CONFESSION OF SINS

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CONFESSION OF SINS
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CONFESSION OF SINS

• Few of the Lord's people will deny that
  Christians must confess their sins in order to be
  forgiven.
• But there is much disagreement on the specifics
  of such confession.
• Does every sin have to be specifically confessed?
  
• If so, does each incident of every sin have to be
  enumerated?
• If so, how many details need to be given?
• Is a public confession necessary, at all?

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CONFESSION OF SINS

• Confession Illustrated

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Luke 1521

• "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned
  against heaven and in your sight, and am no
  longer worthy to be called your son.'"

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Luke 1810-12

• "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a
  Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The
  Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
  'God, I thank You that I am not like other
  men--extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as
  this tax collector. I fast twice a week I give
  tithes of all that I possess.'

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Luke 1813-14

• "And the tax collector, standing afar off, would
  not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat
  his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a
  sinner!'
• "I tell you, this man went down to his house
  justified rather than the other for everyone who
  exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
  humbles himself will be exalted.'"

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CONFESSION OF SINS

• Confession Illustrated
• Examples of Confession

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Luke 58

• When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus'
  knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful
  man, O Lord!"

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Luke 2339-41

• Then one of the criminals who were hanged
  blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ,
  save Yourself and us."
• But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying,
  "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under
  the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for
  we receive the due reward of our deeds but this
  Man has done nothing wrong."

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CONFESSION OF SINS

• Confession Illustrated
• Examples of Confession
• Confession Is Required
• Confession of Sins To God

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1 John 19

• If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just
  to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
  unrighteousness.

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Matthew 723

• "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew
  you depart from Me, you who practice
  lawlessness!'"

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Matthew 147

• Therefore he promised with an oath to give her
  whatever she might ask.

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John 120

• Therefore He confessed, and did not deny, but
  confessed, "I am not the Christ."

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Acts 238

• For Sadducees say that there is no
  resurrection--and no angel or spirit but the
  Pharisees confess both.

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Titus 116

• They profess to know God, but in works they deny
  Him, being abominable, disobedient, and
  disqualified for every good work.

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1 John 42-3

• By this you know the Spirit of God Every spirit
  that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the
  flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not
  confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
  is not of God. And this is the spirit of the
  Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and
  is now already in the world.

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1 John 415

• Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God,
  God abides in him, and he in God.

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CONFESSION OF SINS

• Confession Illustrated
• Examples of Confession
• Confession Is Required
• Confession of Sins to God
• Confession of Sins to Man

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James 516

• 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.

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Matthew 35-6

• Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region
  around the Jordan went out to him and were
  baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their
  sins.

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Matthew 1125

• At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank
  You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You
  have hidden these things from the wise and
  prudent and have revealed them to babes."

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Matthew 1125

• At that time Jesus answering said, 'I do confess
  to Thee, Father, Lord of the heavens and of the
  earth, that thou didst hide these things from
  wise and understanding ones, and didst reveal
  them to babes.' (YLT)

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Luke 226

• So he promised and sought opportunity to betray
  Him to them in the absence of the multitude.

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CONFESSION OF SINS

• Confession Illustrated
• Examples of Confession
• Confession Is Required
• Confession of Sins to God
• Confession of Sins to Man
• Specific Confession
• To God

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Specific Confession to God

• One cannot admit to sins of which he, himself, is
  not aware.
• But if one does not admit to every sin of which
  he is aware, is he not denying those he does not
  admit to?

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1 John 318-20

• My little children, let us not love in word or in
  tongue, but in deed and in truth. And by this we
  know that we are of the truth, and shall assure
  our hearts before Him. For if our heart condemns
  us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all
  things.

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1 John 321-22

• Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we
  have confidence toward God. And whatever we ask
  we receive from Him, because we keep His
  commandments and do those things that are
  pleasing in His sight.

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CONFESSION OF SINS

• Confession Illustrated
• Examples of Confession
• Confession Is Required
• Confession of Sins to God
• Confession of Sins to Man
• Specific Confession
• To God
• To Man

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Specific Confession to Man

• Certainly one must publically admit to every sin
  of which he is aware and with which he has been
  charged.
• But how can we enforce the doctrine that one must
  publically confess each instance of every sin
  that he has committed?
• We could never know he has done so.