1006. Choose Life (It's Found in Jesus, Not Works and Law)

The law that came to the Jewish people through Moses was considered to be a word that they believed was able to save their souls and result in attaining righteousness. The only requirement was for them to do it—all of it. After the cross, even Jews who came to believe in Jesus lacked an understanding about a new and better covenant ... as they continued to pursue a relationship with that law of works.

The difference in gaining life is found in Christ by faith. Under the law in Deuteronomy 30, "The word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it." It is referencing the word of the law. Paul quoted this reference in Romans 10 but brought a needed revealing of the gospel ... "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved."

The word of law that demands doing vs. the word of faith that results in justification by believing ... the difference is as far as the east is from the west.



   
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897. False Assumptions: Unconfessed Sins Will Hinder Your Fellowship With God

When a single Bible verse is taken out of context and becomes completely misunderstood, it will often result in a ripple effect which will lead to more misunderstandings, which can lead us away from a better understanding of the truth as it relates to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We're following up from our previous program regarding the repeated confession of sins ... and how this false assumption leads to another one you may have heard or been taught.

A common church doctrine or teaching is that unconfessed sins are defined as unforgiven sins, which will hinder your "fellowship" with God. But is this what the Bible really says for us who are in Christ, inside of a new and better covenant? The answer is no. No matter how far off the trail that a works-based religion will try to take people, the true gospel is always good news.



   
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896. False Assumptions: Continuous Confessions Bring Repeated Forgiveness From God

It's our first program on the topic of false assumptions, regarding many traditional mindsets related to the Bible, Jesus, the gospel, etc. An overwhelming assumption taught by many church organizations is the need to confess sins to God in order to seek a renewed forgiveness. The idea pretty much revolves around one single, solitary Bible verse taken out of a much larger context, and then making a doctrine out of it. We'll bring "the verse" into a framework so it matches with the rest of Scripture as it relates to the New Covenant and also to whom John was speaking to in the first chapter of his first epistle.

In the Old Covenant, a temporary forgiveness came by repeatedly confessing sins onto sacrificial animals as their blood was shed, but it could never take away the sins of the people. God's eternal forgiveness came through blood through the Lamb of God—Jesus—and it only needed to be shed once for all. Continuously trying to keep up with every wrong thought or action is a heavy burden that will never deliver people from a consciousness of sin ... and yet, this is why Jesus came ... to free people into a realization of His gift of righteousness.

The "confessions" (plural) are not meant to be about your sorrow and trying to do something over and over in order to get right with God. That would be a place of hopelessness and failure. As is typically the case, the "confession" comes back to the One that is often overlooked when staring too long at the theology tree. It's simply meant to be an acknowledgement of the Person of Jesus.



   
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884. The Apostle Paul Never Mentioned Confessing Your Sins

Our conversation this week starts out with reflecting on the transition of experiencing the truth of the gospel of grace and how it is so radically different from typical teachings within the corporate church world. It really begins within the heart of a person as God reveals it, and then the mind and understanding begin to pick up on it.

On a related note, we also follow-up from our previous program about the tremendous misunderstandings regarding a Bible verse that appears to be saying that believers need to continually confess all of their sins in order to be forgiven (again) and cleansed from all unrighteousness (again). It’s a faulty doctrine that doesn’t add up with the many writings of Paul and it has kept people in chains. So who was John talking to in this specific passage and what was he really saying?

In case you missed it last week, Joel referenced a recent blog post he'd written on this subject, which can be found here, along with an older blog post series he'd written, which can be found here.



   
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682. 1 John 1:9 (Part 6) Bottom Line: Acknowledging Sin Leads to A Confession of Jesus

This is the sixth and final program from our recent series on the Bible verse of 1 John 1:9. We summarize with the conclusion that the Apostle John was not instructing believers in Jesus Christ to continually confess all of their sins to God in order to receive a fresh forgiveness every time they commit a wrongful thought or action. If repeated forgiveness were still needed from God for each sin, Jesus would have had to offer Himself repeatedly with the shedding of more blood. As we begin to see that John was addressing unbelieving people in the first chapter of 1 John - and then continue reading the other four chapters written to believers - we’ll begin to see the bigger point John is making… a confession of Jesus Christ.

To acknowledge a sinful condition leads (unbelieving) people to realize we have all fallen short of God’s perfect standard and have need of a Savior. His blood has brought forgiveness and cleanses us from all unrighteousness (once for all). Confessing the Son - the Word of Life - allows us to receive His life through belief, resulting in salvation and righteousness. It results in us abiding in Him; but to deny the Son is to deny God. As people who have been born of God, perfect love has guaranteed our forgiveness in Him is certain and we can now have boldness in the day of judgement… “because as He is so also are we in this world.”



   
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679. 1 John 1:9 (Part 3) One Confession of the Lord Jesus Christ

As we continue past the first chapter of the book of 1 John, we find several instances where John made references to things he mentioned from that opening chapter which was written to unbelieving people. He reminds the believers in chapters 2 and 4 about a confession of the son (Jesus) and to avoid those in error who do not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. In the first chapter of 1 John (including verse 9), John summarized what he was talking about with these statements: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:2-3; 15 NASB). Also see 1 John 2:23.

In the tenth chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul also spoke of this confession of the Lord Jesus Christ, resulting in salvation and righteousness… or as John said, cleansed from all unrighteousness. This is when we experience new life and receive the forgiveness that God has offered back at the cross of Christ. Clearly, the target audience in the first chapter of 1 John was aimed at unbelieving people who denied they have sinned… they needed to realize they had fallen short, confess it and be transferred into the light of Christ. The “verse” of 1 John 1:9 is not an admonition for believers in Christ to admit to God they have committed yet another sin while seeking a new forgiveness. After all, forgiveness is not offered without the shedding of blood, and Jesus offer Himself once, for all.

We have a better confession inside of a new and better covenant where Jesus is our guarantee: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Hebrews 10:23 NASB).



   
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