Confessing & Confronting Our Sins | 1 John 1:8-10

All right, lots of very important and fascinating things to talk about today.

Let's just dive right in here. The title of the sermon, as you can see from your bulletins, is

Confessing and Confronting Our Sins. Confessing and Confronting Our Sins, based on 1

John 1a -10. And we had a bit of a hiatus these past couple weeks because I preached on Halloween and then on Reformation Day, which was a privilege and a joy to do.

So now we're coming back here to 1 John, and the last time I preached on 1

John some weeks ago, I said that John is pronouncing categorical judgments on hypocrites who say that we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness as liars who do not practice the truth.

So John is very clearly condemning these people as liars and hypocrites who do not practice the truth.

He is judging them to be unbelievers who are not in true fellowship or koinonia with God.

And he continually makes categorical judgments throughout the letter, as we will see today as well.

So the church must do the same in the exercise of biblical church discipline to address sin both in ourselves and in others within the church, those who profess

Christ. So now if you turn with me to 1

John 1, we're going to read verses 5 -10 to get the full context of the passage again, refresh our memory, and then dive into the specific text.

So in 1 John 1, verses 5 -10, here we see

God's Word says, This is the message we have heard from him and proclaimed to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus' Son cleanses us from all sin.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

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

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his Word is not in us.

So now, zeroing in on verses 8 -10, we see

John emphasizes something very clearly here.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, that is God, we make

God a liar, and his Word is not in us. So the focus of this passage very clearly is sin.

Confronting, confessing, and dealing with sin in our lives. And verses 8 and 10, as you can see, make the same basic point.

It's the same basic point that if we say we have no sin, if we say that we are sinless, then the truth is not in us.

We are liars, and we make God a liar because God says otherwise. And so this actually reminded me of when

President Trump said a few years ago that he didn't need to ask God for forgiveness because he didn't think there was anything he needed forgiveness for.

And when I was in college, I also evangelized a man who wasn't a

Christian and had no interest whatever in reading the Bible. But he believed that he was on good terms with God and that they were actually friends.

And you see this kind of self -deception in our society, in our culture, all the time.

And these men were self -deceived and blinded by their sin, their ignorance, and their unbelief, making

God a liar. As John says, this is how sinners who are unbelievers operate in darkness.

They don't operate in truth. What is the truth of man?

As John says, the truth is not in those who deny their sin and their sinfulness because the sinfulness of that estate wherein to man fell consists in the guilt of Adam's first sin, the want or lack of that original righteousness wherein he was created, the corruption of this nature whereby he is utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite unto all that is spiritually good and wholly inclined to all evil and that continually which is commonly called original sin and from which do proceed all actual transgressions or sins.

That's question 25 of the Westminster Larger Catechism. And that is the reality of Scripture and what 1

John here is telling us. The reality is that all men are born guilty sinners in Adam, legally guilty in Adam, and are actual sinners inclined to nothing but sin.

We in fact cannot help but sin and that's something very early on that the early church paid attention to and in a way encapsulated for us specifically with Augustine who was from the early church back in the 300s and he described this condition of human nature with a

Latin phrase, non pose non pecare, which means it's not possible to not sin or positively stated able only to sin.

Sin is all we do as unbelieving sinners. That is what defines us and even born -again believers still sin.

Even we who have been cleansed, washed, regenerated by the Holy Spirit, we still sin and mind you every day we fall short every day and this is what

John is telling us not to be not to be in denial about this because the reality is that we are still we still sin even forgiven blood -bought believers.

And sometimes we sin grievously. One prominent example in the

Bible is when David was caught in adultery with Bathsheba. He was a follower of God but he sinned greatly and the evidence of his walk with God was that he repented.

He sought repentance with God and sought forgiveness. So we all sin.

We all sin. Granted as believers we sin less. We strive to sin less and we grow in holiness which is what sanctification is.

