Confess your sins to each other!
A. Scripture for this study:
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
1. Some churches require their younger members to confess their sins to older brother in the church!
And they use this verse for biblical support!
2. Some churches require their members to confess their sins to their priest!
3. I say confess your sins to God and the one to whom you sinned against!
Do not confess your sins to others! Others need not to know what you did!
B. This is why!
1. 1 Jn.1:9-10-->
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
If we say, we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
a. Yes, perfection is our goal in life, but it is as a growing process!
Jesus said, be as perfect as the Father is perfect. Matt.5:48
We are to grow in our salvation! 1 Peter 2:2, Eph.4:12-13
b. In the process of growing, mistakes are inevitable!
Sin is fall short of the glory of God. Ro.3:23
2. Matt.6:14-15--> For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
C. Jesus said this is how!
1. Matt.18:15-18-->
(1) If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.
If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.18:15
***As we can see, this means others need not to know!
God always know! The one sinned against you need to know! Other do not know!
Therefore, confess to God and to each other!
(2) But if he will not listen, take one or two others along,
‘so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'18:16
(3) If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church;
and if he refuses to listen to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
(4) I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Matt.18:18
2. Luke 17:3-4-->
So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.
If he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, `I repent,' forgive him."
D. Jesus said it is to sin no more!
1. Jn.5:5-14-->
One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years….
Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." …
Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said unto him,
Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee.
2. Jn.8:3-11-->
a. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.
They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus,
"Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.
In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" …
b. Jesus said to them: "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to cast a stone at her."
c. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first,
until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
d. Jesus asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you,"
Jesus declared. "Go now and sin no more."
May the Lord bless you and keep you always! Preach this on October 2, 2011.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKa4LTtNxXQ