Posts Tagged ‘confession’
Would confession and repentance remove the death penalty under the Old Testament?
Question: If you break one of the Ten Commandments, does it mean that you sinned? Of course, the consequence, I believe, is death, correct? However, if you confess what you did and repented, then God forgives you and you don’t have to die, correct? Answer: Each of the Ten Commandments in the Old Testament carried…
Read MoreI sinned, but I’m afraid to tell my priests
Question: I am twenty-two years old, almost twenty-three. I did something a few days ago that has damaged my heart deeply and left a big emptiness. I have been dating a guy who is not a Christian. He started going to church when we started dating. I was baptized two years ago and had been…
Read MorePeople stop being friends with me because of some nice things I’ve posted. Should I stop posting?
Question: So I’m in college right now, and I was finally making friends. I say finally because I’m very shy and have a hard time making friends. Anyway, I like to post things on Facebook about God — nice messages about waiting for marriage or pro-life stuff. I have noticed some of my friends have…
Read MoreI’m haunted by the bad I’ve done. What should I do?
Question: So I have done some really bad things in the past that I feel bad about. Nobody knows I done these things. I asked for forgiveness but still felt really bad yesterday. I was listening to the Bible, and I started crying really bad. I want to move on with my life, but I…
Read MoreIf you have sex before marriage, but you marry that person, is it still a sin?
Question: If you have sex before marriage but you marry that person, is it still a sin? If that’s the only person you had sex with is it still a sin? And another question: If you beg God to forgive your sins, how will you know if He forgives them? Answer: “Marriage is honorable among…
Read MoreI have OCD and suffer from blasphemous thoughts. Should I stop confessing these thoughts?
Question: I am a Christian who suffers from OCD. I just read your website on OCD and feel extremely comforted by your knowledge of the illness. I have blasphemous thoughts, and I keep confessing this as sin over and over and over again. Maybe all that confessing is my OCD. Can I stop confessing, or…
Read MoreIs it necessary to confess to a preacher or elder?
Question: When a person has sinned, in particular sexually immoral sins, do they repent only to God? Is it necessary to repent to a person, such as a preacher or an elder? Answer: The purpose of confession is to face the fact that we sinned — that we are not going to hide from that…
Read MoreDo I need to confess to everyone that I wronged?
Question: In the past, because I had heard the phrase “the confession needs to be as public as the sin,” I became very busy spending much time thinking of times I had sinned in front of others. I then would write them a note, message them, talk to them, etc. about what I had done. …
Read MoreI confessed that I committed fornication before my marriage, but I lied about the details. What should I do?
Question: Hello Sir, I have done something terrible! Like others searching through your questions and answers section, I cheated on my wife while she was my fiance. The guilt of cheating and the guilt of cheating with this specific type of person is eating me away! I have always been close to the Lord and…
Read MoreDo I need to confess a wrong I did in the past to someone who is not aware of it and wasn’t harmed by it?
Question: Hello Brother, I have a question that has been weighing on my mind. I have read some of your responses to confession. I believe that I have come to a correct conclusion but wanted to ask you to be sure. I did something that could have harmed a friend back in high school years ago. …
Read MoreI enjoyed the article on public confession
Question: Greetings. A friend sent me a link from your site, and I enjoyed the article on public confession. I read a few others while I was there and found them to be quite good. Answer: I’m glad you found the site useful for your studies.
Read MoreDo I need to confess my adultery to my wife?
Question: I was looking for an answer to my question, and I ran across your church’s web site. I am a troubled person. I need wisdom, and I find it difficult to find direction. I know I am to search Scripture, but honestly, I believe I’m still in the place where I can only be fed…
Read MoreIf a single person is aware of sin then sin must be publicly confessed!
Question: Regarding your expose’ as to your opinion of the couple who engaged in pre-marital sex, I couldn’t disagree more with your summation that there was no need to publicly confess. One of your errors is to suggest that the act(s) occurred so closely to vows being exchanged that it would be inconclusive in as…
Read MoreIs confession of sin only to one’s self or must it be to God?
Question: Hello, I just read your article: “How detailed does a confession of sin have to be? Do you need to list out all that you’ve done wrong?” We have been discussing this subject for over two months with no end in sight. One side holds to the understanding that one needs only to repent…
Read MoreDo we have to confess our fornication that was repented of before our marriage?
Question: My boyfriend and I committed sexual immorality. We have repented and not done it again. We are planning on getting married, but do I have to confess my sins to my pastor and my parents before we get married? Answer: The purpose of confession is to face the fact that we sinned — that…
Read MoreMust I confess my sins to a priest to be forgiven?
Question: I was born into a Catholic faith but a non-church going family. I have now and “always” had a problem with the Catholic faith saying that we cannot get absolution unless we have confessed our sins to a priest. I have not been to confession in over 40 years. I do pray almost daily,…
Read MoreWhat happens if sin is not confessed immediately and the sinner dies?
Question: How does I John 2:1 work for believers? One commentator talks of consent for the advocate to succeed but sometimes believers don’t get convicted of their sins immediately, for example, David in II Samuel 11 and 12. Does this mean his advocacy will not avail them? If they die, will they go to hell?…
Read MoreWhat should I say to confess my fornication?
Question: I need help with words to ask God and my church and my parents for forgiveness of my fornication. I know I have sinned. I allowed myself to get caught up and I need to ask for forgiveness. I want to write it because I can’t stop crying, and I want those who looked…
Read MoreDo I need to confess every sin I committed?