That's what we read in the Catechism but you would have to be incredibly deceived or prideful arrogant etc to claim sinlessness to claim that you know you don't need to ask any forgiveness because only

Christ is perfectly sinless. Amen? And there's actually a textbook example of this in our

Gospels in the Gospels. If we turn with me to Mark chapter 10 verse 17 through 22 we will see a very good example of this.

Here in Mark chapter 10 verses 17 through 27 we read and and as he was setting out on his journey he that is

Jesus a man ran up and knelt before him and asked him good teacher what must

I do to inherit internal life and Jesus said to him why do you call me good no one is good except God alone you know the commandments do not murder do not commit adultery do not steal do not bear false witness do not defraud honor your father and mother and he said to him teacher all these things

I have kept from my youth and Jesus looking at him loved him and said to him you lack one thing go sell all that you have and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven and come follow me disheartened by the saying he went away sorrowful for he had great possessions he was very rich very wealthy

John's point in verse 8 that we just read echoes

Jesus very point here in verses 8 and 10 that here in this passage that although we should and must keep the commandments perfectly in order to obtain eternal life the problem is that we cannot and do not obey which is exactly why we need

Christ to keep them for us so that his righteousness can be imputed to us by faith alone for as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so also by one man's obedience many will be made righteous now this passage gets twisted a lot into all kinds of different directions and we want to understand it properly in light of in light of what we're seeing here now lest anyone should think that the rich man was correct about his claim to perfect obedience because Christ didn't contest his claim he didn't call him out right then and there saying hey you're you're not telling the truth there you're lying because he claimed to have kept the commandments from his youth but notice in the passage we have to look carefully

Christ had just told the young man that no one is good except God alone in verse 18 no one not him not the rich young ruler not the

Pharisees not anyone else is good except God alone and is

Jesus God amen only

God only Christ is good we are not he is lying he was self -deceived he was not good and in response to to the young the rich young man's claim

Jesus response to the to the young man's claim exposed his sin he had an underlying sin he refused to deny himself because he loved his money and the reputation that came with it it was his identity and it's why he was saddened and went away grieving for he was one who owned much property so Jesus was simply getting to the core of his problem he had an idol he created a false identity in his possessions in his mammon and the

Bible says you cannot serve both God and mammon so this is critical to make sure we understand properly and another thing to note gaining this heavenly treasure that Jesus is talking about when he said go sell out that you have gift to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven gaining this heavenly treasure however is done by repenting and believing in him believing the gospel not by selling your stuff and following Jesus following Jesus is the consequence of our faith in Christ it is the result of our faith in Christ and this is the mistake that many preachers especially

Lordship salvation preachers like MacArthur who in fact made a book that became extremely popular in the the gospel according to Jesus he addresses this passage in that book and they confuse this passage for a gospel invitation when in reality

Jesus was exposing the rich young man's sin by confronting him with the law

Jesus gave him nothing but the law he said hey you know the commandments don't lie don't steal he gave him the second table of the law of the

Ten Commandments the first table is your duty to God the second is your duty to man right so he gave him the law and then he told him sell all that you haven't followed me and it was to make a point it was to make the point to the rich young man that he didn't truly want

Christ he wanted his identity to be validated by him and so we must seek the whole counsel of God to avoid making the same interpretive mistakes and not over generalize passages like this and to recognize that Jesus told the rich young man this specifically because he was self righteous and self -deceived the same issue that first John is addressing in verse 8 and 10 it's the very problem that is being addressed here

Jesus was targeting a specific problem in these individuals and there's actually a similar passage that we can now turn to in Luke chapter 10 verses 25 to 29 this will show us more clearly what

Jesus was getting at in Luke in Luke chapter 10 verses 25 through 29 cliffhanger sorry about that we see and behold a lawyer stood up to him to the test stood up to put him to the test saying teacher what shall

I do to inherit eternal life same exact question same exact question that the rich young man asked

Jesus said to him what is written in the law how do you read it and he answered you shall love the

Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind and your neighbor as yourself and he

Jesus said to him you have answered correctly do this and you will live but he the lawyer desiring to justify himself said to Jesus and who is my neighbor

