fellowship

Confirmation in Scripture

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Confirmation is the historic rite of initiation into the full fellowship of the body of Christ. Christian initiation in the early church apparently consisted of two actions, baptism followed by imposition of hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The sequence of events was governed by the early disciples’ personal experience of salvation in Christ and the endowment of his Spirit. Paul, reflecting theologically, brought out the underlying spiritual unity of the two rites.

The Issue of Confirmation

In general terms, the question of confirmation may be described as the place of the gift of the Spirit of God in the practice of Christian initiation in the early church. But the matter requires a closer definition.

The gift and presence of God’s Spirit in the church is a prominent assertion and theme of the New Testament. This gift is presented as a fruit of the redemptive victory of Christ and as a foundational event that brings into existence and thereafter maintains the Christian community or church. It is a community endowment establishing this community with its specific identity. Apart from the original individuals who, precisely as forming the original community received the Spirit directly (John 20; Acts 2), all others receive this gift only by becoming members of this community and thereby sharing in the Spirit with which it has been originally endowed. To receive the gift of the Holy Spirit is simply to become a member of this Spirit-filled community. The precise question to be faced is this: how in the actual practice and understanding of the early church was this gift received—as an effect of baptism or of a post-baptismal rite or as a somehow free gift of God later acknowledged by the community?

The New Testament material bearing on this issue has to be situated within the particular stratum of New Testament literature to which it belongs. Following this principle one may group the relevant material as follows: (1) the evidence in the Acts of the Apostles on the practice of Christian initiation in the early church; (2) the references in the Pauline letters on baptism and the gift of the Spirit; (3) material in the synoptic Gospels that reflects the early church’s practice and understanding of initiation (Of special significance here is the way Jesus’ baptism by John is reported.); and (4) references to initiation in the other documents of the New Testament.

Acts is specifically concerned with giving a picture of the life of the church in the early period. Its narrative thus bears directly on the issue under discussion and for this reason is the more hopeful document we possess for information on the early practice of Christian initiation.

Paul’s main interest is not to give any description of the initiation practice with which he and the addressees of his letters are familiar, but rather to develop a deeper understanding of what this now-past event means in the present and the future for Christian faith and life. This is essentially and totally a theological enterprise and not an exercise in the description of current ritual practice. For information on the initiation practice of the early church, Acts is the primary and controlling source; for developed theological insight, Paul is the significant writer.

Initiation Practice of the Early Church

The understanding of the gift of the Spirit in the Acts of the Apostles has its determining source in the event of Pentecost. This event signifies the endowment of the community of Jesus’ disciples with the promised eschatological gift of God’s Spirit. Together with the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus, this event signifies the effective dawn of the messianic age and establishes the community of Jesus’ disciples as the messianic community, the group that has received and now possesses the promised messianic blessings. Pentecost is thus the second event that brings the Christian church into existence and gives it its identity. The first and prior of these events is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which brings into existence the community of the disciples of Christ. The second is the coming of the Spirit, which establishes this already-existing community as the Spirit-filled community of the disciples of Christ.

It is important to note that the coming of the Spirit is a community gift and endowment. The question that arises, and that arose immediately, is how others could come to share in the blessings the community now possesses, including the gift of the Spirit. This is the question of the initiation practice of the early church, the system whereby new converts were admitted to membership in the community. The question arose immediately on Pentecost Sunday, according to Acts 2, in the reaction to Peter’s sermon. In reply to his audience’s question, “what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37), Peter answers: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The text goes on to state that on that day three thousand “were added” to the number of the community (Acts 2:41).

This passage describes, however summarily, the earliest practice of Christian initiation. A number of points arising from the text deserve notice. The words were added show that it is a question of new members joining an already-existing group and coming to share in their specific status and privileges. The issue that arises is what process or system of initiation the passage envisages. This process is described summarily in Acts 2:38. The text mentions explicitly the rite of immersion baptism, which is directly associated with “the name of Jesus Christ,” that is, personal adherence to or discipleship of Christ, and its effect is described as “the forgiveness of sins.” There then follows the reference to the gift of the Holy Spirit: “and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The double reference to Christ and the Spirit clearly refers to and reproduces the two events that brought the community into existence and have given it its identity. This double reference, the Christological and the pneumatological, continue to characterize mention of Christian initiation not only throughout the New Testament but throughout Christian history.

