Lesson 6 --Confession and Repentance: The Conditions of Revival– August 3 to August 9, 3nd Quarter 2013 REVIVAL AND REFORMATION. The lesson in verses, with notes, comes after the outlines of important Bible passages in its context. 

Friends,

   Revival will happen this time, and this is the way: If we ask God to give us His Holy Spirit and pray for each other, even for people we're not comfortable with in the church, and pray for our enemies. As simple as that...

Share with your friends...

  Visit www.sse6.blogspot.com for easy Sabbath School Lessons Resources in English and www.ese9.blogspot.com in French


SPIRITUAL POWERS

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have DIVINE POWER to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

 

Ephesians 6:12 (NIV) For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

 

THIS VIDEO CAN BE SHOWN AT YOUR CHURCHES AS IT IS MORE THAN RELEVANT TO THE LESSONS. BE PATIENT AND WAIT TO UNDERSTAND ALL THE DIFFERENT ASPECTS AND ALL THE CONNECTIONS IN ORDER TO APPRECIATE THE POWER AND THE ATTENTION OF GOD, APART FROM THE EXTRAORDINARY IMAGES.

Click on the video at the bottom right for a totally enlarged screen, and connect the sound to powerful headphones and/or quality speakers. Find a Good Time, Be Amazed and Enjoy the Inspiration...PLEASE SHOW THIS VIDEO AT YOUR CHURCHES ON SABBATH AFTERNOON, BELIEVE ME IT WILL BE A HIT. SURELY IT WILL HAVE A BLESSED EFFECT ON THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE CHURCH.  MAY GOD BLESS YOU EVEN MORE AND KEEP YOU IN A FRUITFUL FAITH IN HIM.

Click on the following links and open another tab for these playlists. Listen to sacred music while studying the lesson.

Heritage Singers sing to give glory to God in order to comfort you and strengthen your faith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgnbF8BcALg&list=PLA6FC3F51B3D3592A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13U7QmSfmcI&list=PL5362507232EC2F63
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ8IRymyYVo&list=PL0B2EC328B1EBB04F

Wintley Phipps sings and gives glory to God in order to exhort you and encourage you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8HffdyLd0c&list=PL1F72C26656C325A9
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMF_24cQqT0&list=PLF6E0F80C111634BB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVlAPL901Gk&list=PLA7473A1301242907


From www.ssnet.org
And http://www.ssnet.org/lessons/13c/helps/lesshp06.html




Lesson& References Index

Lesson 6 – August 3 – 9

Confession and Repentance: The Conditions of Revival

(All Bible texts are in the NKJV Bible unless otherwise indicated)

Sabbath Afternoon

Memory text: Proverbs 28:13

13 He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.


In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

Throughout Scripture, both repentance and confession have prepared the way for spiritual revival. God has always prepared His people to do a great work for Him by leading them to godly sorrow for their sins. Once we acknowledge our sins and confess them, we are on track to have victory over them.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Pet. 3:9). Repentance and confession are two prerequisites needed for us to receive the Spirit’s power in abundance.


In www.cqbiblestudy.org

Introduction “God, I Failed You”

2 Samuel 11; 12; Psalm 51

Sabbath AUGUST 3

In this story, a king appointed by God to rule His people does what most of us consider to be unforgivable. Yet in 2 Samuel 12, we learn that David repented of his sins and that God forgave him. God knows about every sin we commit. But He is willing to forgive us when we humbly confess and repent. He knows that storing up guilt and pain does nothing but destroy life. That is why He is calling you to present your case to Him. This week, let the Holy Spirit guide you as you study the essence and beauty of repentance—the healing power of confession.

Sunday – Repentance: God’s Gift

2 Peter 3:9

9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

Acts 1:14

14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 35-37.

Chapter 4, Pentecost

As the disciples returned from Olivet to Jerusalem, the people looked on them, expecting to see on their faces expressions of sorrow, confusion, and defeat; but they saw there gladness and triumph. The disciples did not now mourn over disappointed hopes. They had seen the risen Saviour, and the words of His parting promise echoed constantly in their ears.

