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

Rev 18 Adultery and Idolatry

Rev 18 NIV
It is finished! The time of judgment upon Babylon the great harlot and upon those who committed adultery with her has come. 

So what's the difference between adultery and idolatry? Not much. Whenever we make a commitment to someone to put them first in our lives and then place other things before that commitment, that is adultery. It does not have to be a sexual liaison for it to be adultery. Football or fishing or gold or alcohol or drugs or money or  multitude of other things sometimes edge their way into our lives causing us to be unfaithful to those whom we have committed ourselves to love and care for.

If we say we worship the one true God and we put any of those same things that cause us to commitment adultery with our spouses before God and His perfect will for us, we commit idolatry.

Being reconciled, through the blood of Jesus to our Father, is about being in a committed relationship. God our Father committed His only begotten Son so that we might live in and with Him. God, the Son, committed His life to death, that we might live in and with Him. God, the Holy Spirit, commits us to be our help and our strength so that we might live in the presence of this perfect Triune God for all eternity. It's a pretty one sided commitment though. God desires that we should worship Him. He is faithful to us. Yet, we are not faithful to Him. We promise to be faithful and then we go off and serve other false gods committing adultery and idolatry as lovers of Babylon the great harlot.

The angel in John's vision warns us to come out of her while there is yet time; for when that final day comes neither the voice of the bride or the bridegroom will be heard in her again.

There are those who would judge that there are many and various levels of adultery and idolatry. That may be. But, I am not sure that God sees these many levels that humankind has concocted. If you dip just your foot into a cesspool you will still get dirty.

I am not sure if I know anyone who does not put themselves or others or things of this world before God from time to time. We are all idolaters and adulterers; forsaking the beautiful gift of reconciliation, life with our God, for reconciliation with the pleasures of this world.

Thanks be to God, that Jesus was willing to commit his whole life that even though we have turned our back on him; he did not turn his back on us.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Hosea 1 - God Is Faithful

“Go, marry a promiscuous woman and have children with her, for like an adulterous wife this land is guilty of unfaithfulness to the Lord.” (Hosea 1:2 NIV)

Yep! The LORD said that. He told the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute in order to be an example to the people of the adultery they (we) have committed. Hosea was to be an example of how loving and faithful God is to us, who over and over again have gone whoring after other gods. They have all gone their own way.

Yet He loves them and continues to be faithful to them. He promises: "...the Israelites will be like the sand on the seashore, which cannot be measured or counted. In the place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ they will be called ‘children of the living God.’ The people of Judah and the people of Israel will come together..." (Hosea 1:10-11)

"The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." (John 1:9-13)

All who receive Him, all who believe in His name, He gives the right to become children of God. No matter who you are or where you are or what you have done or even will do, God is faithful to His word. All who believe in His Name, will inherit the kingdom that has been given through Jesus Christ, our LORD. Your sins are forgiven!

Let all God's children say Amen!

God's Peace be with you... Pr. J

P.S. Something to think about further and look up. What did Jesus say to the woman caught in adultery? (John 8)

Ezekiel 23 - The Tale of Two Cities

The tale of two sisters presents a pretty colorful picture of prostitution and whoredom. It is an allegory that presents idolatry and adultery as one and the same. The two sisters are in actuality the two cities of Samaria, which is the capital of the northern kingdom and Jerusalem, which is the capital of the southern kingdom. Both cities have fallen under condemnation for their idolatrous ways. These have lusted after and played the harlot with foreign men of power. They have prostituted themselves in that they have allied themselves with other cities and countries that do not worship God. They have been unfaithful to their Husband, who is their Creator. (Isa 54:5) Ultimately, they will fall for their unfaithfulness.

How often do we play games with men and/or women of power to get what we desire? Maybe it is for riches or maybe it is for more power and prestige for ourselves. The tale of two sisters or the tale of these two cities should remind us that there is only one God, who is our Maker and Redeemer. He is our all. There can be only one first love and from Him we should not stray.

God's Peace - Pr. J