But how does Acts 2:38 envisage the relationship between the water rite of baptism and the gift of the Spirit? At first reading, three interpretations seem possible: the gift of the Spirit is an effect of baptism itself; the coming of the Spirit is a subsequent event in the life of the baptized person unmediated by any rite, or the Spirit is conferred by means of a subsequent rite. While most commentators assume the first interpretation as correct, with little attempt at critical examination, it needs to be stressed that, taken in itself, the text has to be left open in its meaning and can only be finally interpreted in light of how Christian initiation is presented throughout the rest of Acts. But it should be noted that the particular Greek grammatical structure here, an imperative followed by a future indicative, strongly suggests that the first interpretation can scarcely be the correct one.

It is not possible to undertake here a detailed examination of the material throughout Acts referring to Christian initiation. It must suffice to mention some factors that enable one to determine the meaning implicit in Acts 2:38 concerning the gift of the Spirit.

A number of studies have made clear that consistently throughout Acts the gift of the Spirit is not presented or envisaged as an effect of baptism. Commentators have generally paid too little attention to the precise concept of the Holy Spirit Acts presents. This is the classical biblical and Jewish concept of the prophetic Spirit. But this concept in itself is not intrinsically connected either with ritual washing or forgiveness of sins, the stated effect of baptism in Acts. It would be extraordinary indeed if such an intrinsic connection now suddenly appeared in early Christianity, which, for its own thought and practice, was so heavily indebted to biblical and Jewish concepts.

Further, Acts 2:38 clearly presupposes a particular system of Christian initiation. This practice consists of baptism and the rite of imposition of hands for the gift of the Spirit (Acts 8:12–17; 19:1–7). Apart from Luke’s obvious familiarity with this initiation ritual, it is also clear that whatever sources he was relying on (probably oral, not documentary) confirmed him in his view.

Various other data that can be gleaned from Acts concerning Christian initiation cohere with and strengthen this assessment. Moreover, material from the synoptic Gospels now also falls easily into line. This applies in particular to the narrative of Jesus’ baptism by John in the Jordan. As described by the Synoptics (Matt. 3:16–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22), this event is undoubtedly presented as a paradigmatic model of the initiation of the Christian convert and reflects the church’s early initiation practice. It is therefore highly significant that this event also consists of immersion in water followed by the descent of the Spirit upon Jesus. “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized [that is, immersed] by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove” (Mark 1:9–10). Here also the coming of the Spirit is a post-baptismal event. Given the literary form within which Mark is writing, those scholars who would wish to see the gift of the Spirit as an effect intrinsic to the baptismal rite of immersion would logically have to maintain that here the dove alighted on Jesus while he was immersed under the water. The text of Hebrews 6:2 adds its further confirming weight to the argument advocated here concerning the practice of initiation in the early church. This text can only be understood as implying a reference to Christian initiation as consisting of two rites, baptism and imposition of hands.

The conclusion to this summary investigation of the New Testament sources concerning the initiation practice of the early church is that this consisted of two rites, baptism followed by the imposition of hands for the gift of the Spirit (or, in later terminology, confirmation). It may seem surprising to us today that formal entry into the Christian community was thought to require two distinct rites. Under normal circumstances, it seems that one would be sufficient. This, however, is to impose a modern, rationalistic approach on the more imaginative and symbolic mind of former ages. One must remember the seedbed from which early Christianity, as regards both thought and practice, derived, namely Judaism, with the biblical history that lay behind it and the actual experience of the members of the foundational Christian church.

The original community recognized and identified itself as the community of the new era, the promised messianic community inheriting and possessing the messianic blessings. In typical biblical manner, this community and its privileges are presented as coming into existence in accordance with the model or pattern of salvation history, that is, a series of separate events following one another and building on one another until eventually a climax is achieved. The foundational community experienced the culmination of this history in the events of Christ and the Spirit, the two climactic events that have brought the community into existence and that gave it its identity as the Spirit-filled community of the disciples of Jesus. In opening itself to new converts, the community reproduces and expresses in effective symbol or sacrament the salvation history it has experienced. Hence the double reference in its initiation ritual, both to Christ and to the Holy Spirit, expressed by means of the two distinct rites.