Jesus replies with the parable of the Good Samaritan and then concludes by saying you go and do likewise in verse 37 here what happens what do we see that we see the same scenario playing out playing itself out

Christ smacks the lawyer with the law to expose his self -righteousness that's what

Jesus is doing here he was not giving them the gospel he was giving them the law because they were self -righteous sinners trying looking to justify themselves by their works and I hope these men like Trump recognize the error of their ways and repentant and believe the gospel because that's the only way out of this you deceiving yourself into thinking you have no sin is not going to be a good excuse on Judgment Day we all have to answer for our sin and either you will answer for it by Christ satisfying your sin debt on that cross and by believing in him alone for the forgiveness of your sins or you will answer to God for everything every sin you've ever thought said done acted upon and Adam sin imputed to us so what's what's the moral of the story here we all must acknowledge and confess our sins before God and against those we have sinned against which is in fact the focus of the very next verse in 1st

John going back to now going back now to 1st John chapter 1 verse 9 we have to we have to be very mindful of what

Jesus is doing in his interactions and what the Bible tells us that's why we have to rightly divide rightly interpret the

Word of God now back in 1st John chapter 1 verse 9 we see here if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness now

I don't know about you I've thought about this a lot and a question a question sprouted in my mind does this verse refer to justification or to sanctification what is this verse pointing to does it refer to the fact that if we believe the gospel we are eternally justified by Christ forever once for all or does it refer to the fact that if we confess our sins on a daily basis

Christ and God who is merciful will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all that unrighteousness and if we think about this carefully we will see that in the ultimate sense in the ultimate sense it refers to justification because Christ has forgiven us all our sin past present and future on the cross through faith alone in the gospel alone amen on that tree

Jesus said it is finished it's done in that sense we see even in Hebrews Hebrews talks a lot about this and in chapter 9 verse 25 to 26 we read nor was it to offer himself repeatedly as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own for then he would have to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world but as it is he

Christ has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin for good by the sacrifice of himself likewise in Hebrews 10 verses 12 and 14 we read but when

Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin sins he sat down at the right hand of God for by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified

Jesus sat down and when Jesus sat down that's another symbol of I have finished the work that you father have given me to do in redeeming your people it is done

I'm sitting down and profound satisfaction of having completed that work that you have set me out to do to forgive us of our sin through his perfect life and death now

I remember some years ago doing a Bible study with with Tim and another brother on this passage and in learning that it could also apply to our sanctification in fact

I actually pray this verse almost every night with my family but but recently

I started wondering if I was misapplying it since Christ has already forgiven our sin once for all on the cross it kind of made me think like well am

I contradicting myself in in applying it in sanctification it really made me questions whether we should should we should we keep asking

God to forgive us when we've already been forgiven once for all on the cross isn't that in some way undermining

Christ finished work or calling it into question so how should we tackle this problem it's the same way we tackle all these issues of understanding

God and his word we use the analogies of Scripture and the analogy of faith to consult the entire

Council of God to see what he says about the matter and when we do so we learn that it is not only appropriate to apply this verse in our sanctification but God instructs us to do so on a daily basis daily and it goes back to the same point

I made earlier we all must acknowledge and confess our daily individual sins plural notice the verse it says sins if we confess our sins not just a generic sin but sins to God confess our sins to God and to those we have sinned against this is vitally important to understand and we should not however confess our sins to a priest that's not what this means because they have no power to forgive sin only

Christ does and in pretty much all cases they belong to a false religious system this is not talking about confessing our sins to a priest it's talking specifically about confessing our sins to God and to those we sinned against now this is in fact that this may going through this this might remind you of a passage a very specific passage where Jesus addresses this very thing it's in fact one of the most well -known excuse me one of the most well -known passages of the

Bible so turn with me to Matthew 6 verses 9 through 13 so here we see

Jesus says starting in verse 9 pray then in this way our

Father who is in heaven hallowed be your name your kingdom come your will be done on earth as it is in heaven give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors and do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever amen this is exactly what

