Posts Tagged ‘confession’
If the damages caused by a sin are corrected, does the sin need to be confessed?
Question: I used my employer’s equipment and electricity to mine cryptocurrency without their permission. I didn’t realize the full implications of what I was doing until some time had passed. When it finally struck me that what I was doing was unequivocally theft, I immediately stopped. My employer never realized (or suspected) that I was doing this,…
Read MoreDo I need to tell my parents about my sins?
Question: Hello! I’m writing out for advice on what to do. I am a female in my twenties. I have a boyfriend and we had sinned sexually previously. We felt so much guilt and knew it was wrong. We went with our pastor and he gave us advice. He told us to talk it out…
Read MoreWhy isn’t confession of sin included in the things required for salvation?
Question: Why is the confession of sins not included in the steps to salvation (5 Steps of Salvation)? This question is prompted by verses such as Matthew 3:6, Mark 1:5, Acts 19:18, and James 5:16. Answer: The confession of sin preceded John’s baptism (Matthew 3:6; Mark 1:5). While it might set precedence, it cannot be…
Read MoreIs the reason I haven’t been healed that I haven’t confessed all my sins?
Question: Hi, In reference to James 5:16: “Confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” I have a rare genetic condition that causes hearing and visual impairment. They are incurable and my vision is deteriorating and might lead to blindness. Many pastors and people in my church have…
Read MoreDo we need to confess our sinfulness every day?
Question: I grew up Catholic but have turned away from it and am finally learning how to/what it means to ‘walk with the Lord”. Is it correct to confess our sinfulness every day or necessary to do so before prayer? Do we confess to Jesus or Father God? How do we confess? This confuses me because…
Read MoreThis Is One of Them
by Terry Wane Benton “As Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant-girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and *said, “You also were with Jesus the Nazarene.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you are talking about.” And he…
Read MoreDo I need to confess to the person I lusted after?
Question: Do I have to confess my lustful thoughts to the person I lusted after? I’m dealing with the sin of lust (and the commonly related sinful behavior linked to it). I know I need to repent of this, ask God for forgiveness, and cut it out of my life. But there are times I…
Read MoreThe Deadly Church Mask
by Matthew W. Bassford This is about masking in church, but not the kind you think. I have zero desire to return to the debates from two years ago about covering our faces with bits of paper and cloth! Instead, I am concerned with the invisible masks that we put on to conceal our true…
Read MoreShouldn’t a public sin be publicly confessed?
Question: Hello, brother in Christ! I am writing to you as this has been bothering me for months, and I’m still wondering how I would approach this problem. We have a sister in the Church, my close friend, who suddenly got married. I knew she had a boyfriend, but being her close friend, she could’ve…
Read MoreDo I need to confess my sin again?
Question: Hi, I’ve been in the church of Christ since I was a kid. I am now a young adult and not married. I struggled with sexual sins in my early 20s. One day I decided to tell my family because I felt guilty. My parents suggested that I go to the church and ask…
Read MoreA Trustworthy Statement
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/A-Trustworthy-Statement.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton II Timothy 2:8-13 I. If we died with him A. Related to Romans 6:3-7 1. In baptism we share in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus 2. Death leads to life a. New (different) life here on earth – Romans 6:4 b. A life after physical death – Romans 6:5 c. The latter is what…
Read MoreAm I obligated to confess mortal sins I didn’t know were wrong?
Question: I have a question about not confessing sins. As a kid, I really only thought mortal sins were things like not killing people, not stealing from people, not cheating on your wife, etc. I didn’t really know about other mortal sins at that time. To be a mortal sin, it is required that you…
Read MoreI don’t want to be sorry for the wrong reasons
Question: I was raised Catholic and have not been baptized yet as an adult. For repentance do we need to go back and set everything right before being forgiven? Must we confess every lie we ever told to every person? Or is asking God to forgive us enough? And to move on from our past.…
Read MoreIs it wrong to not consider myself a part of any specific religion?