In obedience to Christ's command, they waited in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father--the outpouring of the Spirit. They did not wait in idleness. The record says that they were "continually in the temple, praising and blessing God." Luke 24:53. They also met together to present their requests to the Father in the name of Jesus. They knew that they had a Representative in heaven, an Advocate at the throne of God. In solemn awe they bowed in prayer, repeating the assurance, "Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." John 16:23, 24. Higher and still higher they extended the hand of faith, with the mighty argument, "It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Romans 8:34.

As the disciples waited for the fulfillment of the promise, they humbled their hearts in true repentance and confessed their unbelief. As they called to remembrance the words that Christ had spoken to them before His death they understood more fully their meaning. Truths which had passed from their memory were again brought to their minds, and these they repeated to one another. They reproached themselves for their misapprehension of the Saviour. Like a procession, scene after scene of His wonderful life passed before them. As they meditated upon His pure, holy life they felt that no toil would be too hard, no sacrifice too great, if only they could bear witness in their lives to the loveliness of Christ's character. Oh, if they could but have the past three years to live over, they thought, how differently they would act! If they could only see the Master again, how earnestly they would strive to show Him how deeply they loved Him, and how sincerely they sorrowed for having ever grieved Him by a word or an act of unbelief! But they were comforted by the thought that they were forgiven. And they determined that, so far as possible, they would atone for their unbelief by bravely confessing Him before the world.

The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship. They drew nearer and nearer to God, and as they did this they realized what a privilege had been theirs in being permitted to associate so closely with Christ. Sadness filled their hearts as they thought of how many times they had grieved Him by their slowness of comprehension, their failure to understand the lessons that, for their good, He was trying to teach them.

These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching. The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised.

During the patriarchal age the influence of the Holy Spirit had often been revealed in a marked manner, but never in its fullness. Now, in obedience to the word of the Saviour, the disciples offered their supplications for this gift, and in heaven Christ added His intercession. He claimed the gift of the Spirit, that He might pour it upon His people.

"And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting."

The Spirit came upon the waiting, praying disciples with a fullness that reached every heart. The Infinite One revealed Himself in power to His church. It was as if for ages this influence had been held in restraint, and now Heaven rejoiced in being able to pour out upon the church the riches of the Spirit's grace. And under the influence of the Spirit, words of penitence and confession mingled with songs of praise for sins forgiven. Words of thanksgiving and of prophecy were heard. All heaven bent low to behold and to adore the wisdom of matchless, incomprehensible love. Lost in wonder, the apostles exclaimed, "Herein is love." They grasped the imparted gift. And what followed? The sword of the Spirit, newly edged with power and bathed in the lightnings of heaven, cut its way through unbelief. Thousands were converted in a day.

Acts 5:30-32

30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Acts 17:30-31

30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”

Acts 26:19-20

19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, andthen to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Romans 2:8

8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath,

Acts 2:38-39

38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Acts 3:19

19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

Repentance: God’s Gift

During the weeks before Pentecost, the disciples earnestly sought God in prayer. Acts 1:14 says that they were in “one accord in prayer and supplication.” This experience of “one accord” reveals a strong unity and harmony among Christ’s followers that would not have been possible without repentance and confession. Prayer and confession prepared them for what was going to come.

...Peter makes two critical points. First, repentance is a gift. As we open our hearts to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, Jesus gives us the gift of repentance. Secondly, the disciples themselves were witnesses in their own lives of the reality of repentance. They not only preached repentance, they experienced it.

“As the disciples waited for the fulfillment of the promise, they humbled their hearts in true repentance and confessed their unbelief. As they called to remembrance the words that Christ had spoken to them before His death they understood more fully their meaning. . . . As they meditated upon His pure, holy life they felt that no toil would be too hard, no sacrifice too great, if only they could bear witness in their lives to the loveliness of Christ’s character.”-Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, p. 36.

Repentance and confession are common themes throughout Acts (Acts 17:30-31; 26:19-20). It is “the goodness of God” that leads us to repentance; it is the convicting power of the Holy Spirit that brings us to the realization of our need for a sin pardoning Savior. At the same time, we must remember that the Holy Spirit does not fill unrepentant hearts (Rom. 2:8; Acts 2:38-39; 3:19). The Holy Spirit fills hearts emptied of selfish ambition, of the desire for personal recognition, and of the drive for personal glory.

