Confession of Sin

 

Confession of Sin –  The grace method by which the carnal believer receives forgiveness by naming personal sins privately to God the Father. As a result, the believer regains spirituality, is restored to fellowship with God in time, recovers the filling of the Holy Spirit, and resumes the spiritual life. Confession of sins is the means of fulfilling the mandate to every believer "to be filled with the Spirit" by simply naming, citing, admitting, or acknowledging sins in privacy to God the Father (1 John 1:9; Psa 32:5). Prior to the Church Age, priests from specialized priesthoods acted as intermediaries between man and God. Now, the believer in Christ is a member of a Royal Priesthood, and as such represents himself before God without any need of any mediation by a third party religious priest. Today, the believer priest confesses his sins privately to God the Father. Illustration of cleansing: At His last Passover, Jesus rose and laid aside His garments, girded Himself with the garb of a slave (John 13:4. see Kenosis), and washed the disciples’ feet (John 13:4-10). He stated that those who are already entirely bathed (salvation) only need their feet cleansed. And, Paul used the terminology of self-judgment to denote confession/cleansing from temporal sin before partaking of the communion elements (1 Cor 11:28-32).  {83C3D1A1}

 

/~/  Systematic Theology Context(s):

 

 

Ecclesiology

90               Definitions:

91            I. The Church as a Dispensation

92           II. The Universal Church

93          III. The Local Church

94         IV. The CHRISTIAN Way of Life

94A             A. The Christian’s Relationship to the Godhead

94B             B. The Christian's Relationship to Angels

94C             C. The Christian's Relationship to the Cosmos

94D             D. The Christian's Relationship to the Body of Christ

94E             E. A Universal Priesthood for the Christian Way of Life

94E1                1. Introduction to the Doctrine of Priesthood

94E2                2. The History of the Priesthood

94E3                3. The Function of the Believer-Priest

94E3A                   a. Worship

94E3B                   b. Prayer

94E3B1                      (1). Prayer Principles

94E3B2                      (2). Reasons for Unanswered Prayer

94E3B3                      (3). Praying for Missionaries

94E3B4                      (4). Imprecatory Prayer

94E3C                   c. Giving

94E3D                   d. Interpretation of the Word of God

94E3E                   e. Full-Time Christian Service

94E3F                   f. Maintenance of the Holy Spirit's Tabernacle – Sanctuary

94F             F. The Mechanics of the Christian Way of Life — After Salvation, What?

94F1                1. Problem Solving Devices — Stress Busters

94F1A                   a. The Mechanics of Spirituality

94F1A1                     (1). Confession of Sin

94F1A1A                       (a). Personal Confession

94F1A1B                        (b). The Problem of Unknown Sins

94F1A1C                       (c). The Problem of Public Confession of Sin

94F1A1D                       (d). Confession of a Nation's Sins

94F1A2                     (2). Forgetting Confessed Sins

94F1A3                     (3). Isolation of Confessed Sins

94F1A4                     (4). Questions & Answers About Confession

94F1B                   b. Filling of the Spirit

94F1B1                      (1). Distinction Between Spirituality and Carnality

94F1B2                      (2). Distinction Between Spirituality and Maturity

94F1B3                      (3). Distinction Between the Salvation and Post-Salvation

                                                                   Ministries of the Holy Spirit

94F1B4                      (4). The Results of Spirituality

94F1B5                      (5). Distinction Between Divine Good and Human Good

94F1B6                      (6). How Not To Be Filled With the Spirit

94F1B7                      (7). Spirituality Compared Across Dispensational Boundaries

94F1B8                      (8). False Systems of Spirituality

94F1C                   c. Faith-Rest

94F1C1                     (1). Claim a Promise

94F1C2                     (2). Proper Use of Promises

94F1C3                     (3). Reach Doctrinal Conclusions

94F1D                   d. Grace Orientation

94F1D1                     (1). Basis for Grace

94F1D2                 (2). Common Grace

94F1D3                     (3). Uncommon Grace

94F1D4                     (4). Reception/Rejection of Grace

94F1D5                     (5). Disorientation to Grace

94F1E                   e. Doctrinal Orientation

94F1F                   f. Sense of Destiny

94F1G                  g. Love for God the Father

94F1H                   h. Love for All Mankind

94F1I                    i. Inner Happiness - Sharing the Happiness of God

94F1J                    j. Occupation With Christ

94F2                2. Divine Guidance

94F2A                   a. God's Will For the Believer

94F2B                   b. Mechanics of Divine Guidance

94F2C                   c. Principles of Doubtful Things

94F2D                   d. Providential Circumstances

94F3                3. The Christian Walk

94F3A                   a. Abiding in Christ

94F3B                   b. Growth and Maturity

94F3B1                      (1). Divine Viewpoint

94F3B2                      (2). Human Viewpoint

94F3C                   c. Wisdom

94F3D                   d. Doctrine of Walking - One Day at a Time

94F3E                   e. Plan of God For the Believer in Time

94F3F                   f.  Blessings in Time

94F4                4. Christian Suffering

94F5                5. Christian Death

95           V. Church History

96         VI. Missions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Links:

 

 “Confession: Old Testament Insights” by Clifford Rapp, Jr.  Chafer Theological Seminary Journal - http://www.chafer.edu/journal/back_issues/v5n4_3.pdf