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Confession of Sin is the Only Way to a Relationship with Christ and Others

Why did Pharaoh's heart continue to harden with each plague God sent to him?

God made it clear that there is no heart change without confession of sin. But there will be sustained and progressive hardening of the heart.

James 5:16

"16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

1 John 1:9

"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Take note of the word "if" in 1 John 1:9. Nowhere in the Bible does God say anyone will be forgiven who will not admit and be sorry for their sin. The sorrow over sin that is worldly is an emotional response because someone was caught, this is not genuine repentance but rather a sense of shame that we were caught and that someone sees the sin. True confession is a brokenness in our soul that desires to be forgiven and all guilt removed from our heart.

True confession has empathy toward those we have harmed and a desire to restore the relationship as well as the intention of never doing that sin again.

Those who will not confess openly their sin against another person will not only not grow and change they will descend deeper and deeper into their shame and guilt until they no longer even feel it while their heart becomes harder. They use excuses to justify what they have done without remorse for it.

" A heart that is closed to God, refuses to obey, or is unwilling to be thankful." is the description of another writer who explained this matter of a hard heart.

When Pharaoh hardened his own heart each time there was a plague, God finally gave him what he wanted and hardened his heart further so that there was no coming back from it.

The more someone resists correction and refuses to confess their sin the harder their heart becomes. This is why we notice so many elderly people who are bitter and disrespectful continually. They spent their entire lives resisting the promptings to admit their sinful attitudes until they no longer had the ability to change.

Exodus 7:4

"Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt."

Exodus 7:13

"Still, Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said."

Exodus 10:1

"Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,"

It is rare in our day of self-exalted people to hear anyone say the words, "I am sorry I did that, will you forgive me." Instead, our culture is taught to just let it all go and be nicer next time. This is not Biblical and never mends a broken relationship and never brings about change in the heart.

If someone were sorry enough to come to us and admit their wrong against us it would break down the wall in the heart of the one who was offended. But when someone doesn't appear to be sorry for what they did enough to tell someone in humility, they are not truly sorry, they are merely hoping to get away with it. These people will repeat their offensive behavior because they see no need for change in themselves. The more they justify their behavior to stave off the continual guilt the more hardened their heart becomes.

This is why God commanded us to go to those we have offended and why He told us to forgive when they are repentant. He was also showing us through human relationships what He expects in our relationship with Him.

Christ will not change anyone who does not want to be changed or who doesn't want to admit they did something wrong. He will only change those who want to be changed. Those who will not admit their sin to God and others will not have a relationship with Christ.

Those who are Christians who will not admit their sin will not be blessed with a free conscience and will be tormented until they confess it. God will not hear the prayers of those who are not sorry for their sin and desire to be changed by Him.

Isaiah 1:14-16 "…14I hate your New Moons and your appointed feasts. They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood. 16 Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil!…"

Those who have sinned against others have hatred in their heart and God counts hatred the same as murder. There is spiritual blood on the hands of those who do not care how they have harmed others.

1 John 3:15 says, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him"

Love of self more than love of others is hatred toward others.

Philippians 2:3-4 "3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.…"

Romans 2:8

"But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger."

Romans 12:10

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another."

Galatians 5:26

"Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying one another."

Ephesians 5:21

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Some people who preach Christ do it for their own glory and never confess their sin of pride. These are those who excuse and even endorse those who refuse to confess in repentance.

Philippians 1:17

"The former, however, preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can add to the distress of my chains."

Colossians 3:12

"Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with hearts of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience."

1 Peter 3:8

"Finally, all of you, be like-minded and sympathetic, love as brothers, be tenderhearted and humble."

May God's people humble themselves confessing their flaws and sins to one another so that the cleansing of Christ can have its full degree, growing us in holiness and making our paths straight and consistently righteous.

Proverbs 3:6: "In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight".

10 Nonverbal Abuse Tactics

Avoid Gossipers and Their Flying Monkeys

Those who attempt to guess what others are doing and why without really knowing the whole matter are gossips and worse they are those who repeat what they do not know as fact to those who have no business knowing in the first place.

If someone has no "need to know" something about someone else then it should not be heard by the hearer or repeated by the one who guesses.

It has been my experience that much gossip is based on what the gossiper wishes to believe about someone that is not true rather than any facts or personal involvement.

I cannot tell you the number of times I have been rejected because of a lie a gossiper told without ever inquiring of me about the truth.

Sadly there is a term now that is common, its called; "flying monkeys", these are the people who believe the gossip they hear and act in angry mean spirited ways toward the one who was maligned by the gossip.

The flying monkey's never got to the one who has been maligned to hear their side, they just enjoy the lies and repeat them to anyone else who seems interested.

2 Corinthians 12:20 says, "For I fear that when I come I may find you not such as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish; that there may be rivalry, jealousy, fury, selfishness, slander, gossip, conceit, and disorder".

Ephesians 4:29 says, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers".