 

Why is it so difficult to acknowledge our sins and repent of them? Why is it so easy to let self get in the way of true repentance?

In www.cqbiblestudy.org

Evidence Cure Found for Human Condition: Conviction!

Ps. 51:17; Heb. 4:12

Sunday AUGUST 4

Oswald Chambers wrote that “conviction of sin is one of the rarest things that ever strikes a man.”1 Does our generation lack the humbling effect that conviction, confession, and repentance have on our collective character?

It’s the only cure for our human condition.

To “convict” means “to prove or declare guilty of an offense” or “to impress with a sense of guilt.”2 The Greek word elegcho is translated as “convict.”3 The word is interpreted throughout the New Testament in a variety of ways: “tell him his fault” (Matt. 18:15), “reprove” (John 3:20; 16:8; Eph. 5:11), “rebuke” (1 Tim. 5:20; Titus 1:13), and “convict” (John 8:46; James 2:9). No matter the exact term, we always find the Holy Spirit doing His work of convicting us of our sin in a gentle, yet insistent manner.

One example of the Holy Spirit’s work of conviction is found in John 8:1–9. Jesus asked the woman’s accusers to search their hearts for their own sins. The moments between stones clenched in self-righteous hands and retreating, humbled footsteps are where conviction’s story is told. This work has the power to stop us in our tracks and turn us back to the Lord, seeking realignment with His will.

Unfortunately, modern society asserts that there is no need for this work of conviction. Robert Schuller stated, “I don’t think anything has been done in the name of Christ and under the banner of Christianity that has proven more destructive to human personality . . . than the often crude, uncouth, and unchristian strategy of attempting to make people aware of their lost and sinful condition.”4 If being aware of our sinful condition is destructive, it is in the way that learning you have a treatable disease is destructive. Hebrews 4:12 is talking about the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. Such conviction is necessary pain designed to lead us into confession and repentance. It’s the only cure for our human condition.

1. Heartlight.org, http://www.heartlight.org/cgi-shl/my_utmost/utm.cgi?1207(accessed June 14, 2012).
2. Dictionary.com, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/convict (accessed June 14, 2012).
3. BibleStudyTools.com, http://www.biblestudytools.com./lexicons/greek/nas/elegcho.html (accessed June 14, 2012).
4. “Evangelicals and Modernist Robert Schuller,” http://www.wayoflife.org/database/schuller.html (accessed July 17, 2012).
 

 

Monday –  True Repentance Defined

2 Corinthians 7:9-11

9 Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. 10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation,what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Ezekiel 14:6

6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations.

Zechariah 1:4

4 “Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.”’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the LORD.

2 Corinthians 7:10

10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

2 Corinthians 7:11

11 For observe this very thing, that you sorrowed in a godly manner: What diligence it produced in you, what clearing of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what vehement desire, what zeal, what vindication! In all things you proved yourselves to be clear in this matter.

Hebrews 12:2

2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Romans 5:20

20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more,

1 Timothy 1:14-17

14 And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 15 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16 However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. 17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

Acts 26:10-16

10 This I also did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote againstthem. 11 And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.
12 “While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13 at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language,‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you.

In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

True Repentance Defined

...Repentance is a God-initiated sorrow for sin. It also includes a decision to forsake whatever specific sins that the Holy Spirit brings to mind (Ezek. 14:6, Zech. 1:4). Genuine repentance does not lead Christians into a state of deep depression because of their sinful natures or deeds. “Godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation” (2 Cor. 7:10, NKJV). It leads us, instead, to focus on Jesus’ righteousness, not our sinfulness. It produces a “diligence” in “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (2 Cor. 7:11, Heb. 12:2).

Throughout the New Testament, the enormity of our sin is never greater than the enormity of His grace. For “where sin abounded, grace abounded much more” (Rom. 5:20, NKJV). This was certainly true in the apostle Paul’s experience.

