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III.
The Way to Christ
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Chapter
19
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Confession and Forgiveness
1. WHAT instruction is given
concerning confession of sin?
"Speak unto the children of Israel, When a man or
woman shall commit any sin that men commit, to do a
trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty;
then shall they confess their sin which they have done."
Num. 5:6,7.
2. How futile is it to attempt to
hide sin from God?
"But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have
sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will
find you out." Num. 32:23. "Thou hast set our
iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of
Thy countenance." Ps. 90:8. "All things are naked and
opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do."
Heb. 4:13.
3. What promise is made to those
who confess their sins?
"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.
4. What different results
attend the covering and the confessing of sins?
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper:
but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall
have mercy." Prov. 28:13.
5. How definite should we be in
confessing our sins?
"And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in
one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath
sinned in that thing." Lev. 5:5.
NOTE.-"True confession is always of a specific
character, and acknowledges particular sins. They
may be of such a nature as to be brought before God
only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to
individuals who have suffered injury through them;
or they may be of a public character, and should
then be as publicly confessed. But all confession
should be definite and to the point, acknowledging
the very sins of which you are guilty."- "Steps
to Christ," page 43.
6. How fully did Israel once
acknowledge their wrong-doing?
"And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray
for thy servants unto the Lord thy God, that we die not:
for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask
us a king." 1 Sam. 12:19.
7. When David confessed his sin,
what did he say God did?
"I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine
iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my
transgressions unto the Lord; and Thou forgavest the
iniquity of my sin." Ps. 32:5.
8. Upon what did he rest his hope
for forgiveness?
"Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy
loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy
tender mercies blot out my transgressions." Ps.
51:1.
9. What is God ready to do for
all who seek for forgiveness?
"For Thou, Lord, art good, and ready to
forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that
call upon Thee." Ps. 86:5.
10. What is the measure of the
greatness of God's mercy?
"For as the heaven is high above the earth,
so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him."
Ps. 103:11.
11. How fully does the Lord pardon
when one repents?
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the
unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto
the Lord. and He will have mercy upon him; and to our
God. for He will abundantly pardon." Isa. 55:7.
12. What reason is given for
God's readiness to forgive sin?
"Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth
iniquity,
and passeth
by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He
retaineth not His anger forever, because He
delighteth in mercy." Micah 7:18. See Ps. 78:38.
13. Why does God manifest such
mercy and long-suffering toward men?
"The Lord is not slack concerning His
promise, as some men count slackness; but is
long-suffering to us ward, not willing that any
should perish, but that all should come to
repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.
14. What prayer did Moses offer in
behalf of Israel?
"Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of
this people according unto the greatness of Thy
mercy, and as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt
even until now." Num. 14:19.
15. What reply did the Lord
immediately make?
"And the Lord said, I have pardoned
according to thy word." Verse 20.
16. When the prodigal son, in the
parable, repented and turned toward home, what did his
father do?
"When he was yet a great way off, his father
saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on
his neck, and kissed him." Luke 15:20.
17. How did the father show his
joy at his son's return?
"The father said to his servants, Bring
forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a
ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring
hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat,
and be merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive
again; he was lost, and is found." Verses 22-24.
18. What is felt in heaven when a
sinner repents?
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in
the presence of the angels of God over one sinner
that repenteth." Verse 10.
19. What did Hezekiah say God
had done with his sins?
"Behold, for peace I had great bitterness: but
Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit
of corruption: for Thou hast cast all my sins behind
Thy back." Isa. 38:17.
20. How completely does God wish
to separate sin from us?
"Thou wilt cast all their sins into the
depths of the sea." Micah 7 :19. "As far as the east is
from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions
from us." Ps. 103:12.
21. How did the people respond
to the preaching of John?
"Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea.
and all the region roundabout Jordan, and were baptized
of him in Jordan confessing their sins." Matt.
3:5,6.
22. How did some of the believers
at Ephesus testify to the sincerity of the confession of
their sins?
"And many that believed came, and
confessed, and showed their deeds. Many of them also
which used curious arts brought their books together,
and burned them before all men: and they counted the
price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of
silver." Acts 19:18,19.
23. Through whom are repentance
and forgiveness granted?
"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus,
whom ye slew and
hanged on a
tree. Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a
Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to
Israel, and forgiveness of sins." Acts 5:30,31.
24. What is the only
unpardonable sin?
"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and
blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be
forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against
the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever
speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be
forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the
world to come."
Matt.
12:31,32.
NOTE.-As the Holy Spirit is the agent that convicts
of sin, and brings the offer of pardon through the
Word, the denial of the Spirit's work is the refusal
of pardon. In other words, the only unpardonable sin
is the sin which refuses to be pardoned.
25. Upon what basis has Christ
taught us to ask forgiveness?
"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive
our debtors." Matt. 6:12.
26. What spirit must those
cherish whom God forgives?
"For if ye forgive men their trespasses,
your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye
forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses." Verses 14,15.
27. What exhortation is based on
the fact that God has forgiven us?
"And be ye kind one to another,
tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as
God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32.
28. In what condition is one
whose sins are forgiven?
"Blessed is he whose transgression is
forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is
the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, and in
whose spirit there is no guile." Ps. 32:1,2.
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