Question: I wonder all the time if I am wrong to not consider myself to be of any specific religion. I know Jesus is our Lord and I believe in him, but when someone asks what my religion is I do not know what to say because I do not like the war that separates…
Read MoreDo I need to confess my every lust to my spouse?
Question: Hello, I first wanted to say thank you for posting these articles and questions/answers. They are very encouraging and I am thankful for your commitment to scripture. I am a baptized Christian man in my mid-20s. My wife (also a baptized Christian) and I have been married for several years now. I did not…
Read MoreFaces Surrounding Calvary: Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus
by Dave Hart We are given very little insight as to the lives and characters of these two men, but there are some things we know about them which are worthy of our attention. Joseph of Arimathea was a rich man, a member of the council or what was otherwise known as the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus…
Read MoreSins Against the Church
by Joe Shane Sentry Magazine, March 2000 Are there sins against the church? If so, what are those sins? Simply put, the answer to the first question is yes. The answer to the second is more complicated. Let us begin with a quote from a preacher who will remain nameless. (Since he will have no…
Read MoreJesus, the Light of the World
by Matthew W. Bassford In writing his gospel, the apostle John often likes to group Jesus’ “I am” statements with events that define that characteristic. “I am the bread of life,” follows the feeding of the 5000, “I am the resurrection and the life,” precedes the raising of Lazarus, and so on. This certainly is…
Read MoreJust as I Am
by Doy Moyer Just as I am without one plea, But that Thy blood was shed for me. And that Thou bids’t me come to Thee O Lamb of God, I come. by Charlotte Elliot I have long thought that “Just as I am” is a beautiful, inspiring hymn. While I don’t know that it…
Read MoreIf I don’t remember making a confession, do I need to be baptized again?
Question: Hello! First and foremost I want to offer my appreciation for your website and the encouragement it brings to many. I have been struggling with doubts about my personal salvation over the last few years and was hoping you could bring me some clarity/advice on what my next step should be. I want to…
Read MoreDo I need to confess some sins to a Roman Catholic priest to be forgiven?
Question: Hello Jeffrey! I’ve been studying Christianity once again and found out that there are two kinds of sins at the Roman Catholic Church — ‘venial’ and ‘mortal’. I found out that if one commits a mortal sin then it must be confessed in front of a priest in order to be completely forgiven. That…
Read MoreMy husband doesn’t want me to confess all my sins to him
Question: I had multiple affairs with an ex-boyfriend over several years. My husband found out about the first one. I lied to him but continued to commit adultery. I came to the Lord in repentance and I was baptized for the remission of my sins. I confessed my adultery to my husband but in heat…
Read MoreCan there be repentance without confession?
Question: I have a question about repentance. I have always wondered if there was such a thing as a lack of repentance? For example, when someone lies to another and later on they repent and change their mind about lying, but they don’t want to bring up the details of the lie with that person…
Read MoreWhat do I need to do to return to a congregation?
Question: Dear Sir, I have not been attending church services regularly for about two years. I’m a baptized believer and had been attending a church of Christ. My reasons for not going were due to a lot of different things, but these don’t excuse my absence. I’ve recently started going back but I am confused…
Read MoreDo we need to redo our confession before the church?
Question: Dear Preacher, I must thank you for the wonderful work you are doing to help the churches of Christ. I have an issue that I would like you to help me with. I fornicated with a lady in church, and she is pregnant. We spoke to church elders about our intentions to marry because…
Read MoreDoes an unmarried woman who gets pregnant have to publically confess her sin?