This initiation ritual, however, based as it is on the model of salvation history and the actual experience of the original community, poses a challenge to the Christian mind to discern the unity that lies behind its discrete references. This challenge, which is an invitation to a strictly theological enterprise, was soon recognized and addressed. Herein lies the significance of Paul on the gift of the Holy Spirit and Christian initiation.

Deepening Insight: Paul

The Holy Spirit figures prominently in the thought and writings of Paul. The Spirit is an endowment of and a vital presence in the Christian community. It is clear that the gift of the Spirit is an effect of the past, once-for-all event of Christian initiation. But it represents an abiding presence, and Paul’s main interest lies not in the particular moment of the past or any description thereof but rather in illuminating the significance of this presence now for the life of the church and the Christian. This is the reason he shows little or no interest in any factual description of the actual event of initiation and why so little information can be gleaned from his scattered references concerning it. He was not liturgically minded. His interest was in developing a deeper understanding of what Christian faith and life mean. This is a theological enterprise in the proper sense, an effort of faith seeking understanding. It is an effort that searches earnestly for the unity underlying the discrete references of Christian faith and practice and in pursuing its tasks often finds itself embarrassed by these references and the salvation history model that has determined them.

Paul’s silence concerning a post-baptismal rite is largely explained by this context. For he was familiar with what we have seen was the regular practice of the early church. His references in Acts echo much of the same general understanding of initiation found in the early church. The characteristic double reference, both to Christ and to the Spirit, occurs again and again in the Pauline texts. But Paul’s effort to develop a deeper understanding of the mystery of Christian initiation leads him to develop new emphases and to bring the separate references together into a deeper unity. This is his significance and his achievement, and it is in this enterprise that the key to his thought and texts lies. His references are concerned with illuminating the existing, regular practice of the church, and they thus constitute, in the words of Rudolf Schnackenburg, “a marriage of the existing rite with the weighty thought of his theology” (Baptism in the Thought of St. Paul [New York: Herder & Herder, 1964], 30).

Central to this bold effort of Paul is the new concept of the Spirit of God he introduces that is to have such a profound influence in Christian theology. In early Christianity, the spirit of prophecy was understood to inspire forceful preaching of the gospel and accompany that preaching with confirming signs. But Paul now retrieves the other biblical concept of the Spirit, the life-giving Spirit (prominent in the Prophets, see especially Ezek. 36–37). This provides him with one of the ideas he is seeking to develop, a more unified understanding of the Christian faith. It enables him to connect the separate references, bringing them into a harmonious unity. In particular, he is now able to unite the references to Christ and to the Spirit in the rite of initiation. To be united to Christ means also to share in the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God; to receive the Holy Spirit implies union with Christ. This explains why the typical Pauline expressions, to be “in Christ,” and “in the Spirit,” in their deepest significance blend into one another and become almost synonymous.

This achievement of theological insight enables Paul to see the power of the Spirit at work also in the process of baptism itself, both in the genesis of faith and conversion preceding the sacrament and in the union with Christ therein accomplished. He is thus able to present Christian initiation as the unity it is, and this is the main thrust and direction of his thought. But this does not at all mean that on his own initiative he would have interfered with the established and inherited practice of Christian initiation and bent it at his will to his way of thinking. Nothing in his writings suggests he was or needed to be that kind of radical innovator. His theological enterprise transcended the salvation history model he was commenting on. Consciously or unconsciously, this was his purpose and his achievement.

But it is worth noting that in his most extensive and significant reference to baptism, Romans 6:3–11, Paul makes no mention of the Holy Spirit. This latter theme, so prominent in his thought, is not introduced until chapter 8. It is difficult to see how, if in the initiation practice of the church, the gift of the Spirit was seen as an effect of baptism, he could have avoided reference to the Spirit in this passage. No doubt the structure of Romans is important here. Nevertheless, if there is an argument from silence in the Pauline writings on this issue, it surely lies here.

Conclusion

The remaining documents of the New Testament throw little further light on this question. Something of the influence of Paul is discernible in the close linking in some texts of the work of Spirit with baptism (John 3:5; Titus 3:5). Though such references are often interpreted as implying that the Spirit is given in baptism, this judgment is over-hasty. Here again, is the Pauline understanding of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit’s role in the process of initiation. No more than in Paul himself, therefore, this close association of Christ and the Holy Spirit does not imply any denial of the existence of a special post-baptismal rite of the Spirit.

