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CONFESSION

CONFESSION. St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Saint Paul Servant Preparation Program September 19, 2004 • Charlotte, NC http://www.stmarknc.us. Will I be able to stand?. Will I be able to stand when the Lord comes? If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? (Psalm 129)

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CONFESSION

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  1. CONFESSION St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church Saint Paul Servant Preparation Program September 19, 2004 • Charlotte, NC http://www.stmarknc.us

  2. Will I be able to stand? • Will I be able to stand when the Lord comes? • If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? (Psalm 129) • But who may abide the day of his coming, and who shall stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire. (Malachi 3) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  3. Will I be able to stand? For what fellowship can darkness have with light? • God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  4. ORIGIN & NECESSITY • “Where are you?” • “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree?” • “What is this you have done?” CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  5. Am I Just? • To abide in Christ, we must be just! • “So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” (Mat 13:49–51) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  6. Am I Good? • “And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:9) • “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Mat 7:17–19) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  7. GOD SEES INSIDE US • Sin is an infection. If I neglect it, it corrupts my soul. Can I approach God if I am corrupt? • “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”(1 John 1:8) • “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  8. GOD SEES INSIDE US • We wash our bodies daily to be prepared for school, work, or a special occasion. But, what about our spiritual nature? • “Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Mat 23:26) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  9. IGNORANCE NOT AN EXCUSE • “If a person sins, and commits any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he does not know it, yet he is guilty and shall bear his iniquity.” (Lev 5:17) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  10. INDICTED . . . SENTENCED? • Through Baptism, and the confession of faith, we acquired a new nature. However, living in the world, we make mistakes. • What does God want us to do about these mistakes? • “And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing....” (Lev 5:5) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  11. A WAY TO RETURN • “If they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, and ... if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt, then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham.” (Lev 26:40–42) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  12. A WAY TO RETURN • “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) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  13. A Way to Return • I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah (Psalm 32:5) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  14. Take Words & Return to God “O Israel, return to the LORD your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take words with you, and return to the LORD. Say to Him, ‘Take away all iniquity, receive us graciously, for we will offer the sacrifices of our lips.’” (Hosea 14) “As advised by the good prophet, let us try to pray with him in song, with our firm faith in God’s protection, “Take words with you,” says Hosea, “and turn away from sin and toward the Lord our God, and say to Him, ‘would You forgive our sins?’” that you might be restored to the good, that your souls might enjoy bliss.”(St. Gregory of Narek, 951–1003, 95 Lamentations: 28/D) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  15. APOSTOLIC SACRAMENT • Consecrated work through which a believer receives grace from God through His messenger—the ordained priest. • “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  16. APOSTOLIC SACRAMENT • Consecrated work through which a believer receives grace from God through His messenger—the ordained. • David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” • Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  17. Beneficial Examples • The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11 ff.) • Daniel (Daniel 9:20 ff.) • Nehemiah (Neh 1; 9) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  18. The Way of Confession • Acknowledge my error; repent; sin no more. (Ps 32:5; Neh 1:7) • Confess before the one I hurt.(Mt 5:24; Luke 15:11ff) • Confess before God. (Ps. 50) • Confess before Abouna & receive the sacrament of absolution.(Jn 20:23; 2 Sam 12:13) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  19. Practical Concerns • Confession before a priest is essential. • Spiritual father; Delegate of God • Accountability; Humility; Purity (Luke 18:14; Mt 12:37; 1 Jn 3:3) • You should confess all your sins precisely and completely, even ones of which you are unaware. • God sees all—even what we ignore • We cannot stand before the Just Judge with our sins • The successors and ordained of the Apostolic successors are commissioned to forgive sins on behalf of God (see canon of penance) • Abouna defends your privacy with his life! CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

  20. Continue in the Way • Continue to repent and be vigilant, reading the Word, fasting, & praying. • Keep yourself unspotted from the world(James 1:27) • “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy...” (Luke 10:19) CONFESSION • St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church • Charlotte, NC

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