Confession

V. Confession

How Christians should be taught to confess.

What is Confession?*

Confession embraces two parts: the one is, that we confess our sins; the other, that we receive absolution, or forgiveness, from the confessor, as from God Himself, and in no wise doubt, but firmly believe, that our sins are thereby forgiven before God in heaven.

What sins should we confess?

Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even of those which we do not know, as we do in the Lord's Prayer. But before the confessor we should confess those sins alone which we know and feel in our hearts.

Which are these?

Here consider your station according to the Ten Commandments, whether you are a father, mother, son, daughter, master, mistress, a man-servant or maid-servant; whether you have been disobedient, unfaithful, slothful; whether you have grieved any one by words or deeds; whether you have stolen, neglected, or wasted aught, or done other injury.

http://bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.php

 

No, the confessional has not been done away with in the Lutheran church. Yes, we confess our sins corporately and receive absolution every Sunday morning at Zion. Yes, I am available to hear private confessions whenever you feel a need. I assume that all Christians are aware that they are able to confess their sins directly to God. However, I am aware that many Lutherans are not aware that private confession with their pastors is also available. I do not hear many private confessions. Mostly, the ones I do hear are younger people. Some of us are so troubled by our consciences that we need to be able to put voice to our sins and hear with our ears and believe these words: "You are forgiven. God forgives you all your sins."

 

There is no need to be burdened by the sins that trouble your conscience in such a way that it disrupts your ability to serve God or neighbor. Confess your sins so that you might be reassured that you have been forgiven and reconciled to God our Father, through Jesus the Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

 

God's Peace - Pr. J

Psalm 12 - Faithful or Faithless?

"Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore; those who are loyal have vanished from the human race." (vs 1 NIV)

My only question this morning is:  was there really a time when someone was totally, completely, 100% faithful.  The only one I can think of that was truely faithful was and is Jesus the Christ.  We all like sheep, have gone astray.  (Isaiah 53:6) It is true that many have turned and returned to the shepherd of our souls.  (1 Peter 2:25)  Yet, can any of really say that we are completely faithful?  When was the last time we put ourselves first and doing the will of the LORD second or maybe third or fourth?  Yesterday?  Maybe, it was the moment you got up out of bed this morning? 

We sin against God and one another without even realizing it.  We might pray for relief from our enemy, but who might be praying for relief from us? That is why in our corporate confession at worship we often ask God to forgive our sins both known and unknown to us. 

Often in our weekly Bible study, we discuss the amazing things that were accomplished through the first followers (miracles, if you will).  We wonder if God has stopped producing miracles or is our faith and our faithfulness so wanting that nothing (or very little) can actually be accomplished through us? 

No, not one is completely faithful anymore, except the Son, Jesus the Christ.  He is faithful. We have all turned our backs and like sheep have gone astray.  But....  I remind you of Luther's explanation of the third article of the Apostle's Creed:  "I believe that by my own reason or strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him.  But the Holy Spirit has called me through the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, and sanctified and preserved me in true faith, just as he calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and preserves it in union with Jesus Christ in the one true faith.  In this Christian church he daily and abundantly forgives all my sins, and the sins of all believers, and on the last day he will raise me and all the dead and will grant eternal life to me and to all who believe in Christ.  This is most certainly true.

We, are sinners, indeed.  We are faithless.  Yet, the Spirit of the one who is faithful, keeps us in the true faith.  Quite the paradox! But, thanks be to God!  This is most certainly true!

God's Peace - Pr. J