DO I HAVE TO CONFESS MY SIN FIRST, BEFORE I CAN BE SAVED?
Sakkie Parsons
Vertaal van Afrikaans: “Moet ek eers my sonde bely voordat ek gered kan word?”
Someone wrote to me that he has read my writing where I explain; ‘how to become a Christian’ and that he sees that I do not speak in my writing about confession of sin and without confession of sin there is no salvation.
I share with you briefly my answer to the person:
I want to start my writing to you with the following, so that you can at least see, I am not a beginner.
This year, 51 years ago, a few months after the 25th of April 1973 after I was baptized, I began to work for our Lord, and I have been preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ for 51 years and I preach the gospel as Jesus Christ preached it and taught His disciples to preach it.
The first thing I want to mention to you is the following.
You write:
“I don’t see where you are saying that we should confess our sin and turn from it.
Without that no one can become a child of God!
Without confession of sin, there is no salvation.”
Now, that’s just not true and remember, if something isn’t true, it’s a lie and if it’s a lie, it’s coming straight from satan.
Jesus says on occasion to church leaders, the then, religious pastors of the church:
JHN 8:44
44You are of your father the devil, and it is your will to practice the desires [which are characteristic] of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks what it natural to him, for he is a liar and the father of lies and half-truths.
Now please don’t understand me wrong here. I’m of course not saying that satan is your father.
What I’m trying to tell you, is to be very careful before making a, let’s call it, an umbrella statement.
Let me just quickly show you in love, what I mean that is false in your statement.
Just before I do, the following: (You can Google it if you think my figure is wrong.)
There are over 30,000 Christian denominations in the world and there are a few reasons for that and none of them are biblical, although most of them use, or I can say ‘abuse’ the Bible to suit their own whims and fancies.
There are over 30,000 Christian denominations because:
Some take this of that out of the Word, or add something to it, so that they can preach their kind of gospel.
Some emphasize this or that, to preach their kind of gospel.
Some do it out of ignorance.
Some do it because they’re overzealous.
Some do it to suit their own ego and so I can go on and on. But I preach, as there are very few these days, and as can be seen on my banner on my website, and as the first reformers preach and made this their motto:
“The Word, only the Word and nothing but the Word.“
Back to your statement.
I preach the gospel as Jesus preached it and taught His disciples to preach it and then I see, as far as your statement is concerned, you do not find it in Jesus – but then, what do you find in Jesus?
MAT 9:2
2They brought to Him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a stretcher. Seeing their [active] faith [springing from confidence in Him], Jesus said to the paralytic, “Do not be afraid, son; your sins are forgiven [the penalty is paid, the guilt removed, and you are declared to be in right standing with God].”
Then just for the interest of it, it doesn’t have something to do with what I am writing to you now, it is again the pastors, the church leaders of that time who attack Jesus:
MAT 9:3
3And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man blasphemes [by claiming the rights and prerogatives of God]!”
And as I have seen it so many times in my life –
If most people who call themselves Christians, have first built their faith around a certain view, it is not possible to make them see something else, even if you show it to them in black and white from the Word.
Jesus describe people with that kind of faith as follows:
MAT 13:14-15
13This is the reason I speak to the crowds in parables: because while [having the power of] seeing they do not see, and while [having the power of] hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand and grasp [spiritual things]. 14In them the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,‘YOU WILL HEAR and KEEP ON HEARING, BUT NEVER UNDERSTAND;
AND YOU WILL LOOK and KEEP ON LOOKING, BUT NEVER COMPREHEND;15FOR THIS NATION’s HEART HAS GROWN HARD,
AND WITH THEIR EARS THEY HARDLY HEAR,
AND THEY HAVE [tightly] CLOSED THEIR EYES,
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES,
AND HEAR WITH THEIR EARS,
AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART, AND TURN
Paul underlines and proves in practice what Jesus said in ACTS 28:25-27.
My next example:
MRK 5:33-34
33And the woman, though she was afraid and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. 34Then He (Jesus) said to her, “Daughter, your faith [your personal trust and confidence in Me] (she was saved by her faith and confessed no sin) has restored you to health; go in peace and be [permanently] healed from your suffering.”
Another example:
LUKE 7:47-48
47“Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, (and she did not confess any sin there but she had something much more wonderful than sin confession…) for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
Then I can also mention the one murderer next to Jesus on the cross.
Do you remember?
MAT 27:44
44The robbers (plural) who had been crucified with Him also began to insult Him in the same way.
MRK 15:32
32“Let the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed), the King of Israel, now come down from the cross, so that we may see and believe and trust [in Him]!” Those who were crucified with Him were also insulting Him.
