I believe in God, so why do I need to confess my sins?

Sunday 11th September 2011

1. God = Pushover
*The assumption that God gives me whatever I want
*Rob Bell's controversial book - he ask whether people could still come to Jesus after death -but there is a clear explanation in the story of Jesus and Lazarus
*What is Jesus that we need to be rescued from to prevent ourselves going to hell?
*Most people do not want to touch Christianity because of the long list of uncertainty
*If everyone eventually gets in then confession is nothing and we do not need to confess our sins

*Romans 2:5-7: But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. ⁶God “will repay each person according to what they have done.”^[a] 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.


*Colossians 3:5-6: Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^[a


*Revelation 20:11-15: 

The Judgment of the Dead

 ¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

*God is terrifying, holy and hates our sin
*If we never experience the terrifying God who hates sin, we are not christians
*Why can't I just believe in God without confessing sin? because sin is a problem for us

2. Hence, God is not a pushover but a Judge
*How do we escape God's wrath and punishment because we do not want to go to hell?
*We do good works to prevent God's punishment but we naturally sin as well
*Thus, we should confess our sin and admitting that we are sorry which also acts like a shield preventing God's punishment
*We do not confess EVERY sin hence we have unconfessed sin and that is where they see the wrath of God coming upon them

3. God = Father
*How do we escape the judgement of God?
*The shield is not confessed sin but a total different thing altogether
*It is Jesus. He was condemned for our sins. He did subsidiary atonement so we could escape


*Romans 8:1: 

Romans 8

Life Through the Spirit

 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,

*John 5:24: ²⁴ “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.


*We escaped judgement hence he is now our father
*It is about intimacy with our father in heaven
*We can now focus on our relationship with Jesus without being condemned
*If we have something done wrong to another person, we say sorry because we appreciate our friendship
*It is the same as Jesus

*Psalm 51:7-12: ⁷ Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; 
   wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
⁹ Hide your face from my sins
   and blot out all my iniquity.

 ¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
   or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation 

   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

*We are distant with God because we do not acknowledge the presence and intimacy due to unconfessed sin
*Intimacy comes with confessing our sins everyday
*One of the best picture is communion- His blood has to be shed for our sins

**Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path**