In the Old Testament sacrificial ritual what was the sinner to do when he brought a sacrifice for his sin?

Leviticus 5:5, 6. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Note. Confession does not persuade a reluctant God to overlook our sin. It is not a manipulative maneuver we can use on Him to gain leniency.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Confession changes us- not God. It is our acknowledgement that we recognize the hideousness of our sin and that we need and desire the forgiveness that God has already offered and longs to give us.

Although we no longer are required to make an animal sacrifice when we sin, is confession still required by God?

Proverbs 28:13

Note: Confession, the heartfelt acknowledgement of our sins is still a basic requirement for forgiveness. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing before He will forgive. We need only to confess our sins sincerely to Him, asking for His mercy and for His grace to forsake them.

Are we to confess to others besides God?

James 5:16. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Note: We are to confess our sins to God who is the only one who can forgive and restore us to spiritual health. But those sins or faults which have injured or given offense to a friend or neighbor should be freely confessed to that individual as well as to God. We should ask forgiveness of those fellow human beings whom we have wronged as well as asking God’s forgiveness.

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏What is the nature of true confession?

Leviticus 5:5

1 Samuel 12:22

Should we ever urge an unwilling confession from ourselves or others?

Proverbs 12:22

Psalms 34:18

What other characteristics will make our confession of sin insincere and thus unacceptable to God?

Psalms 66:18

Isaiah 1:16,17

Genesis 3:11-13. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Note: True repentance and confession will lead an individual to bear his guilt himself and acknowledge it without excuses or attempts at self-justification. Such a life will be marked by a genuine change in which those things offensive to God are put away.

When we confess our sin sincerely, can we be sure they are forgiven? What if we still don’t feel forgiven?

1 John 1:9

🙏🙏🙏🙏 REPENTANCE🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

When convicted of their sins by Peter’s preaching, what did the crowd ask, and what was Peter’s reply?

Acts 2:37, 38

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A little later, what did Peter tell a similar group?

Acts 3:19

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What is repentance?

2 Corinthians 7:10

Luke 3:8🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Note: Repentance includes a deep heart sorrow for sin and a turning away from it as evidenced by a changed life.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Many sorrow that they have sinned and even make some outward changes in their lives, but they do so because of the consequences of their sins to themselves, not because they are genuinely grief-stricken over the sin itself.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 They lament the results and suffering sin causes; they do not lament the awful fact of sin.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

What are some examples of such an insincere or false repentance?

Matthew 27:3-5

Note: 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏This confession was wrung from his lips by an awful sense of condemnation and a fear of judgment that filled his soul with terror. But there was no heartfelt grief that he had betrayed the spotless Son of God. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 For other examples of a false repentance, see the experience of Balaam (Numbers 22, 23); Pharaoh (Exodus 10); and Esau (Genesis 27).

In contrast, what was the nature of David’s repentance for his great sin with Bathsheba?

Psalms 51: 1-4,10🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Note: David’s main consideration is his sin, not its punishment. His sorrow is for the sin itself, not for its consequences to himself. It is purity of heart he longs for, not release from punishment.

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What story did Jesus tell to illustrate the fact that repentance cannot exist in the heart that is spiritually proud?

Luke 18:10, 11, 13

Can we develop this attitude of genuine repentance in our own heart?

Acts 5:31

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏Note: Repentance, then, is a gift from Jesus Christ. We cannot manufacture it for ourselves; we can only receive it from Christ as a gift of His grace. We can no more repent without Him than we can be pardoned without Him.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Must we wait until we have repented of our sins before we can come to Jesus for forgiveness?

Matthew 11:28

John 12:32

Note: Here is where thousands make a great mistake. They feel that they must repent before they can come to Jesus. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Repentance does come before the forgiveness of sin, but we must come to Jesus just as we are – sinful and unworthy. Actually, since repentance is a gift from Him to us, we would never come if waited for repentance on our own. It is Jesus who draws us to Himself even before we repent.

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How does Jesus awaken in us a desire for the repentance that only He can give?

John 16:8

Isaiah 64:6

Isaiah 6:5

Romans 2:4

Since God’s love and mercy towards sinners are so great, will He not save even the unrepented?

Exodus 34:6,7

Ezekiel 33:13🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Note: When men urge that God is too good to cast off the sinner, let them look to Calvary. It was precisely. It was precisely because there was no other way in which man could escape the defiling power of sin and be saved that Christ took our place and died for us. The cross testifies that there is no escape from the power of sin except through accepting Jesus’ righteousness.