 

 

---

---

...When the apostle Paul realized that he was persecuting the Lord of glory, he was driven to his knees in genuine repentance and confession. Throughout his entire life he never tired of telling the story of his own sinfulness and God’s grace. His repentance did not leave him in a state of depression; instead, it drove him into the arms of an all loving and forgiving Savior. The confession of his sin did not leave him feeling guiltier than before. His focus was not on how unrighteous he was but on how righteous Jesus was.

Have you ever felt that you were the “chief” of sinners? Or, if not the chief, still too sinful to be saved? How can you learn to rest in the assurance that Christ’s righteousness is enough to save you?

In www.cqbiblestudy.org

Logos Soul Cleaning

Ps. 51:1–10; James 2:17; Rev. 3:14–20

Monday AUGUST 5

Genuine Repentance (Ps. 51:1–10; Matt. 27:1–5)

Many people know what spring-cleaning is like. It’s a time when never-used items are thrown away or given to a charity, and the house, both inside and out, is thoroughly cleaned. Repentance and confession is a time for soul-cleaning. Both are needed before revival and reformation can take place in one’s life or in the church. First, there must be remorse and godly sorrow for the harm we have done to others and to oneself, followed by a complete turnaround for the better (Ezek. 14:6; 2 Cor. 7:10). There must also be confession—the acknowledgment of one’s sins. Confession is the broom, rake, or vacuum that removes the dirt and rubbish from our hearts (1 John 1:9).

Genuine repentance will lead to genuine confession (Ps. 51:1–10). Likewise, a false repentance will lead to a false confession (Josh. 7:18–21; Matt. 27:1–5). Judas and Achan confessed only because they were found out, not because they were truly sorry (see The Desire of Ages, pp. 721, 722 and Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 498).

Genuine repentance and confession always bring about change.

The Difference Between True Repentance and Confession (Lev. 5:5; Prov. 28:13; Luke 19:8; John 16:8–11; Acts 19:18, 19; 2 Cor. 7:9–11; Rev. 3:14–20)

Is feeling bad about one’s sins the same as repentance? Is admitting one’s sins the same as confession? What role does the Holy Spirit play in repentance and confession? Read John 16:8–11. The Bible mentions the church in Laodicea as being lukewarm (Rev. 3:14–20). Its worship was dead, cold, and formal. What made it that way? What makes us that way? “The climax of the Laodiceans’ boast is that their situation could not be improved. Such self-satisfaction is fatal, for the Spirit of God never enters where a need for His presence is not felt, yet without that presence newness of life is impossible.”1

We become lukewarm when we turn from God, when He does not live in our hearts. What will it take to bring about a revival and reformation in our churches, homes, schools, and our individual lives? Before the Holy Spirit can live in our hearts to transform our lives, we must repent and confess.
“True repentance implies a radical change in attitude toward sin and God. It is God’s gracious goodness that leads men to repentance (Rom. 2:4), working in them ‘both to will and to do of his good pleasure’ (Phil. 2:13). Repentance is preceded by the conviction of the Holy Spirit, who impresses upon the sinner’s heart God’s infinite righteousness and the sinner’s own lost state.”2
When we confess, “there must be a specific acknowledgment of the sin or sins involved (Lev 5:5), accompanied by repentance (Mt 3:2, 6, 8; Acts 2:28; cf. Ps 38:18), restitution, if necessary and possible (Lev 6:4; Lk 19:8 . . .), and reformation (1 Ki 8:35; Prov 28:13; Is 55:7; Acts 19:18, 19).”3

How Can One Know When a Person Is Truly Repentant? (Matt. 7:15–21; Heb. 11:16; James 2:17)

Genuine repentance and confession always bring about change. Those who claim to be children of God but who have no change of heart that is evident in how they treat others and behave in other areas of life are not saved. Often they are greedy for gain and power (see The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 5, p. 357).

“Faith in God must accompany the doing, or the doing is only a form. It is true that ‘faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone’ (James 2:17), but is equally true that works unaccompanied by a sincere and living faith are also ‘dead’ (Heb. 11:16). Those who do not know the will of God are not held accountable for it (Luke 12:47, 48), but those who have heard God’s voice speaking to their heart and yet persist in ways of their own choosing ‘have no cloak for their sin’ (John 15:22) and are in danger of presumption.”4

At the same time, however, we must remember that we are not the judge. Only God ultimately has the right and the ability to determine who is sincere and who is not regarding their repentance and confession. Our duty is to make sure that we alone are right with God.