Question: If someone got pregnant and she and her boyfriend are not married, do they have to confess this as a public sin? If so please give me a scripture for it. Thanks! Answer: Since we are interested in biblical answers, let us first note that God doesn’t divide sins into public and private sins…
Read MoreA Soul Set Free
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/A-Soul-Set-Free.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 32 I. Every person is guilty of sin – Romans 3:10-23 A. Therefore, we all need forgiveness from God 1. It is found in Jesus Christ – I John 2:1; Ephesians 1:7 B. Only with forgiveness can we enter into God’s presence – Revelation 21:27 II. How blessed is a forgiven man…
Read MoreHow to Become a Christian
by W. Frank Walton “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (II Corinthians 5:17). The Bible says salvation from sin is only in Christ (Acts 4:12). The most important commitment you’ll ever make is deciding to become a true Christian. What “steps”…
Read MoreNotes on Examples of Conversion
Where Hear Believe Repent Confess Be Baptized Result At Pentecost Acts 2:14-41 Acts 2:38 Acts 2:38, 41 Forgiveness of sins Acts 2:38 Added Acts 2:41 Acts 3:12-26; 4:2,4 Acts 4:4 Increase in number Acts 5:14 Added to number Acts 5:42 Increasing in number Samaria Acts 8:4-8, 12 Acts 8:12-13 Acts 8:12-13 Ethiopian Eunuch Acts 8:30-35…
Read MoreNotes on Things that Accompany Salvation
Hear Believe Repent Confess Be Baptized Obey Commanded Acts 16:31; Hebrews 11:6 Commanded Acts 2:38; 17:30; 26:20 Commanded Acts 10:48 Commanded Philippians 2:12 To come to God John 6:45 To please God Hebrews 11:6 To gain times of refreshing Acts 3:19 Brings joy in heaven Luke 15:7 To be confessed before God Matthew 10:32-33 To…
Read MoreWhen I confess and repent, will my relationship with God be restored?
Question: If I pray to God and tell Him I know what I did was wrong, and I know I did it a few times, but I will never do it again, then will my relationship with God be good as long as I repent? Answer: When you accept that you are no longer that…
Read MoreShould a man confess that he helped someone steal?
Question: Ten years ago a friend of mine committed a crime. He helped a homeless man carry a computer screen to sell it for drugs, even though he himself never broke in but helped carry it from the outside. No harm to anyone was done as it was empty and just after midnight. Anyway, he…
Read MoreDoes a confession need to be taken before baptism?
Question: We are having a problem with words in our congregation. When you baptize someone should you say the words “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the remission of your sins?” Or should you just immerse them and say nothing? Also, our preacher does not…
Read MoreCan I be forgiven for denying Christ?
Question: I’m currently 13 years old, but when I was 12. I would tell my grandmother “I don’t believe in God” deliberately because I wanted to make her angry, since I was angry. I didn’t know it was bad to say that. I actually regret it so much that I’m about to cry writing this.…
Read MoreWhat must I confess before I am baptized?
Question: Let me start off by thanking you for all that you do in the name of Jesus Christ. A few weeks ago I prayed to God asking for guidance in finding the true church of which I can become a part of so that I may further my understanding of the gospel. I firmly…
Read MoreWhat must I confess before I am baptized?
Question: Let me start off by thanking you for all that you do in the name of Jesus Christ. A few weeks ago I had prayed to God asking for guidance in finding the true church of which I can become a part so that I may further my understanding of the gospel. I firmly…
Read MoreMust we be condemned before the church for sins we have repented of?
Question: I am writing to seek for your advice on a situation I find myself in. I have been in a relationship for several months and shortly before we could inform our pastor of our planned wedding, we made a grievous error and fell into sexual sins. A child was conceived because of these sins.…
Read MoreWhat does it mean to confess Christ before men?
Question: Hey Jeffrey, I hope all is well with you. Thank you for always answering my questions with sound Bible doctrine. It has helped me a lot. I have a question about confessing Jesus before men. I was reading Matthew 10:32-33 and I would like to know exactly what Jesus means? I confessed Jesus before…
Read MoreWhen I confessed my adultery, I lost my marriage
Question: This isn’t a question. It is in answer to something you wrote to someone about adultery. Sadly, I went to a mature Christian and was told to confess. I have wrecked a 25+ year marriage and my kids are devastated. Answer: I’m sorry to hear this. Sadly, I can’t undo the damage already done.
Read MoreThrowing Away the Key
by Dan Shipley via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 8, Feb. 24, 2008. “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Sin is bad, but concealed sin is even worse. If deliberate sin is like…
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