Tim Maas Supporter Retired Quality Assurance Specialist with the U.S. Army

Having been raised as a Lutheran, and thus having been exposed to Luther's writings (particularly his Small Catechism), I recall that, in his teaching on confession in that catechism, he gave general examples of common sins that a person might have committed just in the course of daily living, depending on the person's role in life (such as a husband or father, or a wife or mother), and also mentioned unspecified sins that might be especially weighing on an individual (for which the individual would presumably have no difficulty with recollection for purposes of confession).

After that, he stated, "If, however, someone does not find himself burdened with these or greater sins, he should not trouble himself or search for or invent other sins, and thereby make confession a torture. Instead, he should mention one or two that he knows: In particular I confess that I have cursed; I have used improper words; I have neglected this or that, etc. Let that be enough."

I have particularly found his statement that confession is not meant to be a torture to be very helpful for the purpose of focusing on confession as a means of unburdening the soul, receiving God's forgiveness, and restoring fellowship with Him, rather than being intended as an exhausting mental exercise or a form of punishment.

June 07 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Bob Reese Supporter Bob. Sometimes failing to apply the truth in action.

If you feel that you may consider the need to do so then, yes, confess those you are aware of. When you pray, revelation will divinely enter you, and the mind of Christ will direct you to enter into meditation on what you may have left undone. Or perhaps were not diligent to be on guard for when the adversary attacks. I'll pray... 

Dear loving and gracious Lord, I, a poor, miserable sinner, confess unto You all my sins and iniquities with which I have ever offended You and justly deserved Your temporal and eternal punishment. But I am heartily sorry for them and sincerely repent of them, and I pray You of Your boundless mercy and for the sake of the holy, innocent, bitter sufferings and death of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be gracious and merciful to me, a poor, sinful being.

June 07 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Mark Vestal Supporter Proud of nothing of myself. Freed by Christ who did it all!

It is not necessary to mention any sin when praying. God knows we all sin and He hates it. That is why we need Jesus Christ as our savior.

God is no longer imputing sins to anyone today (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus Christ, who knew no sin, was made to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21). All our sins, past, present, and future, were nailed to the cross so that we are no longer burdened with the anguish of being unable to live up to God's requirements. Jesus Christ was perfect on our behalf, and God was in Christ on the cross reconciling the world unto Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). Our job is to reconcile ourselves to God through faith in Jesus Christ and His finished cross work on our behalf, believing the gospel that saves today:

1 Corinthians 15:1-4 KJV:
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

When we believe this, we are sealed with the holy Spirit until the day of redemption, and thankfully not just until we sin again (Ephesians 4:30)…which we will most likely do as humans (Romans 7:22-25) KJV. Our faith in Jesus Christ makes us the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)! The Spirit can now work effectually through us as we have finally removed the focus of ourselves and our iniquities and placed our focus on Jesus Christ and the cross (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

Turning from sin will not get our sins forgiven. Confessing our sins will not get our sins forgiven. Water baptism will not get our sins forgiven. Humbly asking for forgiveness will not get our sins forgiven. Crying a scalding hot bucket of tears and begging God to forgive us will not get our sins forgiven. Our sins were forgiven nearly 2,000 years ago (Colossians 1:14, 2 Corinthians 5:19), and salvation occurs at the moment of belief in this, the gospel of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13). Nothing that we ourselves do in the flesh can assist in what Christ completed for us (Ephesians 2:8-9, Colossians 2:10). It's literally how we accept Jesus Christ as our savior from this present evil world (Galatians 1:4). We can’t save ourselves by doing anything other than having faith in Christ.

Repentance, from the Greek word μετανοέω, means to "change your mind". Israel had to change their mind on who Jesus Christ was, their promised Messiah, and be baptized. We today are saved by God's grace through our faith in what Jesus Christ did on the cross on our behalf (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), and nothing of ourselves (Ephesians 2:8-9).

We, as saved members of the church, the body of Christ, should absolutely change our minds on living a life of continued sin. Will we sin again as saved members? Yes, but our goal is to no longer serve sin, as our understanding of who we are in Christ becomes clearer during our walk in faith.

Break the yoke of bondage (Galatians 5:1) and live in peace by accepting God’s free gift (Romans 5:18) through faith in what Christ accomplished on the cross for you (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). You've been blessed with all spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3), as believers instantly become members of the church, which is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:24).

November 16 2022 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report

Jack Gutknecht Supporter Arizona Bible College graduate and Dallas Seminary graduate

I would say that you would need to be specific in the matter of confessing sins that you committed and sins that involved omission of doing something that you should have done. What I mean is this:

Sins of commission (the breaking or transgression of God's laws)
1 John 3:4 "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."

Sins of omission

James 4:17 "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth [it] not, to him it is sin." See also Matthew 23:23 pp Luke 11:42; Matthew 25:45

June 07 2020 • 0 responses • Vote Up • Share • Report