REACT
1. What is preventing the Holy Spirit from bringing revival and reformation in your life?
2. What about your actions and attitudes show the need for soul cleansing?
3. How might you be trying to cover up your sins?
4. Why is it important to remember that only God “has the right and the ability to determine who is sincere and who is not regarding their repentance and confession”?
5. Do you feel the need for the presence of the Holy Spirit? If not, why not?

1. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 7, p. 762.
2. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Dictionary, s.v. “Repentance.”
3. Ibid., s.v. “Confession.”
4. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 5, p. 358.
 

Tuesday - True Repentance and Confession

Leviticus 5:5

5 ‘And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing;

1 John 1:9

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

Isaiah 1:16-18

16 “Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean;
Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes.
Cease to do evil,
17 Learn to do good;
Seek justice,
Rebuke the oppressor;
Defend the fatherless,
Plead for the widow.
18 “Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the LORD,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.

ACts 26:19-20

19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, 20 but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance.

Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, pp. 37-39.

Chapter 4, Confession

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13.
The conditions of obtaining mercy of God are simple and just and reasonable. The Lord does not require us to do some grievous thing in order that we may have the forgiveness of sin. We need not make long and wearisome pilgrimages, or perform painful penances, to commend our souls to the God of heaven or to expiate our transgression; but he that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall have mercy.

The apostle says, "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed." James 5:16. Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer. The case is brought before the only true Mediator, our great High Priest, who "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," and who is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities," and is able to cleanse from every stain of iniquity. Hebrews 4:15.

Those who have not humbled their souls before God in acknowledging their guilt, have not yet fulfilled the first condition of acceptance. If we have not experienced that repentance which is not to be repented of, and have not with true humiliation of soul and brokenness of spirit confessed our sins, abhorring our iniquity, we have never truly sought for the forgiveness of sin; and if we have never sought, we have never found the peace of God. The only reason why we do not have remission of sins that are past is that we are not willing to humble our hearts and comply with the conditions of the word of truth. Explicit instruction is given concerning this matter. Confession of sin, whether public or private, should be heartfelt and freely expressed. It is not to be urged from the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant and careless way, or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent character of sin. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite pity. The psalmist says, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit." Psalm 34:18.


In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

True Repentance and Confession

...Genuine repentance is always accompanied by confession of specific sins. The Holy Spirit does not give us vague feelings of guilt. He convicts us of our definite shortcomings.

“True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty.”-Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 38.

The purpose of the convicting power of the Holy Spirit is to reveal our need of the saving grace of Christ. Repentance does not make God love us more; rather, it enables us to appreciate His love more. Confession does not earn God’s forgiveness; it instead enables us to receive His forgiveness. God does not love us more when we repent or love us less when we fail to. His love for us is constant. The only variable is our response to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

The truth is that our hearts are hindered from receiving the abundant blessings that God has for us while our spiritual arteries are clogged with the sludge of sin. Sin deadens us to the Spirit’s prompting and makes it harder for us to respond to Him. Repentance and confession open the clogged channels of our spiritual hearts so that we may receive the overflowing of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power.

 

However much we long for forgiveness when we confess and repent, we must remember that this is a two-way street. That is, how do we respond to those who have treated us wrongly and who ask for forgiveness? Who, though totally undeserving of our forgiveness, do we need to forgive anyway, and why is it so important for us to forgive?

In www.cqbiblestudy.org

Testimony “I Want to Be Whiter Than Snow”

Ps. 34:18

Tuesday AUGUST 6

“Repentance includes sorrow for sin and a turning away from it. We shall not renounce sin unless we see its sinfulness; until we turn away from it in heart, there will be no real change in the life.”1
“The prayer of David after his fall, illustrates the nature of true sorrow for sin. His repentance was sincere and deep. There was no effort to palliate his guilt; no desire to escape the judgment threatened, inspired his prayer. David saw the enormity of his transgression; he saw the defilement of his soul; he loathed his sin. It was not for pardon only that he prayed, but for purity of heart. He longed for the joy of holiness—to be restored to harmony and communion with God. This was the language of his soul. . . .

