Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: phys-bb@garnet.berkeley.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: HUMAN VERSES SINLESS Message-ID: Date: 3 Dec 89 17:43:25 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of California, Berkeley Lines: 34 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu [This continues the discussion which started by asking who we are supposed to confess our sins to, God or those we sin against. This posting is a response to a comment from Dave Mielke (if I'm unscrambling the widgets correctly), that "confess" in Scripture means not just admitting a sin but turning from it. --clh] 'Confess' simply means to agree with, or 'to say the same thing'. So our only part (in the matter of dealing with our sins that have, in the course of our daily lives, reared their ugly heads) is to agree with God that our sin is wrong and to want to change (and I mean really WANT to change, and really see that the sin is abhorrent in God's eyes). My questions to you are: Who does the cleansing? If it's me (by making a "permanent effort"), then why does God need to cleanse me? If it's God, then why do I need to make the "permanent effort"? All our righteousness is but filthy rags, but let me go one step further: all our attempts at becoming righteous are worthless. The only worthy activity or effort is that of faith, or more specifically, applying God's specific promises to your specific problems/situations. There is no time to exercise will-worship by making permanent efforts to turn from sin. There is only time for faith. Too much garbage can happen during the times between your acts of faith if you wait to long (for whatever reason). It just so happens that having the attitude of, and doing acts of faith ARE the way that you make the permanent effort to turn from sin. phys-bb@garnet.berkeley.edu / ". . .into the narrow lanes, \ (John Warren) I can't stumble or stay put. . ." \ -- Dylan / [I think you are in violent agreement. I see nothing in Dave's comment to imply that anyone other than God does the cleansing. I think he meant the same thing you do in your second sentence. --clh]