Christ instructs us to do in the Lord's Prayer which is a template for our daily daily prayers give us this day our daily bread the

Lord's Prayer teaches us to ask for forgiveness on a daily basis which is what first John echoes about confessing our sins this is a daily thing and it's similar in light of a

Reformation Day just passing what Luther said in his very first thesis that the entire life of the believer should be one of repentance repentance acknowledging sin repenting of sin and confessing our sin our sins specific sins so I want to go through some very very good questions here in the

Westminster Larger Catechism that are going to be very edifying for us in light of this topic question set question 178 of the

Westminster Larger Catechism says what is prayer prayer is an offering up of our desires unto

God in the name of Christ by the help of his spirit with confession of our sins and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies that's a great summary of what the

Bible teaches us prayer is confession of our sins now question 187 how is the

Lord's Prayer to be used the Lord's Prayer is not only for direction as a pattern or template according to which we are to make other prayers but also may be used as a prayer so that it be done with understanding faith reverence and other graces necessary to the right performance of the duty of prayer so this is something we do on a daily basis question 194 what do we pray for in the fifth petition in the fifth petition which is forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors acknowledging that we and all others are guilty both of original and actual sin and thereby become debtors to the justice of God and that neither we nor any other creature can make the least satisfaction for that debt and you can see this does an excellent job of explaining and connecting our debt to our sin because sin is debt you owe

God something when you sin you owe him he in fact you deserve you merit his punishment apart from Christ the question continues we pray for ourselves and others that God of his free grace would through the obedience and satisfaction of Christ apprehended and applied by faith faith alone acquit us clear us both from the guilt and punishment of sin accept us in his beloved continue his favor and grace to us pardon our daily failings daily failings and fill us with peace and joy in giving us daily more and more assurance of forgiveness and which we are the rather emboldened to ask and encouraged to expect when we have this testimony in ourselves that we from the heart forgive others their offenses as well this is just excellent an excellent summary and synopsis of all that the scriptures teach on the

Lord's prayer and you can see a prominent a prominent an essential element in fact of our prayer is to confess our sin every time we pray practically we should remember to confess our sins before God even as believers so this is vitally important and thankfully

I'm so grateful to have gone through this because it cleared up that little crisis of faith that I had

I didn't I wasn't sure if I was contradicting the word here but this is very clear it's a very clear basic Christian teaching that the

Reformed Confessions clearly affirm and because the Bible and Christ clearly taught it so that being said we see that verse 9 clearly teaches us to confess daily our sins we must confess our sins however some preachers have abused this and misled many due to an imbalance and misguided zeal now it's time for another pietistic public service announcements you know one of Paul Washer's most popular sermons is titled examine yourself and this sermon is about examining yourself in light of first John to see if you are a true

Christian and it's so it's highly relevant for us obviously because we're talking about first John and Paul Washer in general and this sermon in particular was a big influence on me when

I was younger in the faith so I was very surprised when

I listened to the sermon again very surprised and we'll see why this is what

Paul Washer says in his sermon a true Christian is sensitive to sin sensitive to sin sensitive to sin note the three fold emphasis on this let me ask you a question when was the last time you wept over your sin that's frightening when was the last time you were broken over your sin that's frightening some of you don't even know what

I'm talking about when we are a child of God God guards us he talks about his jealous love for Israel is it not greater for the church does

God guard you I can remember my great love for books in seminary and when

I went to the bookstore there in seminary to buy a book with a friend of mine and there were only two books left there were two and there were two of us

I pulled out the first volume and I love books and there were there was a little tear on one of the pages

I swapped books with him I gave him the book that had pull and pulled out the other one we go to the counter we buy our books

I go home then I go home the whole time as though I had murdered a man as though I had murdered a man that's him saying it twice and finally having to call him up saying

I've got to talk to you well what is it you can tell me over the phone no I can't tell you over the phone

I have to meet you face -to -face and then he's talking about going before him weeping and asking forgiveness and then he says why because I'm pious no because God guards his children now