One, however, somewhere between the beginning of his crucifixion and when he spoke with Jesus, came to another insight in his heart and Jesus, who is God who became man, saw it in his heart.
Then we read:
LUKE 23:40-43
40But the other one rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41“We are suffering justly, because we are getting what we deserve for what we have done; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42And he was saying, (note, no sin confession) “Jesus, [please] remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” 43Jesus (who can see into every person’s heart) said to him, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.” (Without having confessed any sin.)
Note this:
Jesus did everything, absolutely everything that is needed to be done to save you and me from hell.
All you and I must do, is to accept Him in all sincerity as our Lord and Saviour.
The Holy Spirit will continue to do what needs to be done.
JOHN 1:12-13
12But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the right [the authority, the privilege] to become children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name— 13who were born, not of blood [natural conception], nor of the will of the flesh [physical impulse], nor of the will of man [that of a natural father], but of God [that is, a divine and supernatural birth—they are born of God—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified].
REV 3:20
20‘Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me.
The enemy, with his lies, wants to trap us by telling us: “First become holy, and then you can be saved” Someone hear the lie and then think: “I must first live a holy life, without sin, before I can accept Jesus.” And isn’t that a tremendous snare of satan – because then you’ll never get to come to Jesus! Because Jesus is your Sanctification:
1 COR 1:30
30But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God [revealing His plan of salvation], and righteousness [making us acceptable to God], and sanctification [making us holy and setting us apart for God], and redemption [providing our ransom from the penalty for sin], 31so then, as it is written [in Scripture], “HE WHO BOASTS and GLORIES, LET HIM BOAST and GLORY IN THE LORD.”
We cannot boast in our confession of sin unto salvation, for the following verse read:
1 COR 1:31
31so then, as it is written [in Scripture], “HE WHO BOASTS and GLORIES, LET HIM BOAST and GLORY IN THE LORD.”
When I have repented, the Holy Spirit will guide me in all truth, such as, for example, to confess my sin and it is all grace, pure grace:
EPHESIANS 2:8-10
8For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], (like for example by confessing my sin or something like that) but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; (which I must only take by faith from His pierced hand and make it mine)
9not as a result of [your] works (such as confession of sin) [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. 10For we are His workmanship [His own master work, a work of art], created in Christ Jesus [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used] for good works, (which I do, because I am saved out of love for my Lord, such as to confess my sin) which God prepared [for us] beforehand [taking paths which He set], so that we would walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us].
I always say, that if you cannot draw a statement that you make, like a golden thread through the Word, so that the Word does not contradict itself according to your statement – because God do not speak from two mouths – you must realize, there is something wrong with your statement.
Also remember, that to convert to Jesus is not to confess your sin. It is to turn around. Turning your back on the life you lived and now living as a believing child of God according to His ways and I quote one of the passages you sent me because Jesus said this:
MAT 4:17
17From that time Jesus began to preach and say, “Repent [change your inner self—your old way of thinking, regret past sins, live your life in a way that proves repentance; seek God’s purpose for your life], for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
When I leave this life, it will not matter how many times I have confessed my sin.
It’s not going to matter how many councils I served on in the church.
It’s not going to matter how many congregations I’ve pastored, and I can go on and on.
What will matter is whether I arrive on the other side of the grave with Jesus.
Because no matter how good a person I was, and no matter how many good things I did. If I arrive on the other side of the grave without Jesus, I will spend, with my good works and my good life, my life forever in hell.
Now, of course, I am not saying that I should not, for example, confess my sin. Of course, I must confess it – but, to put it this way, I must preach the gospel of Jesus Christ around the cross – and then I do not preach to unconverted people, that they must first make a list of all the wrong in their life and confess it.
I proclaim:
38And Peter said to them, “Repent [change your old way of thinking, turn from your sinful ways, accept and follow Jesus as the Messiah] and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ because of the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39“For the promise [of the Holy Spirit] is for you and your children and for all who are far away [including the Gentiles], as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.”
1COR 2:2
2To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified (set apart, made holy) in Christ Jesus, who are selected and called as saints (God’s people), together with all those who in every place call on and honor the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
The Holy Spirit will then guide them in good works and what they should do with the wrong in their lives.
I then close this writing to you by quoting the following from our Lord’s precious Word:
MRK 16:15-16
15And He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16He who has believed [in Me] and has been baptized will be saved [from the penalty of God’s wrath and judgment]; but he who has not believed (no matter what he himself has done, good or bad) will be condemned.
HEB 11:6
6But without faith (no matter what you do or don’t do) it is impossible to [walk with God and] please Him, for whoever comes [near] to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He rewards those who [earnestly and diligently] seek Him.
Sakkie
Email: bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Website: www.sakkieparsons.co.za
Cell: 083 457 6669
Jude 1:24-25 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
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