Viewing the evidence of the New Testament as a whole, therefore, one finds that Christian initiation in the early church consisted of two rites, baptism followed by the imposition of hands for the gift of the Spirit. This complex ritual was derived from and determined by the perspective of biblical salvation history and the personal experience of the original disciples. Paul, introducing a new and more profound understanding of the Spirit, was able to envisage and indicate the unity underlying this complex ritual with its discrete references. We meet here for the first time the tension between these two approaches to understanding Christian faith and practice, the theological and the salvation history approaches. Both methods will continue in the church, the salvation history model being more congenial to the instruction of new converts and teaching within the context of worship, the theological to the effort to achieve a more unified understanding. Both approaches are necessary; neither can be reduced to the other. When one approach tends to overdominate, false questions arise and inevitably receive false solutions. Much of the oft-referred-to “confusion” concerning the sacrament of confirmation has its source here. The legitimacy and necessity of both approaches have to be recognized and a balanced tension maintained. This is the way toward progress and understanding in this area of Christian faith and practice. It is also the way that offers the best hope for ecumenical discussion. This is perhaps the most valuable lesson the New Testament teaches us today concerning the gift of the Holy Spirit in Christian initiation.

KIDS STUFF?

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Back in my high school days, I and a couple of buddies of mine were sitting around one night with nothing to do so we dared each other to harass my elderly neighbor, Chuck Coons.

First, we called him on his telephone, played some eerie music in the background, then said, “Tonight you die!” Next came the BIG challenge: “Who will sneak up onto his front porch and light a firecracker?” I agreed to the dastardly crime — and he came out with a .38, shot it in the air, then shouted out: “Whoever you are, the next one’s for you!”

Now I ask you, why did we do this? Mr. Coons was a wonderful, kind neighbor — certainly undeserving of such antics. I wish I could say that was the only mischievous act of my youth. There are, unfortunately, too many other such tales I could tell on myself! Why did we do these sorts of things? Lots of reasons come to mind…

Here’s the bottom line reason: We do mischievous things, harmful things, stupid things because that is our bent as humans, young and old alike. This is evidence of what the Bible calls sin. Sinning is doing things contrary to our Creator’s moral standards as revealed in His Word, the Bible. It’s a fact virtually nobody denies: everybody’s doin’ it!

The late Dr. Bill Bright put together a wonderful little booklet called “The Four Spiritual Laws” (now called “Would You Like To Know God Personally?”). A few pages into the booklet, Romans 3:23 is cited then explained: “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

“People were created to have fellowship with God; but because of our stubborn self-will, we chose to go our own independent way, and fellowship with God was broken. This self-will, characterized by an attitude of active rebellion [defying God] or passive indifference [I don’t know — and I don’t really care], is what the Bible calls sin.”

Sin is clearly not just “kid’s stuff” — we all do it! The horrific consequence of sin is physical and spiritual death: “For the wages [result] of sin is death” — referring to an earthly lifetime of disconnect from God then an eternity in complete isolation from Him — and everything, everyone we know and love. Add to this the terrrors of eternal, inescapable torment and things are very grim indeed — all because of personal sin!

Fortunately for us sinners, Jesus took the penalty of our sins upon Himself on the cross — and in exchange freely gives us His righteousness the moment we recognize our need for forgiveness and by faith receive Him as Savior:

  • “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.
  • “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9.

So you see, sin is not just kid’s stuff — it’s very much alive and well in all of us — and it needs to be forgiven! Have you, personally, received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord of your life? What in life could even remotely compare to a new life in Christ; to forgiveness and power to live for God and with God the rest of your days?

THE STAKES OF FELLOWSHIP

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Are there any stakes, any risks involved when we choose to belong to a church fellowship? That’s akin to asking “Does it rain in Oregon?” Anytime you commit to people, the potential for pain and problems exists. You’ll get ripped off by Christians from time to time! In fact, Clement of Rome (c. A.D. 35-101) claimed the martyrdom of both Peter and Paul was ultimately due to the immaturity of fellow-Christians!

