Confessing Our Sin
Confessing Our Sin
Many years ago Audrey and I were attending church in a tent in San Diego. J. O. Dowell was the pastor.
A revival was taking place at this time. The location was at a church named The Armory, to the best of my recollection. The pastor was a lady referred to as Sister Beall. I do not know her first name. This was occurring in Detroit, Michigan.
The revival was somewhat different from a typical revival. People were confessing their sins one to another.
An evangelist was present at this meeting with her husband: Thelma Dotta Chambers and her husband, Magness Chambers.
Pastor Dowell heard about the revival and invited Thelma Chambers and her husband to San Diego to tell us about this unusual awakening.
Audrey, my wife, and I had attended the Berean Bible School, an Assembly of God institution, of which Pastor Dowell was president. After graduating we remained with him and taught in his school, San Diego Christian Schools.
I did quite a lot of teaching for Pastor Dowell. One of my main subjects was taken from the Book of Romans, the sixth chapter: "Reckon yourself dead to sin." I was quite enthusiastic about this topic. The idea was that a person obtained sanctification, victory over sin, by counting himself or herself dead—crucified with Christ.
Later I understood that the Apostle Paul was not presenting reckon yourself dead to sin as a means of deliverance from sin but as the way a Christian should regard his position concerning sinful behavior and righteous behavior. In other words, we should not yield to sin, because we have died with Christ on the cross.
Reckon yourself dead is not a device for deliverance but an attitude to take toward sin. In Chapter, Eight Paul tells us to put our sinful actions to death by the power of the Spirit of God, for if we do not we will die spiritually.
By "death" Paul was referring back to verse eleven, in Chapter Eight of Romans, to the making alive of the physical body. Paul was saying that if we are not faithful in putting to death the deeds of our body, our body will not be made spiritually alive in the Day of Resurrection.
So when Sister Chambers and her husband came to San Diego, I, the great Bible teacher, perceived that confessing one's sins was not quite the same as reckoning ourselves dead to sin.
I resisted for a couple of days while the evangelist held forth, telling us of incidents that had taken place while the residents of Detroit were confessing their sins to one another.
One night, during this time, when Audrey and I had returned to our trailer in Chula Vista, I looked in the mirror. I asked the Lord, "Do I have sin dwelling in me that must be confessed?"
The answer to my question was, I burned like fire. Talk about a baptism of fire!
I said to Audrey, "We have got to go and talk to Sister Chambers."
We knew where they lived because it was our job to drive them back and forth to church. So we drove across town to the room they were renting.
When we arrived, I went straight to Sister Chambers and told her I was ready to confess my sins—which I proceeded to do.
That was about sixty years ago. I have been confessing during this period of time whatever Jesus has shown me.
At first I confessed to other people. But I learned I could confess to Jesus alone. This was helpful, because you never know if someone is going to gossip about what you told them.
Confessing my sins was embarrassing at first. But during this time I have become so used to it that I am just glad to get rid of the sin.
The Catholic people always have confessed their sins. But then they try to make atonement for them, like saying so many "Our Fathers." Christ already has made an atonement for us. After we confess we are to turn our prayers and strength to maintaining victory over the sins in question. This procedure is different from trying to atone for them.
I had many things to confess in the beginning. But now not so many. Now it is more of an awareness that we are not to continue practicing some bondage but to confess it and then prayer for strength to never do it again.
Confessing and turning away from specific sinful bondages really works. Try it for yourself and you will be pleased with the results.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)
James, in his book, tell us that when we are sick we should confess our sins to one another, and pray for each other that we might be healed.
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)
However, during the years that have elapsed since the days of Sister Chambers, confessing our sins has taken on an additional significance.
The Israelites were given seven major convocations to observe. Each of the seven feasts, as they are termed, portrays a step in the Divine redemption.
For example, the first observance is the "Passover."
We may be more familiar with the fourth feast, that of "Pentecost," which represents the baptism with the Spirit of God.
In the Divine plan of salvation we have come as far as Pentecost. The nature of the spiritual fulfillments of the final three feasts may not be familiar to us. However, they are beginning now, in our day.
The fifth observance is The Blowing of Trumpets. This is occurring as Christ is appearing to those who are keeping His commandments. He does not appear physically, but He lets us know that He is with us and He wants to prepare us for the chaotic times that are ahead of us.
There will be no "rapture" to keep us from the perils of the closing days of the Church Age. Rather, the provision Christ has made for us is to become part of us. We are to invite Christ into our life until He is doing our thinking, our speaking, and our behaving. Then we have perfect righteousness, don't we?
Where is all this in the Bible?
If you will read the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel of John you will discover that Christ has promised to come to those who are keeping His Word, and this in advance of His coming to the world, bringing the deceased saints with Him.
And as to Christ becoming part of us, how about the following?
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)
Is Paul still living? Of course. He is writing this passage.
Is Christ living in Paul's body along with Paul? It sounds like that.
Are Paul and Christ both living? It sure sounds like that.
Well, am I far off when I maintain that Christ wants to become part of us so we can survive the terrible events on the horizon, as Antichrist seeks to consolidate his hold on human beings?
Is Galatians 2:20 true of you? No? What are you waiting for, government agents to appear at your door and tell you that you must send your first grader to a public school so he can find out what gender he is? Is this what it will take for you to get real with Christ?
