I don't see any logic to confess only righteousness when we sinned
I will tell them, If you do not confess sin when you sinned or after you sinned, you are showing the wrong way to the sinners who do not know Christ. You deceive them that they can come to God as the righteous or the proud even though they are all sinners:
- It's because many of them still think that they have not sinned and they would never confess it as sins. They still think that it is alright to commit adultery, covet, cheat, lie, and sin 'minimally'. Hence, they would think that you have the right preaching or right believing for them. Your preaching would become a license for them to continue to sin 'minimally' like before. It's because they will think that they can just continue to sin and confess that they are the righteousness of God even though they have no intention to repent (or to do a drastic turn from their old Gentile thinking, behaviours, and ignorance to God's words, to keeping the law and the words of God).
1Th 4:4-5 KJV That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; (5) Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: (I will tell the radical grace preachers, Paul commanded that everyone must know this. Hence, how can this become self-effort when we teach more on living right, holiness, or godly living with sanctification?)
1Co 10:6-15 KJV Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. (7) Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. (8) Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. (9) Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. (10) Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. (11) Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (12) Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. (13) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. (14) Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. (15) I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say. (These teachings are certainly for us because it is said clearly that these are the examples, warnings, or admonition for us)
- There are also those who sin and know that they have sinned. But they would never like to confess it or admit that it is sin. Hence, they would also think that you have the right preaching or right believing for them. Your preaching may not be a license for them to continue to sin, but it is certainly a relief for them to know that they can continue to sin without the need to repent or to confess it to God. They may have gone through water baptism but they do not know the real meaning of water baptism which is not just a declaration of their faith in Christianity; but also a indication of their determination to repent and to die to sinful self. In fact, water baptism is a form of confession of sins too. The Lord's prayer in Luk 11:4 is also a form of confession of sins. 1 John 1:9 is confession of sins. Paul confession of the evil, weaknesses, and sins in his flesh (Rom 7:19) is a confession of sins. Hence, I don't see any problem with the confession of sins. If you think that confession of sins is the problem, you should not do any water baptism, because it will certainly remind you of your sins and your confession of sins. But as for us, we will continue to do and teach water baptism to the believers. Why? It's because we want to show them that we must confess that we are sinners and that we must die to our former self, including our sins, in order to live for Christ. Hence, we don't just confess our sins privately or publicly through water baptism; we also confess God's righteousness with our lives in true repentance:
Eph 4:17-25 KJV This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, (18) Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: (19) Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. (20) But ye have not so learned Christ; (21) If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: (22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. (25) Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
1Pe 1:14-23 KJV As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: (15) But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; (16) Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. .. (22) Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (23) Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Please think deeper, If an adulterer sin, will he confess "I am the righteousness of God"? Will a rapist confess "I am the righteousness of God"? No, if a person really sin, he won't confess "I am the righteousness of God" and he should not confess "I am the righteousness of God"; he should instead confess "I have sinned and I am a sinner who needs the forgiveness of God and the forgiveness of my wife".
Hence, confession of sins does not empower us to sin no more. Neither can confession of righteousness does wonder to a sinner who has the habit of sinning too. Confession of sins is just the natural verbal expression of regret, of knowledge of wrong, of repentance, of acceptance of punishment from others, or of consent to compensate others. However, if a person has no intention to change himself or to recompense others, his confession of sins is just vain verbal repetition of words which is meaningless to God and others. There is no true repentance in his heart to admit wrong and accept responsibility for the wrong he has done. He may confess it beautifully and repeatedly, like a pro or a parrot, but he is a hypocrite. He would still be a hypocrite if he chooses to confess righteousness, thanksgivings, or the positive things instead.
- Luk 18:10-14 KJV Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. (11) The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. (12) I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (13) And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. (14) I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
Can a believer fall or renounce his eternal security?
Of course, yes. This is common Bible logic: If the Bible has warned us about the need to confess our sins, a believer can still fall and sin with disobedience. They will never confess their sins with true repentance.
I will tell them, You said that Adam was a sinner and he could never renounce his sinnership. Have you forgotten how Adam had renounced his righteous status in the garden of Eden. He was created or made without sin in the garden of Eden, how come he can renounce his status and become a sinner? If this can happen to him, it can happen to any believer who renounce his righteous status and depart from God's laws too.
What we should preach today is, Don't listen to the devil. He will still come to the churches, the righteous ones in Christ, and the believers. Why? It's because he knows that he can tempt us, like he tempted Adam and Eve, to lead us to nakedness, condemnation, lawlessness, and departure from God's laws. Please think, If Satan knows that the churches or the believers can never fall, will he still tempt the churches or us? No, he will retire early, relax in one corner, and wait for his judgement. But why would he need to work so hard to tempt the churches with so much false doctrine or lawlessness teaching? It's because he knows that he can still deceive some believers who will depart from the law of God and fall like Adam and Eve:
- 2Co 11:2-4 KJV For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (3) But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. (4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
- Rev 12:15-17 KJV And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. (16) And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. (17) And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Satan will preach lawlessness and false doctrine and it will be preached like flood water from his mouth which will corrupt many churches. But God's people who has the commandments of God will oppose him.)
- Rev 14:12 KJV Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Satan would never ask the sinners to renounce the laws and commandments of God, but he will certainly tempt those who has the law, command, or the glory of God. It's simple logic. The sinners have nothing to renounce because they have already fallen, but the believers can still fall if they listen to the words or reasoning of the lawless one. They can still fall like Adam and Eve if they are not diligent in hearing and keeping the words or command of the Lord. They will lose their garment of glory:
- Gen 2:16-17 KJV And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: (17) But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. ... Gen 3:4 KJV And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: .. (7) And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.
- Mat 22:10-14 KJV So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. (11) And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: (12) And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. (13) Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (14) For many are called, but few are chosen.
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