James 1:26 "26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless."

There are also those who take things they have seen out of context and twist them to mean something that was not meant and was not said to entice others to be on their side against the one they hate.

1 Corinthians 13:3-5 "…3If I give all I possess to the poor and exult in the surrender of my body, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs.…"

Many pretenders justify gossip, enjoy disrespect toward others and cannot be content just to believe their own lies they must gain supporters against the person whom they are envious of and hateful toward.

There is nothing we can do about those who gossip against us or their flying monkeys, except to avoid them as much as possible. Until they are convicted of their sin and become born again they cannot be our constant companions.

Removing all the gossipers and the flying monkeys from our lives is endorsed by God even commanded.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Difficult Times Will Come

"3 But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

3 unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, [a]haters of good,

4 treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

5 holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power; avoid such people as these."

Verse 5 clearly states that they even have "religion" self-righteous and rude, and that we are to "avoid such people as these."

If we obey God we will find ourselves living a much more peaceful life with those who also love Him.

Hebrews 1:9

"You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You above Your companions with the oil of joy."

When we love righteousness and hate evil we will want our companions who love Christ and the things that He loves.

One of the Biggest Lies of the Pretenders in the Church Who are Led by the Devil to Deceive Many

Anyone who claims they can sin all they want after salvation was never changed into a new creation by Christ. We only become born again by coming to Christ in shame over our sinful nature wanting Him to change us. Anyone who "decides" to become a Christian is doing it in the flesh and will not be thinking like someone who has been changed by Christ.

When He changes us it is His work and He changes the way we think permanently. We can never think that old way again, it has passed away and we have become new creatures.

2 Corinthians 5:17 "

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

Ephesians 2:10

"10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

Those who have been changed by Christ have the Holy Spirit living in them to convict them of sin so that if they do fall they have an advocate and they desire to be cleansed of that sin.

When we become born again we hate our sin and want to be cleansed.

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."

1 John 2:1 "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;"

We have many pretenders in the church who may even say a lot of right things but who have never been born again.

Matthew 7:21-23 "21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’"

My heart becomes agitated every time I hear a person claiming to be a Christian, say that sin doesn't matter anymore, because we are under the blood.

This is such a lie, if sin didn't matter then why would Christ go to the cross and endure a terrible death for something that was no big deal?

Christ didn't die on that cross to allow us to be comfortable with sin, even flaunting it. He died on the cross to free us from sin and make us righteous.

Romans 6:18 in the Bible states, "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness".

Feel free to rebuke sharply anyone who would bring the false gospel of "freedom to sin" after salvation. This is exactly what the devil would teach to remove the witnesses of Christ from the culture.

When we became born again we were completely changed by Christ, this is a witness to the world around us that He has the power to change anyone who wants to be changed by Him.

Never remain silent when a "pretender" attempts to convince you it is alright to sin after salvation. They are lying against God and denying His power to change people.

Thankful for God's Promises to Us

I am thankful I have the promise of God to one day be in heaven with all my Spiritual brothers and sisters who are also watching for His return right now.

Titus 2:13 "Looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ".

All those who are watching and waiting for His return are full of joy and know that everything that happens on this earth has been prophesied and has a purpose as God is in control.

Titus 2:12-14 "…12 It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. 14 He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."

There is no greater hope than the return of Christ for His bride. And, the promise that all of Israel will be saved during the tribulation. God will not forsake the nation and many will trust in Christ because of the miracles He is and will be doing there.

Look to Christ and all things will then make sense.

Reading the Bible in Context with the Help of the Holy Spirit

Please, brothers and sisters when you read the Bible do not leave out a word or two to make principles fit the culture. Read the words in the Bible every word and do not ignore some words and pay attention to others, say them all just as God said them.

Luke 17:4 In-Context

“If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. 4 Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying 'I repent,' you must forgive them.” 5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!”"

Rebuke them, if they say "I repent" then forgive them. Don't leave out the words "rebuke" or "I repent."

When God said not to judge others keep all the words in the context, here it is.

John 7:24 tells us, "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment."

We are to judge and we are never to judge hypocritically meaning if we are doing the same things we judge others for we are sinning.

Matthew 7:1: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you".

There are many phrases modern Christians use that come from the Bible but are not Biblical because they are taken out of the context to make them say what God never said.

God said to judge according to His standard and not our cultural standard. He also told us to forgive the "way He forgives", that is when there is repentance.

Much of what we have been brainwashed to believe about forgiveness and judging comes from psychology which teaches us to do things according to our feelings rather than caring if what we do helps another person grow in holiness.

When we read the Bible we MUST use all the words written there not removing them from their context.

Acts 20:26-28 "…26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I did not shrink back from declaring to you the whole will of God. 28 Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.…"

Jeremiah 26:2

"This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the house of the LORD and speak all the words I have commanded you to speak to all the cities of Judah who come to worship there. Do not omit a word."