Tuesday Bible Study Notes

Prayer, Principle 5A. Confession 2B. Doct of Conf 3C. Believing

Last time we saw that to forsake means to leave, abandon, forsake, neglect

We also saw that mere confession alone does not produce complete forgiveness, cleansing and blessing which are the full results of sin’s proper confession.

We today begin to study what happens after a sin is forsaken but the believer allows doubt to remove peace, and the believer’s testimony is hindered. It is important to believe that God will do what He says He will. All other thoughts are really lie-thoughts.

• Why do we fail to believe God has forgiven and cleansed us? There are several possible reasons this may occur.
• We never really confessed the sin in the first place!
• The sin we confessed was considered by many others as grave and barely forgivable to man, and therefore God’s holiness makes it impossible for Him to forgive us. But this is, in reality, calling God untrue to His Word. Woe is me if I do that!
• The sin we committed against God might be forgiven and cleansed by Him, but other humans offended refuse to forgive and restore relationships. There is not really much more we can do than to 1)pray for them and 2)go on to live a victorious life before God and them.
• Satanic causes are forwarded when we do not experience the joy and peace that full confession and forgiveness brings and we simply fail to enter into the joy and peace forgiveness brings. Not believing God has forgiven us is really called a sin in itself. 
  • Ps 78.31-33: 31The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel. 32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works. 33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble. Heb 11:6 For without faith [believing God] it is impossible to please Him.
• We really want to do some kind of work to add to His forgiveness. A "works mentality" is not easily overcome, and really involves pride – one of the three mentioned sins of worldliness: 
  • 1 John 2:15–17 [16] all that is in the world-- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world.
• We demonstrate a lack of trust in God’s promises.
• We fail to have a confidence in our Christian life, and the boldness that is the result of that kind of living.
  • Ac 4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. ... 29 "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, ... 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

I will write down sins already confessed that I have reminded myself of today, and I will rip up or otherwise destroy the paper to sense their complete removal by god Himself: _________________________________

I sensed a new boldness and confidence God gave me in that