I want us to look at this carefully because you this is a very popular sentiment in our day very common with this a lot of what

I've been preaching about and warning us against regarding Lordship salvation and pietism here we see a prominent preacher like Paul Washer Paul Washer was weeping as though he had murdered someone because he gave us friend a seminary book with a slightly torn page let's think about this carefully so in this scenario what what what went wrong if anything

I mean was he right was he right to weep in that way because he gave his friend the page the book with the page that was slightly torn so if we examine this carefully

Paul Washer in fact fails to rightly answer the very first question of dealing with our sin that I covered in the sermon series on church discipline that I did a while back in fact

I think it was the first series that I ever preached the first question you have to ask yourself is is it actually a sin is it a sin do we need to confess or repent for things that are not sins the obvious answer is no we do not confess things or repent for things that are not sin that's a misguided conscience and so that's the most basic question that we have to answer when dealing with our own sin in order to answer the question properly we must therefore know what sin is and even the

Children's Catechism which is meant for young children to memorize gives an explicit and excellent definition here this is basic basic Christianity 101

I want to read the Children's Catechism question 28 what is sin sin is any want or lack of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God and this is pointing the law of God specifically the moral law of God summarized in the

Ten Commandments okay very clear definition now question 29 question 29 what is meant by lack of conformity it means not being or doing what

God requires sins of omission question 30 what is meant by transgression that is doing what

God forbids sins of commission so which sin did

Paul Washer commit now if you listen to the sermon he never explains he never says what his sin was he expects you to know it by the dramatic obviousness of his experience quote -unquote

I mean if it was so bad he felt like he murdered somebody so it must have been pretty obvious right but if we look at it through a biblical lens it's not at all obvious because no sin was actually committed this is what we need to understand now if we think about this and you say okay wait a minute wait a minute that there's are you sure okay well let's let's test this some you know we might try to we might try to twist certain verses to make this a sin such as Philippians 2 verses 3 through 4 that passage says do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit but in humility count others more significant than yourselves let each of you look not only to his own interest but also to the interest of others so you could maybe try to make a case for saying well he didn't follow that verse very well because he gave his friend the inferior book right he was being inconsiderate and but we need to remember what's what's really going on here we're talking about him leaving a friend a book that has a little tear on one of the pages in his words and equating that to murdering someone okay if the book had been completely butchered okay maybe it or an illegible or something like hey you know that was kind of a messed up thing you got the good book and now

I'm stuck with the you know even then even then though one little tear on one page and so what is this this is that we have to call it for what it is this is nonsense instead of instead what he should repent for is for twisting scripture guilt -tripping people and binding consciences on lawfully and the concerning thing here the dangerous thing here is that Paul Washer knows these doctrines already he holds to the same reform

Baptist standards that we do and read every day every Sunday but his zeal is all too often worn out and misguided by pietism and lordship salvation which are competing and contrary convictions that drive him and many preachers to these unbiblical extremes it's unbiblical and it's dangerous think about it think about it maybe

I don't have you fully convinced yet let's think about this if we're supposed to respond this way that Paul Washer demands for this event this dramatically over something that's technically not even a sin how then should we respond when we actually do sin what do we do then should we what should we do again he did not even sin yet his guilt was as though he had murdered someone you know this reminds me of something that we talked about when we celebrated

Reformation Day should we like Luther before he was converted confess you know spend six hours a day confessing our sins that's the kind of attitude that Paul Washer is promoting here agonizing over something that's technically not even a sin and it's he's pushing a false piety from an unstable and biblically uninformed conscience and a theology that's not biblically balanced which leads to darkness despair guilt -tripping people with ridiculous scenarios that are akin to Luther spending six hours in the confessional because he had no peace not only that this is actually a betrayal of both both the

Reformation principles of having peace with God through faith alone and freedom from the bondage of man -made demands or commandments or traditions as well as the very doctrines that John teaches us in his first letter of having true fellowship with God and man and of dispelling darkness by rightly understanding rightly dividing the word and confessing our sins according to the light of God's Word and again according to Paul Washer's own confession and ours this is the second