Question: I am having trouble with understanding repentance and forgiveness. I have strayed away from God for a couple of years now. I want to be back in good standing with the Lord. However, I have committed many, many sins. As I understand it, I cannot be forgiven unless I repent of my sins. But…
Read MoreWhat Saves a Person?
by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Since, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9), it would be sensible to understand that in order to get people saved, God would tell them…
Read MoreConfessing Our Faults
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ConfessingOurFaults.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalm 32 I. I John 1:8-10 A. Forgiveness of our sins is not automatic. God has always required action on our part to gain His forgiveness. B. In this passage we learn that God wants us to confess our faults. II. Confession has always been required by God A. In the garden, God…
Read MoreDo I need to fix all my past sins in order to repent? Must I confess sins I did years ago before the church?
Question: Hello! Okay, I am going to tell you some things that have happened over the course of about six years. I am currently 20 years old. When I was 14 years old, I was baptized. Soon after, I began to mess up and commit sin. (By the way, I do not have a perfect…
Read MoreI don’t think I understood what I was confessing well enough before my baptism. So am I saved?
Question: I am wondering if I am saved. I was baptized in a Church of Christ and since learning more about it I have questions. First I don’t think I understood the confession part. I thought it was confessing to God that you are a sinner and in need of salvation. Then I recently heard…
Read MoreMust we confess our sins before eating the Lord’s Supper?
Question: Must we confess sin before eating the body and blood of Christ? What does “examine yourself” mean in I Corinthians 11:28? Answer: The Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Jesus’ death. “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which…
Read MoreThe Confession of the Four Murderers
https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/2010Spring2TheConfessionOfTheFourMurderers.mp3 by Frank Walton Christ, the Only Way
Read MoreMust I ask forgiveness from the person I wronged before I can repent?
Question: Must I ask for forgiveness from one who suffered the consequence of my sin before I can repent? This only seems logical to me. A person should first seek to heal a fellow human who has been hurt by them. Please email me something brief about this as I am in anguish. Answer: “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not…
Read MoreHow much should be confessed to be forgiven?
Question: This was an answer given to a question regarding adultery, and if the husband should be told about it. I am assuming he didn’t know about it. “Everyone sins, but the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is that a Christian does not want to stay in sin. The Christian will go to the…
Read MoreHow detailed does a confession of sin have to be?
Question: How detailed does a confession of sin have to be? Do you need to list out all that you’ve done wrong? Answer: First, we need to remind ourselves what is the purpose of confession. Confessing our sins means we are facing up to the fact that we were in the wrong and we are…
Read MoreDoesn’t a publicly known sin need to be confessed?
Question: Hello! I have a question about an article that I have recently found. I am a Christian and grew up in the church always believing you “need to let the congregation know you have repented of your public sins” by going forward. In the article “Does sin require a public confession before a congregation?”…
Read MoreDoes sin require a public confession before a congregation?
Question: It is with great difficulty that I find myself writing to you with this question. I have been married for about several months now. Shortly before the wedding, we made a grievous error and fell into sexual sins. A child was conceived from this sin. We are overjoyed over the child but do admit…
Read MoreIs saying “yes” enough to confess Christ before baptism?
Question: I enjoy reading your articles on your web site. I find your answers to questions biblically sound and with justification. I’m having trouble with confession, perhaps you can expound on it for me. Is simply answering “yes” when one is asked to confess Christ (before baptism) enough? Should the believer follow the quote by…
Read MoreThere’s More to It Than That
by Dee Bowman via Gospel Power, Vol. 15, No. 13, Mar. 30, 2008. It’s interesting to me how an illustration can sometimes become so powerful that it supplants the thing it is illustrating. For instance, the illustration for salvation is many times cited by the use of a man’s five fingers. Here, believe, repent, confess,…
Read MoreDo we have to do penance?
Question: Do we have to do penance? If we sin and we ask for forgiveness is it enough or do we need someone to give us a penance? Answer: Penance is a Roman Catholic concept which is not found in the Bible. If we stayed with the actual definition of the word, it means “repentance…
Read MoreDid the thief on the cross work when he rebuked the other thief?
Question: I noticed your ‘Is water baptism is a work?’ and I found it very insightful. I was curious about the thief on the cross. Did this thief do a ‘work’ before he died by rebuking his neighbor? Answer: Obviously the thief demonstrates faith in Jesus. “Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying,…
Read MoreIf I go to confession, will I be completely forgiven of my sexual sins?
Question: I was raised Christian and am still a believer. When I was younger and more impressionable, I wanted to have sex with whatever girlfriends I had at the time. After being unsuccessful in losing my virginity a few times, and reading about it online, I decided to remain a virgin by choice. It became…
Read MoreCan you be saved without confessing with your mouth?
Question: Can anyone be saved without speaking (confessing) with their mouth? Answer: “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 preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God…
Read MoreWhy did Catholicism start and when did it happen?
Question: Why did the religion Catholicism start and what year did Catholicism start? Answer: Why Catholicism started is fairly straightforward. Man has a difficult time leaving something alone. There is a strong desire to modify things with the goal of “improving” things. This tendency is encouraged by Satan who wants to destroy the works of…
Read MoreRemember the Duck
Author Unknown There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods, but he could never hit the target. Getting discouraged, he headed back inside for lunch. As he was walking back, he saw his grandmother’s pet…
Read MoreNotes on Confession
Of Faith Matthew 10:32-33 Matthew 16:16 Acts 8:35-37 Romans 10:9-10 I Timothy 6:12 Philippians 2:11 I John 4:15 Of Sin James 5:16 I John 1:9 see Notes on Salvation see Notes on Examples of Conversion see Notes on Things that Accompany Salvation
Read MoreShould failure to attend in the past be publically confessed?
Question: We have a woman who has returned to attending services after not attending for several years. I’m at a loss as to how to encourage her to repent — specifically whether it needs to be done publically or privately. Even though she assembles with the saints once again, she is only coming on Sunday…
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