While pastoring in Willits, I used to take early morning walks in the neighborhood of our church. On one of these strolls, I decided to stop and talk with an elderly gentleman, a professing Christian. I normally set aside these times as a diversion from the rigors of ministry and really didn’t want to talk but decided, for the sake of building a relationship with him, I would. I got ripped off! He did it by speaking those words we all love to hear: “Say, you don’t look too good. You looked better a few months ago. What’s wrong?”

The words flashed through my mind “Nothing you ole’ buzzard” — but being a man of God (lol) I said, “Oh I’m fine. I’ve just been on a deliberate diet!”

Of course, this incident was minor in comparison to the “surprises” that awaited me not long thereafter!

There are risks involved when we choose to belong; when we choose to care; when we choose to serve — but the rewards far outweigh the rip-offs. It’s only within that context of fellowship, of choosing to belong, that we become Christ like!

Think about this: What Christian qualities really matter that don’t involve people? Much of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 has to do with people skills.

What if hermit John the Baptist had refused to come out of seclusion to fulfill God’s public mission for him: to herald the coming of Messiah Jesus, followed by a hands-on ministry to multiple thousands of people in the Judean wilderness?

You might be quite surprised at how many effective Christian leaders identify themselves with this very personality type — introversion!

But rather than choosing obscurity, these men and women have elected obedience to God’s command, found in Hebrews 10:24-25: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.”

It’s kind of hard to “think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works” if we’re never around other believers! And what good are talents (such as musical ability) or spiritual gifts (such as those listed in I Corinthians 12; Romans 12; Ephesians 4; I Peter 4) if we’re not available to use them?

So, regardless of the personality type we’ve been given, let’s commit to fulfilling our call to encourage and to minister to one another with the abilities and opportunities God brings our way.

WE NEED TO HANG OUT

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After Christ’s crucifixion, melancholy, forlorn Thomas took his feelings of loss, hurt, abandonment, depression, and retreated off into his shell. Concerning Thomas and the death of Jesus, pastor John MacArthur writes: “He [Thomas] probably said, ‘I knew it would happen! He died and I didn’t die with Him. He went away and I don’t know where He is.’”

Ever tried to talk with someone who is that depressed? How do we like it when we’re hurting and some “happy-jack” comes along with those wonderful, well-meaning words: “Cheer up, it can’t be that bad!”

When we’re depressed, it’s hard for people to reason with us. Perhaps you’ve been down and depressed lately — with nobody to share your grief. I’ve discovered that even pets get depressed! Take little Chippie the parakeet for instance.

Poor Chippie never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage singing, the next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over.

Chippie’s problem began when his owner decided to clean his cage with a vacuum. She stuck the nozzle in to suck up the seeds and feathers in the bottom of the cage. Then the phone rang. Instinctively she turned to pick it up. She barely said hello when — sswwwwppppp! Chippie disappeared — into the hose! She gasped, dropped the phone, then shut off the vacuum. With her heart in her throat, she unzipped the bag.

There was Chippie, alive but dazed and confused, covered with heavy black dust. She grabbed him and rushed to the bathtub, turned on the faucet full blast, and held Chippie under a torrent of ice-cold water, powerwashing him clean. Then she did what any thoughtful pet owner would do: She snatched up the hair dryer and blasted the wet, shivering little bird with hot air… Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore!

Well, Thomas was depressed, hurt, and feeling abandoned, so he retreated into his shell, off by himself. John explains (John 20:26-29) that: “A week later His disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’ Then He said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen Me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’”

The solution to Thomas’ feelings of depression, hurt, and abandonment — and to us when we feel like that — is simply this: Surety comes most often in the fellowship of others! Thomas missed out the first time Jesus appeared because he wasn’t there to see Him!

To be sure, we need times alone with God, but Hebrews 10:24-25 also exhorts us to meet together, regularly, both to receive and to give encouragement! God gives preachers and teachers to the church as His instruments of communication; He also gives us each other, enabled by the Holy Spirit, to comfort and to encourage.

So, had Thomas not gone off by himself, forsaking the fellowship of the others, he would have seen Jesus when He appeared in the upper room the first time, and his fears would have been relieved.

IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED

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I don’t know anyone who likes to fail, but we all do. We started out as failures! What happened the first time we tried to walk? We fell down! Ride a bike? How about the first time we tried to swim? Some of us never came up!