London Baptist Confession chapter 21 we read in section 2 God alone is

Lord of the conscience and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his word or not contained in it so that to believe such doctrines or obey such commands out of conscience it's so betrayed true liberty of conscience and the requiring of an implicit faith and absolute in blind obedience is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also also this is not true piety and it's not reasonable think of the extremes and the despair that this will lead this can lead people to how much worse should you grovel or act over actually sinning committing a grievous sin you might as well you might as well kill yourself

I'm not endorsing suicide okay I'm saying this is what it can lead to if you have an unbiased an imbalance and unstable conscience that's not properly informed by the whole counsel of God if we're supposed to feel guilt that intense over something that's not technically even sin how should we respond when we actually do sin how do you make yourself feel a guilt worse than murder and when you don't feel as bad as washer says you should there will likely be more guilt compounded on you about that too because you're being too hardened and unspiritual and impious because you're not feeling as bad as you should he's completely imbalancing guilt -tripping

Christians similar to when mr. legality burden Christian with impossible demands in pilgrims progress this will lead to utter despair especially younger weaker brothers and sisters now mind you this is not an isolated scenario it is all too common in Christians and in churches that do not adequately equip people with sound doctrine which opens the door to popular influential celebrity preachers to mislead them this happens all the time with the advent of the internet and media and YouTube and sermon audio and everything very easy to be misled by these extremes and Paul Washer also gives he this is not something that Paul Washer did one time as I've mentioned several times before already he also gives extreme examples of true

Christians that are persecuted and killed and third world countries while mocking people in America who think they're

Christians because they go to church or because they wear a t -shirt as he once said to when ironically one of the evidences that you are saved is that you enjoy worshipping

God in church and in the fellowship of like -minded believers but it's this guilt -tripping of you're not doing enough you should be you know sending yourself out to the

Amazon and and pulling a Jim Elliot and flying to remote countries and killing yourself in the name of Jesus and become a martyr for Christ that's the only way that's this radical lifestyle that you see in men like David Platt and other

Lordship salvation preachers it's completely off base and imbalance so then again the reality is that many most of you most of us should not even become teachers because we receive a strict stricter judgment like James 3 says so what then is the response to actual sin

I hope we saw that that wasn't true sin we shouldn't react that dramatically that in in such an unstable way over something that's not even sin the but the proper response to actual sin is to repent confess your sin as John also tells us in verse 9 seek forgiveness forgive reconcile and mortify your sin and your flesh now godly sorrow is also appropriate for actual sin not for fake sin or for false sin okay not talking about that godly sorrow is appropriate for actual sin which happens it happens naturally if we have the

Spirit of God when we repent and confess our sins that's where sticking 2nd Corinthians verses 7 to 9 excuse me 2nd

Corinthians chapter 7 verses 9 through 10 says this very thing Paul says as it is

I rejoice not because you were grieved but because you were grieved into repenting for you felt a godly grief so that you suffered no loss through us for godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret whereas worldly grief produces death here we see there's two kinds of grief there's worldly grief and there's godly grief godly grief is sorrow over true sin actual sin that leads you to repentance this is talking about believers

Paul is referring to us as believers who grieve and grieve into repentance and recognizing our sin but there is also worldly sorrow that leads to death and despair the kind of sorrow that these imbalanced preachers talk about of agonizing over something that's not even a sin or making you feel bad for not doing enough for Christ for not for not selling your house and all your stuff and becoming a beggar and missionary and all these things that's not what the scriptures teach and we can have peace and confidence with God through Christ and his word in the truth of resting in Christ by faith and walking in holiness the rest of our days here on this earth so to end it to end the message now you know what let me this is pretty good so I'll read this passage here

I had I found a passage here from from pilgrims progress since I had brought it up earlier and here we let's look at this contrast in pilgrims progress in the book it says just as Christian came up with the cross his burden loose from his shoulders and fell from his back and began to tumble and continue to so to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulcher where it fell in and I saw it no more then