Today in America there is increased pressure being placed on the charter schools so they will be more a part of the government. And you want to continue with your business-as-usual church life?
I have told you about the spiritual fulfillment of the Blowing of Trumpets. Christ is coming in the spirit realm to declare war on His enemies. We are approaching the climax of the war between good and evil, and Christ wants you and your loved ones to be prepared to stand in Christ and help others to stand.
So much for observance number five.
Next is the most solemn day of the Jewish year, the Day of Atonement.
Guess what is the most outstanding feature of the Day of Atonement? You guessed it. It is the confessing of sins.
Once each year, on the Day of Atonement, the High Priest of Israel was ordered to go past the Veil into the Most Holy Place. There he sprinkled blood upon and in front of the Ark of the Covenant.
He is to take some of the bull's blood and with his finger sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover; then he shall sprinkle some of it with his finger seven times before the atonement cover. (Leviticus 16:14)
In doing so the High Priest made an atonement for himself and his household.
Two goats were employed in making an atonement for the people of Israel. One goat was slain, and its blood was sprinkled upon and before the Ark of the Covenant, in the same manner that was true of the bull that was offered for the High Priest and his household.
The second goat also was a goat of atonement. It was not slain. Rather the High Priest laid his hands on the head of the live goat and confessed the sins of the Israelites.
He is to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites—all their sins—and put them on the goat's head. He shall send the goat away into the wilderness in the care of someone appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins to a remote place; and the man shall release it in the wilderness. (Leviticus 16:21,22)
Can you see the enormous significance of the passage above?
This shows us that Christ not only forgives our sins (the slain goat) but also removes them "to a remote place" (the living goat).
Right here we can see the enormous destruction cause by today's preaching. The idea that God "sees us through Christ," or has appointed grace to be a substitute for growth in godly behavior, is as far removed as possible from the actual program of redemption.
The new covenant is a better covenant because it includes not only the forgiveness of our sins but also the removal of our sins.
It may prove difficult to convince people that in this present move of God they are required to confess and put to death their sinful deeds, under the direction of the Spirit of God. They are under the impression that God does not see them as having sin. How then are they to confess and turn away from that which they do not have?
It is interesting that a call is going forth in America that we Christians should repent of our sins, while we are being taught that God does not see us as having sin. Of what are we to repent? Have we not been deceived?
God's answer to our sinful bondages is not to overlook them through Christ but to remove them through Christ.
So we see that the move in the Armory in Detroit was the beginning of the spiritual fulfillment of the Levitical Day of Atonement.
While I was in Bible School, and still quite young in the Lord, God spoke to me. He said that the Day of Atonement would be judgment on God's people. I had just heard a teaching on the seven feasts of the Lord.
I did not really understand what God meant. Since sixty years have passed, I understand now that God was saying He is going to judge the actions of His people, not to condemn them but to set them free from their spirit enemies that dwell in their flesh.
It is the beginning of total victory over the forces of darkness.
The three great end-time steps in the plan of redemption are first, the Blowing of Trumpets; second, the Day of Atonement. Third, the feast of Tabernacles.
The feast of Tabernacles always has been God's goal. The fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles will provide a house, a resting place, and a throne for God—a throne in the heart of each member of the Royal Priesthood.
Eternal life will flow from the people in whom the Throne of God has been established. Whoever will do so may come and drink freely of the Spirit of God. Such is the destiny of each member of the Church, the Body of Christ.
The spiritual fulfillments of these final three feasts have begun. In order to provide a suitable house for God, each of us must come to maturity in righteous behavior; in true faith; and in obedience to God through Jesus Christ.
Righteous behavior comes as we keep making Christ a greater and greater part of our life.
True faith matures in us as the evil that is in our flesh and spirit is removed and the Spirit of God takes its place. True faith looks to God in perfect trust for all of our needs and desires.
Perfect obedience to Christ results as we carry our cross of deferred desire, setting aside our own life that Christ might do our thinking, our speaking, and our behaving.
To the new Christian, the exalted positions that I have mentioned in this essay may seem impossible of attainment. If the program were put in place and operated by us it would be impossible of attainment.
But the program of redemption and the fullness of the inheritance, both for God and for us, was conceived and is being carried out by the one who spoke the firmament and its galaxies into existence. The power exhibited there is far, far beyond our comprehension.
If it indeed is He who has conceived and is operating all aspects of the coming Kingdom of God, can He not take us, who were formed from the dust of the ground, and create us in His image? Can He not make us righteous in behavior; trusting in nature; and obedient to His Son?
But we have to be continually obedient to Christ if God is to bring us from the bondages of Satan to perfect, complete rest in His Person and will.
We understand that He indeed can perform such transformation of a human being. What then is lacking? Only our faith and obedience. Do we believe that God loves us and will bring us to such glory? Will we be obedient even if some aspects of the program are not understandable to us or in line with our pitiful plans and ambitions?
I cannot speak for you, but as for me I am not content with my own plans and goals. I want God! I want all that God has for me and the best that God has for me.
If all God is asking in the present hour is that I confess the sinful bondages that trouble me so He can remove them, I think I would be rather shortsighted to cling to that which brings nothing but shame, weakness, and remorse.
The bottom line is, let us look to the Spirit of God continually so we can cooperate with Him as He creates us a house, resting place, and throne for God and the Lamb.
What do you say!
For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. (Romans 8:13)