Baptist/Catholic Confessional Exposed

The Baptist/Catholic Confessional Exposed......



 



Baptists and Roman Catholics teach that a "saved" person must confess his sins everyday (daily) in order to have "fellowship" with God. If the "saved" person does not do this, then he is "out of fellowship with God". And of course, anyone who dies not having fellowship with God goes to hell. Check any Catholic salvation book/article/video and any Baptist "gospel" tracts or commentary on 1 John.  

Defining "fellowship": Companionship; society; consort; mutual association of persons on equal and friendly terms; familiar intercourse. (Webster's 1828 Dictionary)

In other words, according to the Baptists and Catholics, a "saved" person does not have "companionship" or "association on friendly terms" with God UNLESS he "confesses his sins everyday". Baptists (such as Spurgeon, David Cloud, Roloff, Local Church Publishers, Jack Chick, etc) teach that one must "turn from his sins", "surrender his life to Christ", "leave sin", and promise God that he will "be true to Him the rest of your days" in order to be saved. See documentation here:

http://www.pmbclansing.org/home/salvation.htm

http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/baptist-false-gospel-david-cloud-lester.html

http://av1611studyblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/baptist-false-gospel-surrender-your.html

Both the Baptists and the Catholics teach that you get saved through two or three sacraments, mainly Penance and Confession. [Though Catholics say you have a better chance of salvation through water baptism and the Baptists also teach that you become "complete in Christ" by water baptism] They teach that after you perform these initial sacraments (which saves you from your previous sins) that you must then continue to confess your sins daily for God to forgive you of your present and future sins. According to the Baptists and Catholics, a "saved" person does not have "companionship" or "association on friendly terms" with God UNLESS he "confesses his sins everyday".

Not long ago I visited a "Independent Fundamental Baptist" where my mom was visiting and the preacher preached a whole sermon on 1 John 1:9. Which says,

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

And immediately after he read the verse he said "Now I don't believe that it is talking about forgiveness of sins really, it is talking about fellowship." Then he went on to talk about how we need to confess our sins daily or God will curse us and our children, using Malachi 2:1-3 as his next text.

This is all summed up as WORKS to get saved and WORKS to stay saved. That is complete heresy (Eph. 2:8-9, 2 Tim. 1:9, Rom. 3:19-27, 4:1-5:1, 11:6, Titus 3:4-7, Phil. 3:8-9, Gal. 2:16-3:28, etc.).

All believers are in fellowship with God no matter what they do after they get saved.....(all the Baptists, Roman Catholics, and "Church of Christ" just gasped when they read that)

1 Corinthians 1:
[4] I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ;
[5] That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
[6] Even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:
[7] So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
[8] Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[9] God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Corinthian "church of God" that would be confirmed unto the end and were called to the fellowship of Jesus Christ when they got saved was

carnal (3:3-4)
heretical (11:19)
full of division (1:10, 3:4, 11:18)
proud of fornication (5:1-5)
judged of God by death and sickness (11:30-32)
not believing in the resurrection (15:12)
suing each other (6:1-2)

YET THEY WERE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH THE LORD SINCE THE DAY THEY GOT SAVED (1:1-9)

The ridiculous logic behind the Baptist/Catholic Confessional....

Who can remember every sin they have committed since they got saved? I know I can't.

Not only would you have to remember and confess every time you lie, cheat, steal fornicate, etc. BUT you would also have to remember every time that you have committed sins of the heart such as lust, covetousness, arrogance, hatred, pride, and on and on and on.

Romans 14:23 says "whatsoever is not of faith is sin". You need to remember and confess every time that you did anything without faith. Have you ever given someone a gospel tract, read your Bible, prayed, given money to a missionary, or done something "for God" just out of ritual instead of in faith? Also, have you ever confessed a sin to God out of ritual and not in faith? That was a sin...

James said "Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (Jam. 4:17). You need to remember and confess every time you have known that you should have prayed, read your Bible, confessed, given time/money/effort to help someone, or any other good thing that you did not do.

If what the Baptists and Catholics say is true, then NO believer has ever had forgiveness of sins or fellowship with God and we are all headed for hell! As David said, are evils are INNUMERABLE and our iniquities are MORE THAN THE HAIRS OF OUR HEAD....it is impossible to know all of our sins, much less confess them!

"For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me." (Psalms 40:12)

Our forgiveness is in a PERSON, not a ritual work! Not only that, our forgiveness is complete the moment we get saved, we are forgiven of "all trespasses" instantaneously.

Acts 13:38-39 Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

Ephesians 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

[The Baptists think this says "In what we have redemption through confession, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of our works"]

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Colossians 3:13  Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

THEN WHAT IS FIRST JOHN 1:9 REFERRING TO?

1 John 1:
[1] That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
[2] (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
[3] That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.
[4] And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.
[5] This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
[6] If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
[7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
[8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
[9] If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
[10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

I believe that 1 John 1:9 refers to the plan of salvation (Gospel of the Kingdom context). 1 John 1:9 is telling unforgiven sinners what to do to have forgiveness. Not that John is writing to unsaved people, but that he is going over the gospel and how they got out of "darkness" and into "God/light" (vs 5-7). Lost people must confess (to God) that they are sinners in order to be saved, though this is not referring to every individual sin that they have committed but only sins as a whole. Notice the following:

"we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life" (verse 2)

"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us" (verse 3)

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you" (verse 5)

The context is the gospel, John shewing unto them eternal life. Further, in verses 5-7 John discusses how to get out of darkness and into the light (a reference to saved Vs lost).

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Compared to...

"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." (1 Thes. 5:4-5)

"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:" (Col. 1:12-13)

"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" (2 Cor. 6:14)

"Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me." (Acts 26:17-18)

"While ye have light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light. These things spake Jesus, and departed, and did hide himself from them." (John 12:36)

"I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." (John 12:46)

Believers are in the light, unbelievers are in darkness. That is the issue that John is discussing in 1 John, how to get out of darkness and into light. We are children of the light and walk in the light, and John says in verse 7 "if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." If you are a believer, than the blood of Christ has cleansed you from ALL sin. You do not have to be cleansed again and again and again, it is a ONE TIME cleansing (Eph. 4:32, Col. 2:13). Further notice chapter 2.

1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:12  I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake.

Jesus Christ is the propitiation, advocate, and He is the reason that are sins are forgiven--not daily confession.

One objection to this view of 1 John 1:9 is that John used the word "we" when he said "if we confess our sins...". The logic behind that argument is that since John said "we" than he cannot be referring to unsaved people. However, I believe that he is using "we" in an editorial sense speaking of how they got saved, such as Paul did in Rom. 4:24 "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;" and also in Rom. 6:5, 6:8, 8:25, Gal. 5:25, etc. We know that John is speaking this way because of verse 3, "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us". 

Should believers confess their sins to God? Yes and no--it depends on what you mean by that.

Believers should confess/acknowledge their sins and pray that God will give them the strength to not continue in sin.

1 Corinthians 11:
[31] For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.
[32] But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.

Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 

Romans 6:
[14] For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
[15] What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.

However, this by no means teaches that we have to struggle to remember and confess every single sin that we commit. As seen already, that would be impossible (Ps. 40:12). We certainly do not have to confess audibly to obtain forgiveness or fellowship with God, that is heretical and denies complete and instantaneous salvation by grace through faith.

It is worth pointing out that most Baptists and Catholics do not realize that 1 John is a prophetic book written to believers of the Gospel of the Kingdom in Daniel's 70th Week when the Son of Perdition is present (1 Jn. 2:13-14, 2:18, 5:18).

--Eli Caldwell