Christian gave three leaps for joy and went on singing thus far I did come laden with my sin nor could

I ease the grief that I was in till I came hither what a place this is must here be the beginning of my bliss must hear must hear the burden fall from my back must hear the strings that bound it to me crack blessed cross blessed sepulcher blessed rather be the man that there was put to shame for me and that is

Jesus Christ the righteous amen that is our source of joy and of peace with God now when facing the giant despair locked in the dungeon of doubting castle how does

Christian manage to get out does he do it by agonizing over his sin let's read and find out now there was not far from the place where they lay a castle called doubting castle the owner thereof whereof was giant despair and it was in his grounds they now were sleeping wherefore he getting up in the morning early and walking up and down his fields caught

Christian and hopeful asleep in his grounds then with a grim and surly voice he bid them awake and asked them whence they were and what did they what they did in his grounds they were they said that they were pilgrims and they had lost their way then said the giant you have this night trespassed on me by trampling in and lying on my grounds and therefore you must go along with me so they were forced to go because he was stronger than they they also had but little to say for they knew themselves in a fault catch that carefully the giant therefore drove them before him and put him put them into his castle into a very dark dungeon nasty and stinking to the spirits of these two men notice that unlike Paul Washer they actually did do something wrong here they trespass it was unknowingly but they trespass on the giant despair's castle and they ended up despairing with guilt so how does the story end now a little before it was day good

Christian has one half amazed break out in a passionate speech what a fool quote he am

I thus to lie in a stinking dungeon when I may as well walk at Liberty I have a key in my bosom called promise that will

I am persuaded open any lock in doubting castle then said hopeful that's good news good brother pluck it out of thy bosom and try then

Christian pulled it out of his bosom and began to try at the dungeon door whose bolt as he turned the key gave back and the door flew open with ease and Christian and hopeful both came out so what got them out of that dungeon of despair because their guilt and their legitimate guilt in a sense led them could have led them to despair but it was the promise of God the key was the promise of God the gospel salvation by Christ alone through faith alone in the in the gospel alone that is what gave them that assurance that they had

Liberty in spite of their sin this is what we must remember and not allow these misguided and overzealous preachers to knock us off course or off balance the only thing

I would add to John Bunyan's pilgrims progress here is that both

Christian and hopeful should have also and well we also want to add in light of first John we must also add confession of our sin if we do something wrong we must confess it confess it to God and they also should have asked the giant despair forgiveness for trespassing okay we can't forget that so we confess our sins to both

God and those we've offended Amen now let's go ahead and close out in prayer precious

Heavenly Father we thank you Lord for the opportunity to hear your word preached we ask that you would bless the preaching of your word and that you would help us to be faithful and to grow thereby

Lord to be mindful Lord of our sin help us to be sensitive to what really is our sin help us to properly identify sin in our life and not be misled or misguided by a false piety or a falsely burdened conscience

Lord but to be informed by the truth of your word to acknowledge what is properly sin in our lives and to confess it daily to confess our sins daily before you and before those we have sinned against Father God and also be willing to ask forgiveness to forgive those who also trespass against us as your son has instructed us to pray

Lord help us to even confess the sins that we don't recall even the sins that we're not aware of Lord help to bring those sins to mind to make a sensitive to them knowing in with full confidence that you are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness of sin as your word says and then we can come before you boldly before the throne of grace in mercy and in forgiveness knowing that Christ the son has satisfied our sin debt fully on that cross by faith in him alone we ask this in Jesus mighty name amen thank you for listening to the sermons of thorn crown covenant baptist church where the

Bible alone and the Bible in its entirety is applied to all of faith and life we strive to be biblical reformed historic confessional loving discerning

Christians who evangelize stand firm in and earnestly contend for the Christian faith if you're looking for a church in the

El Paso Texas area or for more information about our church sermons and ministries such as simple referendum on the radio and thorn crown network podcast please contact us at thorn crown ministries dot com and may the mercy peace and love of our