“It was not for pardon only that he prayed.”

“ ‘Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving-kindness: / According unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. / For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. . . . / Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: / wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. . . . / Create in me a clean heart, O God; / And renew a right spirit within me. . . .’
“A repentance such as this, is beyond the reach of our own power to accomplish; it is obtained only from Christ, who ascended up on high and has given gifts unto men.”2

“Confession of sin, whether public or private, should be heartfelt and freely expressed. It is not to be urged from the sinner. It is not to be made in a flippant and careless way, or forced from those who have no realizing sense of the abhorrent character of sin. The confession that is the outpouring of the inmost soul finds its way to the God of infinite pity. The psalmist says, ‘The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit’ Psalm 34:18.”3

REACT
1. Do you have a hidden sin that nobody but God knows? How can God help you with it?
2. Consider the Bible characters Samson, Pharaoh, Judas, and Peter. Discuss the sins they committed against God and whether their repentance was sincere or fake.
1. Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 23.
2. Ibid., pp. 24, 25.
3. Ibid., p. 38.

Wednesday - True and False Repentance Contrasted

Exodus 12:29-32

29 And it came to pass at midnight that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who wasin the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. 30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the LORD as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

Numbers 22:32-35

32 And the Angel of the LORD said to him, “Why have you struck your donkey these three times? Behold, I have come out to stand against you, because your way is perverse before Me. 33 The donkey saw Me and turned aside from Me these three times. If she had not turned aside from Me, surely I would also have killed you by now, and let her live.”
34 And Balaam said to the Angel of the LORD, “I have sinned, for I did not know You stood in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displeases You, I will turn back.”
35 Then the Angel of the LORD said to Balaam, “Go with the men, but only the word that I speak to you, that you shall speak.” So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

Hebrews 12:17

17 For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.

Matthew 27:4

4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”
And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!”


In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

True and False Repentance Contrasted

There are some very specific examples in the Bible of people who sought repentance but were not forgiven by God. They wept. They were sorrowful. They confessed their sin but were not forgiven. 

---

---

...One phrase in Hebrews 12:17, NKJV , sums it up well. Speaking of Esau, the passage says that “when he wanted to inherit the blessing,” he repented. Like Pharaoh, Balaam, and Judas, Esau’s heart was not broken over the pain that his sin had brought to his family or to the heart of God. His concern was over the birthright he had lost. He was sorry that he had not received that which he believed to be rightfully his. His motives were not pure. His sorrow was for himself. False repentance focuses upon the consequences of sin as opposed to the sin itself.

The law of sowing and reaping is a divine law. It is true that sin brings dire consequences, but repentance is not consumed with the negative results of sin. It is concerned, instead, with the dishonor and sorrow that our sin has brought to God.

 

True repentance is always characterized by at least three things: First, a sorrow that our sin has broken God’s heart. We are hurt because we hurt the One who loves us so much. Second, there is an honest confession of the specific sin that we have committed. True repentance is not laced with excuses for our behavior. It does not place blame on someone else. It takes responsibility for our actions. Third, true repentance always includes the decision to turn away from our sin. There can be no genuine repentance unless there is a corresponding reformation in the life. False repentance, on the other hand, is self-centered. It is concerned with the consequences of our sin. It is an emotional state of sorrow because our sins often bring negative consequences. It makes excuses and lays the blame on someone else. It is unconcerned about the changing of behavior unless the change will personally bring its own rewards.


In www.cqbiblestudy.org

How-to “Revive Us, Oh Lord”

Ps. 32:1–8; Isa. 1:16–19; Acts 2:38; 24:16; 2 Cor. 7:9; 1 John 1:9

Wednesday AUGUST 7

My mother often shared stories with my sister and me about her childhood. One of her stories left a deep impression on me. There were children in her town who had to carry buckets of water, bundles of wood, and grocery bags on their heads as a part of their daily chores. I often wondered how they could walk around with such heavy loads. What a burden!

Imagine walking around every day with loads of sin in your life, not knowing what to do or whom to ask for help. How burdensome would that be! Fortunately, however, we do not have to bear our burdens alone. Outlined below are three steps that will help us gain spiritual revival:
How about you? Can you boast of a clean heart?

