us ALL of our sins. From the point that you become His child, His Holy Spirit in us is our Teacher. We now can follow the Shepherd’s Voice. If we get weak and fall, He picks us up. If we get tempted, He gives us a way of escape. If we are in error, He shows us the right way. If someone accuses us, He is our Advocate. We are forgiven. IT’S FINISHED!! THAT’S THE END OF IT!! No more groveling around like an unholy worm in false humility. You are a holy vessel of God in the spiritual realm and He is making you more and more into the image of His Son Jesus Christ. IT IS THE MIRACULOUS WORK OF GOD!

We do not live in the carnal world anymore. We are validated only in the spirit by Jesus Christ. We don’t judge things by appearances any more. It is a spiritual life now. Jesus says, This is the way, walk in it.” Walk according to the spirit of life in Jesus Christ, not according to your “logical” mind.

Since when does Jesus ever say, “Wait - - - what did you do wrong today? Did you sin against me? Ooops, you must first confess all your sins before proceeding further. Wait… you forgot to mention yesterday’s sins. And what about last week when you messed up. Oops, you just had an evil thought. That’s another strike. Do you also recall all the worthless things you said to the neighbors? You forgot to mention all the vain words you spoke. And all the times you didn't say prayers. And all the times you watched television instead of reading the Bible. What about your envy and your anger and your unforgiveness? And didn’t you eat junk food for dinner last night? Wow, these demerits are adding up fast! Looks like you're unworthy. Start confessing them sins. You got a bunch of 'em and time's a'wastin!"

THAT'S INSANE!!!!!!!!!!

We would be on our knees forever if we were to confess all of our sins because THERE’S NOTHING GOOD IN OUR FLESH!! Good luck finding anything pure in your carnal mind. We don’t rely on our own efforts, we are banking everything on the Spirit of Jesus Christ in us. Nothing of ourselves. You are crucified with Christ, it is no longer YOUR FLESH which has any merit. It is CHRIST in YOU! He gets all the glory. You get to rest now and just follow Him.

People try so hard to be obedient to God in their flesh and try to understand His Word in their carnal nature. They follow laws, create formulas, and try to explain things logically that only God Himself can reveal to us by His Holy Spirit. It's never gonna happen in the carnal realm! Your flesh will never, ever change or become holy and acceptable. Nor your carnal “common sense” mind.

We are never going to be congratulated by God for anything we are quite capable of doing in the flesh by our own free will and being aware of our own performance. That is totally carnal! Only when we are aware of Jesus Christ alone in a matter is God pleased.

All we can do is seek the Lord Himself, speak to Him, listen to His voice, focus your heart's desires on Him, rest in Him, hope in Him, cast everything onto Him. A relationship with Christ Jesus. That is all He wants from us. The LORD wants our heart. When we are empty of the flesh, He will do His will through us, there won't be any praying about, "What is Your will for me?" He would be working His purposes out through you when you are surrendered to Him like that. And we will find rest.

Unless God builds the house, we labor in vain trying to do works for Him. If it's not God doing His will through us, it is wood, hay and stubble. And when we stand before Him, all of those self-willed works will be consumed in a fire as no good. If it isn't God Himself doing the thing, it is worthless. We cannot conjure up in our own flesh anything worthy of the holiness of God.

An empty vessel. That's what God wants. The Lord works out His purposes through a totally surrendered soul. To trust God is to believe He can do as He says. He performs His will through us. He gets all the glory forever. And we get HIM!!!!

Hmmm 'Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us,?
 
F

FreeNChrist

Guest
You omit the crucial fact that it is IF and WHEN they sin that they need their advocate. Thus as he has made clear in 1 John 1. He is aware that at some stage they will sin. So he is declaring that they need forgiveness whenever they sin. This in itself demonstrates that 1 John 1 is not written to Gnostics. And in fact we have no record of what Gnostics in the first century taught. There were many types of Gnostic. The majority were antinomians who saw no harm in sinning, for in their eyes such sins were merely the product of the flesh which they would leave behind when they were finally saved by gnosis. Thus 1 John 1 would not apply to them. The article in the OP is simply using a self-defined gnosticism in order to prove a false exegesis. It is of course true that John had a kind of gnosticism in mind when writing his letter (although we know little of the details). It is NOT true that 1 John 1 had them specifically in mind. Had it done so it would have been worded otherwise.



'These things have I written to you concerning those who would lead you astray. This confirms that 1 John 1 & 2 were written to Christians not to gnostics. Certainly he had gnostics in mind but he was NOT addressing gnostics. He was pointing out to Christians that they must not be deceived about sin and treat it as unimportant. But must immediately deal with it. . Thank you for proving my point.

Written to the believers about those who were trying to lead them astray.
 
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Sep 4, 2012
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Doing is a manifestation of believing.

The word "believe" can describe "mental assent belief," as in James 2:19, or also include "trust and reliance in Christ for salvation," as in Acts 16:31. In James 2:19, nobody questions the fact that the demons (and Satan) believe "mental assent" that "there is one God" (they believe in the existence of Christ) but they do not believe/entrust their spiritual well being to Christ; have faith/reliance upon Christ for salvation. Their trust and reliance is in Satan, as demonstrated by their rebellion in heaven and continuous evil works.
IMO faith without works is merely mental belief, whereas true faith works out of both the heart and mind. True faith is being persuaded by GOD's words, placing confidence in what he says, and trusting him to do what he says he will do.
 
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VioletReigns

Guest
Who do you think does convince a believer of sin he has committed?
Nope! Jesus does not expose the sin in me. He shines HIMSELF in me and everything in my flesh is rendered ineffective. He lifts Himself up on the throne of my heart and MAKES me follow Him. Jesus Christ is Lord in reality!! HE REIGNS OVER ALL! :D