No, everyone fails! The critical thing is what we do after we fail.

If you are a serious Christian, your passion is to be like Jesus. But you discovered early on that the gap between passion and perfection is pretty big! What should a Christian do when he/she fails to live up to God’s will? The Apostle John gives us the answer!

I John is a letter to Christians. John’s emphasis is on fellowship with God; on being an intimate partner and friend with God. In this epistle, John shares the ins and outs of what real fellowship with the Lord looks like. I’d like for us to focus on I John 1:5-2:2, which deals with Conditions for Fellowship with God.

In verses 5-7 John writes that our standard is living in the light of God’s will:

“ This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him, there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another [with God], and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”

John’s point is this: If we say we’re intimate with God yet walk continually and deliberately in disobedience to Him, we are lying hypocrites. “God is light,” writes John. As light, He reveals to us right and wrong. To maintain our fellowship with Him, we are to respond to that light continually; we are to be open, honest, and sincere about where we are. The standard we are to conform to is the light God sheds on our path, day by day, through His Word and the promptings of His Spirit.

Here’s the reality — and the heart of God revealed: Though we choose to “walk in the light” we are still stumbling whether we know it or not! John says the blood of Jesus is constantly flowing and cleansing the obedient Christian so that his fellowship with God is not hindered, the power can still flow, and ministry can still take place!

For 27 years I drove a 1970 Datsun pickup. One day, suddenly and unexpectedly, it began to sputter and jerk down the road as if it was running out of gas. I couldn’t understand what was wrong: The gas gauge indicated I had plenty of fuel; I kept the truck in top mechanical shape; I ran high quality fuel in it. Well, after tinkering around for a while I discovered the problem: The fuel filter was plugged!

All gasoline has contaminants — even Chevron! The only thing that keeps a vehicle running smoothly is the fuel filter. It screens out particles we can’t even see! So it is with the blood of Jesus: it filters out impurities we are unaware of so we can continue in our walk and service for Christ.

When it becomes clear to us we’ve failed God, ourselves,  or someone we love, our response should be confession. Confession is more than admitting a sin. The word confess means to say the same thing about sin that God does. True confession is naming sin — calling it, by name — whatever God calls it: envy, hatred, lying, lusting, deceit, pride, etc. Confession is simply being honest with ourselves and with God — and if others are involved, being honest with them, too, about what we have done.

As we confess our sins to God, we can count on Him to keep His word! He said faith in His Son would justify us in His sight, and so we stand forgiven (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 3:21-24).

The forgiveness John is talking about has nothing to do with our salvation! He’s talking about familial forgiveness, like a son going to his father to ask forgiveness for some offense. His position in the family is not in jeopardy — only intimacy with his dad.

God’s loving forgiveness includes purification from all unrighteousness — the sins we’re not conscious of. Therefore, we have no need to agonize over sins of which we are consciously unaware.

Knowing the blood of Christ continues to filter out the bad, and growing in our daily obedience to the Lord, can lead to getting cocky about our walk with God:

“Boy, I haven’t sinned for hours … all day!”

To this John writes, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (v. 8). Just because we’re not conscious of failure doesn’t mean we’re free from it!

When it becomes clear to us we’ve failed God, ourselves, or someone we love, what should our response be? Some folks …

  • tend to wallow in self-condemnation
  • are flippant: “Oh well…”
  • blame somebody else for their failure
  • say “It’s too late now!”
  • resign to “What’s the use? How many people in this world ever change? I’m kidding myself to think there’s hope for me.”

What can happen if we don’t confess sin as it is revealed? Well, what happens when we don’t work through our grievances with each other? The walls go up! The longer we put off dealing with it the higher and thicker the wall gets. Have you ever tried to unscramble an egg? The longer you wait to deal with something the deeper into trouble you get. It’s like cancer.

Perhaps the following true story will shed light on what I mean. A friend of mine told me about his dad’s cancer which began as a small spot on his nose. He refused to have it removed. Being cancerous it continued to grow, eventually eating off his nose — then his face. He hid his face under the sheets when Scott (my friend) would come over to see him. It eventually took his life.

As difficult as it might be for you now if God is showing you something that’s out of line, deal with it; stick with it until you get the answers you need, and take the necessary steps. It won’t / can’t get better; things will only get more complicated and complex the longer you wait.