Accept the Holy Spirit into your life. Repentance is not gained through our own merits. Rather it is a gift from God. In Acts 2:38, we read that if we repent of our sins and are baptized, we will receive the Holy Spirit.

Depend on the Holy Spirit. In order to be truly repentant, we must depend on the Holy Spirit’s leading. Second Corinthians 7:9–11 describes repentance as being sorry for our sins in a godly manner. When we repent, we become free from our burdens and are zealous to do God’s work.

Be sincere. “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isa. 1:18). It doesn’t matter when we sin, where we sin, or how we sin. God says we are to come! And when we do so with sincerity of heart, He will wash away our sins and remember them no more (1 John 1:9).

By confessing, we are healed (Ps. 32:1–7). In Acts 24:16, Paul wrote that he always strove to have a clear conscience before God and other people. How about you? Can you boast of a clean heart? In Psalm 32:1, 2, David wrote: “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, / whose sins are covered. / Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him / and in whose spirit is no deceit” (NIV). How remarkable it is to be able to go to the Lord to receive forgiveness and healing through true repentance and confession.

REACT
1. How can we demonstrate to the world that we have truly repented?
2. In what way is repentance a daily process?

 

Thursday – Confession’s Healing Power

Psalm 32:1-8

32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,Whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent, my bones grew old
Through my groaning all the day long.
4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah
5 I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I have not hidden.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”
And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
6 For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You
In a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters
They shall not come near him.
7 You are my hiding place;
You shall preserve me from trouble;
You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.

Acts 24:16

16 This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.

Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, pp. 304-306.

God is at work, and Satan also is at work. Satan would have our minds drawn away from the mighty Helper, to ponder over our degradation of soul, and feel that all its powers are being wasted and God dishonored. Look away from yourself to the perfection of Christ.

We cannot manufacture a righteousness for ourselves. Christ has in His hands the pure robes of righteousness, and He will put them upon us. He will speak sweet words of forgiveness and promise. He presents to our thirsty souls fountains of living water whereby we may be refreshed. He bids us come unto Him with all our burdens, all our griefs, and He says we shall find rest. Therefore, if we come to Him, we must believe that He speaks pardon, and we must show our faith by resting in His love. The heart is moved by all that is tender and pure and lofty—high ambition, holy joys, ennobling motives, endearing sympathies, and needful help.

Jesus sees the guilt of the past, and speaks pardon, and we must not dishonor Him by doubting His love. This feeling of guiltiness must be laid at the foot of the cross of Calvary. The sense of sinfulness has poisoned the springs of life and of true happiness. Now Jesus says, “Lay it all on Me. I will take your sins. I will give you peace. Banish no longer your self-respect, for I have bought you with the price of My own blood. You are mine. Your weakened will I will strengthen; your remorse for sin I will remove.” Then turn your grateful heart, trembling with uncertainty, to Him, and lay hold on the hope set before you. God accepts your broken, contrite heart, and extends to you free pardon. He offers to adopt you into His family, with His grace to help your weakness. And the dear Saviour will lead you on step by step, you placing your hand in His, and letting Him guide you.

Search for the precious promises of God. If Satan thrusts threatenings before your mind, turn from them, and cling to the promises, and let your soul be comforted by their brightness. The cloud is dark in itself, but when filled with the light, it is turned to the brightness of gold, for the glory of God is upon it.

May the Lord bless to your soul these few words He has prompted me to write.


In the Sabbath School lesson by Mark Finley, www.ssnet.org

Confession’s Healing Power

Confession lances the boil of guilt and allows the poisonous pus of sin to drain. Confession is healing in many ways. It opens our hearts to receive God’s grace. Through confession we accept the forgiveness that Christ freely offers us from the Cross. Confession is healing because it allows us to receive grace. Confession also breaks down barriers between us and other people. It heals relationships.