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What about quieting a troubled conscience by planning to change a life of evil later when one chooses to do so?

Proverbs 5:22

2 Corinthians 6:2

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏What is the Lord’s invitation to those who under His influence are longing for a peace of soul they do not have?

Isaiah 27:5

Revelation 22:17

What is the reaction of heaven when a sinner repents?

Luke 15:10

THE SINNER'S NEED OF CHRIST 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 What was man's original nature when God created him?

(Genesis 1:27, 31)

(Ecclesiastes 7:29). 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Note: When man came from his Creator's hand, he was perfect in character, equipped with a keen mind and a healthy body. He was in complete harmony with God.🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 What is our nature, natural tendency, now that we have all followed the sinful example of our first parents?

Psalms 51:5

Romans 7:14,18

Jeremiah 17:9

1 Corinthians 2:14

Romans 8:7. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 But can't we change our nature, and decide to live righteously?

Job 14:4

Romans 8:7

Jeremiah 13:23🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Note: As sinners, we are in an awful predicament. Alienated from God, under the condemnation of our sins and sentence of death, we are completely helpless, of ourselves, to escape the fearful pit into which we have fallen. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Is it not enough to desire to do right, to acknowledge the loving kindness of God and His benevolence?

Romans 7:16, 12, 14 22-24

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Note: The apostle Paul recognized intellectually the goodness of God and that the claims He makes upon men are right, proper, and for man's own good. He longed for purity and righteousness. But Paul found that his sinful human nature rebelled against obedience, setting up a fearful conflict in his life. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 What was Paul's solution, and ours?

Romans 7:25

John 1:29. Is there nothing we can really do to save ourselves from sin?

John 3:3,7. Where does this power come from?🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Who is the only One who can give us this new life?

John 1:4, 12, 13

1 John 5:11, 12. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Is Jesus really the only source of salvation? Is there no other way?

Acts 4:12

John 14:6 .

What is the essential character or nature of God?

(1 John 4:8)

(Jonah 4:2)

(Micah 7:18) When Moses asked to be shown God's glory, what did he see?

(Exodus 34:6,7) How has God manifested His love to us?

(Genesis 1:26, 27, 31)

(Psalms 145:15, 16)

Note: Read also Matt 6:25- 33

(1 John 4:9)

(John 3:16)

(1 John 4:10)

(Romans 5:8) How can we know and understand God's love towards us?

(John 1:18)

(Matthew 11:27)

(John 14:9)

Note: In spite of the many evidences of God's love for us that we can see in the things of nature and understand by the tenderest and closest earthly relationships, all these represent His love only imperfectly. Jesus came to live among us in order to reveal to us the infinite love of God in its fullest manifestation. All that we need to know, or can know, about God is seen in the life of his Son, Jesus Christ. How did Jesus describe his work here on earth - the work that was to demonstrate to men what God is like?

(Luke 4:18). What do we see of the love of God in the earthly life of Jesus?

(Matthew 8:16)

Note: Whole villages were left without a moan of sickness anywhere in them, for he had passed through and healed all the sick. Love, mercy, and compassion were revealed in every action of his life. His heart went out in sympathy to the children of men.

( Mark 10:14, 16)

Note: The poorest and humblest of men were not afraid to approach him. Even little children were attracted to him. They loved to climb upon his knees and gaze into his face filled with love.

(John 8:11)

Note: Jesus did not censure human weakness. He did not treat sin lightly, nor excuse it, but he was always quick to forgive and encourage a sensitive, sin-stricken soul. Everyone was precious in his sight, and in all men he saw fallen souls whom it was his mission to save.

(Matthew 23:37)

Note: Jesus spoke the truth, but always in love. He denounced hypocrisy, unbelief, and sin, but tears were in his his voice as he uttered his scathing rebukes. He wept over Jerusalem, the people he loved, although they had refused to receive him. They rejected him, but he regarded them with pitying tenderness. Such is the character of Jesus as revealed in his life here on earth. This is also the character of God. What is the greatest evidence of God's love as revealed in the life of Jesus?

(John 10:17)

Note: In other words God loves us so much, that he even loves Jesus more for giving his life to redeem us. By becoming our substitute and dying for us on the cross, Jesus endeared himself to his father because of the intense love God has for fallen men and women. How do we know that the death of Jesus was not made in order to create a love for us in the father's heart - to make him willing to save us?

(2 Corinthians 19)

(John 3:16). .. What do we become as a result of God's great love for us manifested in his son?

(1 John 3:1)... . . Can anything separate us from God's love?

( Romans 8:38, 39)