justification
justification means not having to explain to God why we sinned. i often tend to explain sin in confession--whether to God or to a brother. but it seems to me that that explanation is the greater sin. first, it makes God's forgiveness conditional--as though certain reasons make the sin forgiveable. second, by doing this, it lowers the intensity and seriousness of sin. third, it lessens God's gift of grace. if sin is made something excuseable (giving reasons for sinning; explaining sin), then grace is not the radical gift of God, but the rational doling out of sin-passes.
confessing sin without following through on the intense need to explain it lets me rely more of grace. "all of grace" ...someone said that once.
confessing sin without following through on the intense need to explain it lets me rely more of grace. "all of grace" ...someone said that once.
posted by Aaron Perry at
12:56 PM
9 Comments:
grace: the greatest revelation of God in my life thus far. your post was a very fresh insight on grace and confession for me. thanks.
that's a great thought...the staff here agrees....
first? second? third?
A series of points hidden by a paragraph format. Seems like a list. For shame!
just kidding
I think this could become a very impacting sermon though.
lists aren't bad, matt!! :) shopping lists are good; lists in paragraphs are good, too. the problem is making something a list that wasn't meant to be. ;)
Down with the lists!
hey ap,
i don't think explanation in confession is necessarily called "justification"---it all depends on the person's motive in order to be justification. moreover, sometimes in the process of realizing WHY we came to sin, we further realize the gravity of it. again, i don't think it's black and white. I think coming to that realization of WHY or HOW it came about can aid in actual repentence (something beyond confession)in finding how to turn away from and avoid that sin in the future.
AP,
I have done the explanation thing. I started it as an attempt to understand "why I sinned" however, I've found it's become a way I try to make my sin seems less than sin and more of a consequence of others' action.
ap, that is a radical thought to my thinking. i almost always try to tell God why i sinned, but He already knows and wants me to come back to obedience without reservation. i've been trying to do this lately, and it's been interesting.
hey jo. i think you're (at least a good chunk) right, but misread the first part of my post.
i don't think explaining why i sinned to God is necessarily justification, either. but in the post i said that justification (God's forgiveness of our past sins) means that we DON'T have to explain--and indeed shouldn't.
(explanation could be justification, and this would be much, much worse; if i am justifying myself--my sin, no less--then i am hopeless, then i cannot trust Christ for his justification!)
anyway, you may be right; some kind of limited reflection is likely beneficial--and could aid in repentance. but i definitely don't think confession is the time for personal reflection. that sin does not happen in a vacuum is a given and for this reason, i think you're right about (what i'll call reflection) in its proper time.
thanks for explaining more ap. i have no further comment at the moment.
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