...Is guilt good or bad? It all depends. If the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, and the guilt of that sin drives us to Jesus, guilt is good. If we have already confessed our sin and continue to feel guilty, the guilt may become destructive. “This feeling of guiltiness must be laid at the foot of the cross of Calvary. The sense of sinfulness has poisoned the springs of life and of true happiness. Now Jesus says, ‘Lay it all on Me. I will take your sins. I will give you peace. Banish no longer your self-respect, for I have bought you with the price of My own blood. You are mine. Your weakened will I will strengthen; your remorse for sin I will remove.’”-Ellen G. White, Manuscript Releases, vol. 9, p. 305. The answer to guilt is Jesus. His grace abolishes the destructive guilt sin lays upon us.

There are times we may have confessed our sins and we still feel guilty. Why? One reason might be that the devil is attempting to rob us of the assurance of salvation. He loves to steal away the blessed assurance of forgiveness and salvation that we have in Jesus. Secondly, the Holy Spirit may be pointing out something between us and another individual. If we have hurt another individual, our troubled conscience will be eased when we confess our wrong to the person whom we have hurt.

How has guilt impacted your relationship with the Lord and with others? What can you do to help to alleviate the burden of guilt that you carry? Even if you have done wrong and the guilt is in a sense justified, what promises can you claim from the Bible to help you to move on?


In www.cqbiblestudy.org

 

Opinion Healing Power

Judg. 16:28–30; Psalm 51; Matt. 26:69–75

Thursday AUGUST 8

David is the author of one of the best-loved psalms, Psalm 51. In this song of confession and repentance, he poured out his sorrow for the sins he committed against Bathsheba and her husband. In return, God removed the pain that so conflicted him.

How wonderful it is to experience His healing power.

Samson was well known for his strength and for the foolish things he did with it. Yet in Judges 16:28–30, we read how God gave him one last moment of unbelievable strength. Despite the folly of his former years, it seems that he used this strength “to redeem, in the last moments of his life, his lost opportunities. The taunts attributing the victory of the Philistines to the heathen deity Dagon may have aroused his soul to vindicate the name of the God of Israel upon whom he himself had brought such dishonor.”1

Then there is Peter, a fisherman whom Christ chose to be one of His disciples. Think about when Jesus told him that three times he would deny his Savior. Think about how sure Peter was that he would not! Finally, think about how Peter wept when he really did deny Christ (Matt. 26:69–75). There’s a quote that says, “Tears are words the heart can’t express.”2 Peter’s tears were the confession for which he could find no words.

Guilt is the stain of sin. Christ’s forgiveness is the stain remover. David, Samson, Peter, and many other people in the Bible teach us that God is just and merciful to us when we confess our sins and repent of them. He is there when we call upon Him for forgiveness. He is waiting to wipe away our sins and our sorrows. He is ready to extend to us His grace. And once we are able to confess and repent of our sins with our soul and not only our minds, we will experience the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Then we will know that God is near and happy that we have made Him our Confidant. How wonderful it is to experience His healing power.

REACT
1. Why is it so easy for God to forgive us but so hard for us to forgive others?
2. How can we forgive others as easily as God forgives us?
1. The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, 2nd ed., vol. 2, p. 399.
2. Searchquotes.com, http://www.searchquotes.com/quotes/author/Loretta_Lynn/ (accessed May 15, 2012).

 

 

Friday – Futher Study

Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 39.

See Tuesday
 
Further Study: “Confession will not be acceptable to God without sincere repentance and reformation. There must be decided changes in the life; everything offensive to God must be put away. This will be the result of genuine sorrow for sin. The work that we have to do on our part is plainly set before us: ‘Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.’ Isaiah 1:16-17. ‘If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die.’ Ezekiel 33:15.”-Ellen G. White, Steps to Christ, p. 39.


In www.cqbiblestudy.org

Exploration Passing the Last Barrier

Rom. 10:10; 2 Cor. 7:8–11

Friday AUGUST 9

CONCLUDE
God eliminated the barriers that restricted our relationship with Him as easily as the sun burns of the morning fog. Through repentance and confession, we have acknowledged and accepted that which God has accomplished on our behalf. We no longer need to rely on our presumed innocence or behavioral performance. We recognize that our righteousness is as filthy rags, and we have confessed our guilt in recognition that nothing short of divine grace can remedy that problem. Once we have abandoned our pride and self-righteousness through confession and repentance, we have passed the last barrier that has delayed our return to God.