Quote:
Originally Posted by pbiwolski
I John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I have recently dealt with a backslidden member of my church that, among other things, is questioning the validity of I John 1:9 for us today. (I say backslidden, for he has dropped 3 ministries that he was actively involved in for a paintball team, and so on.)
This teaching generally is propogated by "hyper-grace" or "hyper-disp." that believe I John does not doctrinally apply to the church in any way. Since God has forgiven the believer of all trespasses (Col. 2:13), they teach that Christians have no sins to confess. If a Christian does sin, it's already forgiven and "under the blood" - out of God's view. They also love to quote Rev. 1:5, Unto him that loved us, and washed from our sins in his own blood.
The man I'm referring to reads the verse as if it's talking about the day that he got saved. He confessed his sins (as in an admission of his condition) and was forgiven of them when he received Christ.
So, in his living room, he asked me to prove to him from scripture that Christians need to confess their sins.
Anyone want to take a stab at? |
Aloha
pbiwolski,
We are NOT
commanded to rightly divide "the
Books of the Bible" - we are
commanded to rightly divide "the word of truth". Hyper-Dispensationalists (or Ultra) actually are "lazy" in their approach to Bible study. It's a lot easier to "cut" the Bible up into
books (those
exclusively for the Jews and those
exclusively for Gentile believers) and disregard the words of God in
books ("that are not written to me") or to discard
entire books in the Bible that you don't agree with (for whatever reason), than have to "rightly" divide the
words of God.
What Ultra-Dispensationalists (or Hyper) conveniently forget is that it's ALL SCRIPTURE. [
Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. ] It's ALL THE WORDS OF GOD [
John 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.]. And as such we are to rightly divide the word of God and apply the words (NOT BOOKS) of God where they belong and to whom they are applicable. Like I said - that's a much harder job.
I'm not sure that there is much that you can do for someone who is "willful", but here are a few verses he should consider:
Psalms 19:12 Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults.
13 Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression.
2 Peter 2:10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
To "
presume" upon God's Grace is not only sinful, but also "dangerous" to one's health and physical well-being. Since your friend probably discounts the entire book of Hebrews, he is ignoring a word of warning from God about how he deals with all of His wayward children (Jews {Israel} in the past and Christians all during the "church age".).
Hebrews 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:
6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
As Christians, we are secure in the Lord Jesus Christ's "finished work" on Calvary on our behalf; but we are not "immune" from the law of gravity or the law of Sowing & Reaping!
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Please notice - this last quote is from the Apostle Paul (the Apostle to the Gentiles) and it is written to Christians located in the Gentile churches of Galatia - NOT the churches in Judea, Galilee, or Jerusalem (with mostly Jews).
Does your friend truly believe that the Bereans only studied those "books" that they "thought" were applicable to them only? Does he think that Timothy only studied Paul's letters - to the exclusion of all of the rest of the Scriptures? I trow not. Timothy was studying the "scriptures" before he met Paul. What scriptures is Paul referring to when he said:
2 Timothy 3:14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
15 And that f
rom a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
"
All scripture" - Hmmm, I wonder what that "
means"? Do you think that it just might mean -
ALL SCRIPTURE?.
That's why I keep continually repeating - I'm not interested in what God's word "
means" - I want to know what it "SAYS".
Pray for your friend - if he is a child of God, he will not "get-away" with
presumptuous sin. No one ever has!
