Confession is one of those hot-button topics in the Prot v Cat debate circles. Prots believe that all we have to do is confess to God. We don't need a priest. We don't need penance and reparation.
"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
So many Catholics have abandoned going to confession. They have taken on the Protestant notion that they don't need to confess to a priest. All that we are required to do is confess to God and we are forgiven.
I'm going to admit that right at this moment I am not entirely convinced that we absolutely MUST go to confession in a Roman Catholic Church and receive absolution from a priest in order to be forgiven by God and cleansed of our sins. I admit that I am not well-versed at all in deep Catholic doctrine concerning confession.
"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9
So many Catholics have abandoned going to confession. They have taken on the Protestant notion that they don't need to confess to a priest. All that we are required to do is confess to God and we are forgiven.
I'm going to admit that right at this moment I am not entirely convinced that we absolutely MUST go to confession in a Roman Catholic Church and receive absolution from a priest in order to be forgiven by God and cleansed of our sins. I admit that I am not well-versed at all in deep Catholic doctrine concerning confession.
However, I encourage Catholics to not abandon this sacrament. And here's why in my Evangelical background opinion:
1. Facing our Sin. The reason I think those Catholics abandon the sacrament of confession, and the reason why Protestants raise their hackles about confession is that we humans don't want to admit our faults and sins to others. It is humbling. It is scary. It is so much easier to just keep it secret! We convince ourselves that "God knows and forgives," but really, the heart behind it is fear of being found out. Or even fear of having to face the understanding that what we are doing is actually a sin! We excuse so much! When we have to actually speak it to someone, get on our knees and confess, it really opens us up to so much...including true forgiveness and healing.
2. Accountability. It is a fact that if you have to confess your faults to someone in person you are FAR less likely to repeat the offense. So many Evangelicals are steeped in besetting sins and can't seem to escape out of the abyss. They face the confusion of the belief that they are "once saved, always saved" but that the Bible says if you are involved in these sins you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (Galatians 5:19-21) Going to confession can be a powerful step to help someone get out of such patterns of sinfulness.
3. It is a Gift from God. The priest is acting in persona Christi, which means you ARE confessing to God alone. But God has given us this priest to work through, to be a physical, tangible presence so we aren't just blowing in the wind and wondering what has become of our words. The priest also offers us balance in penance and reparation so that we don't do too little, or nothing at all to make amends, or so we don't go too far and beat ourselves up. These are gifts to set our hearts and lives and minds in order out of the disorder from sin. It is redirection back to the things of the Lord rather than things of this world.
I do believe that someone can pray to God and ask forgiveness for their sins and receive it without a priest and without a confessional. I believe there are instances of ignorance or impossibility where God honors their true repentant heart. But, I highly doubt that is the heart and reason behind why so many Catholics abandon confession, and why so many Protestants refuse to believe in it. We just don't want to speak outloud our filth.
1. Facing our Sin. The reason I think those Catholics abandon the sacrament of confession, and the reason why Protestants raise their hackles about confession is that we humans don't want to admit our faults and sins to others. It is humbling. It is scary. It is so much easier to just keep it secret! We convince ourselves that "God knows and forgives," but really, the heart behind it is fear of being found out. Or even fear of having to face the understanding that what we are doing is actually a sin! We excuse so much! When we have to actually speak it to someone, get on our knees and confess, it really opens us up to so much...including true forgiveness and healing.
2. Accountability. It is a fact that if you have to confess your faults to someone in person you are FAR less likely to repeat the offense. So many Evangelicals are steeped in besetting sins and can't seem to escape out of the abyss. They face the confusion of the belief that they are "once saved, always saved" but that the Bible says if you are involved in these sins you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. (Galatians 5:19-21) Going to confession can be a powerful step to help someone get out of such patterns of sinfulness.
3. It is a Gift from God. The priest is acting in persona Christi, which means you ARE confessing to God alone. But God has given us this priest to work through, to be a physical, tangible presence so we aren't just blowing in the wind and wondering what has become of our words. The priest also offers us balance in penance and reparation so that we don't do too little, or nothing at all to make amends, or so we don't go too far and beat ourselves up. These are gifts to set our hearts and lives and minds in order out of the disorder from sin. It is redirection back to the things of the Lord rather than things of this world.
I do believe that someone can pray to God and ask forgiveness for their sins and receive it without a priest and without a confessional. I believe there are instances of ignorance or impossibility where God honors their true repentant heart. But, I highly doubt that is the heart and reason behind why so many Catholics abandon confession, and why so many Protestants refuse to believe in it. We just don't want to speak outloud our filth.
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