The Grace of Confession, Part 9
02-11-26 The Grace of Confession 9
High-Detail Theological Outline (Strict Chronological Flow)
Content creation date: 2026-02-11 19:03:11
Opening greeting and topic orientation
“Good evening.”
Establishes the topic of study for the night: rebound (confession of sins) from 1 John 1:9.
Emphasizes the habitual practice of beginning class with rebound.
Scripture: 1 John 1:9 introduced and quoted
Quoted: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Doctrinal points tied to 1 John 1:9:
Confession of known sin restores fellowship with God.
Result of confession: we are said to be “controlled” or “filled with the Holy Spirit.”
Sin does not remove the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Sin does break fellowship with God.
Salvation is not lost by sin, but experiential fellowship is broken.
Theological framework: fellowship, filling, and the plan of God
Past weeks’ teaching referenced:
When a believer is in unconfessed sin, he is “outside of the plan of God” for his life.
This plan is described as the “predestined plan of God.”
Objective: live under the control of the Spirit by confessing known sin.
Pneumatology and doctrinal intake
The Holy Spirit as “our true teacher.”
The only way to “metabolize Bible doctrine” is to be filled with the Spirit.
Warning: “You cannot have unconfessed sin in your life and read your Bible; that doctrine will not be metabolized.”
Application: It is very important at all times to strive to be filled with the Spirit, and especially when studying the Bible.
Application: preparation for study by silent prayer
Action step: “We’ll just take a moment of silent prayer.”
Confess any known sin to God; God is faithful and just; the cleansing is immediate.
Additional application: Cast anxieties on the Lord (“Cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us.”).
Focus aim: Concentrate attention on God and His Word for the session.
Opening prayer (content and theological affirmations)
Thanksgiving for:
The time, the day, and every opportunity to grow in grace and knowledge.
“Every pressure, every stress, every trial, every tribulation.”
Doctrinal rationale: These pressures “are working for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond all comparison.”
Key theological principle: temporal suffering produces eternal benefit.
Petitions:
That the Holy Spirit would open hearts and minds for understanding and application of the study.
For the speaker: Power to speak with the authority God’s Word deserves, and with the grace God’s Word teaches.
Closing in Jesus’ name. “Amen.”
Session logistics and acknowledgment
Slide navigation: “We are going to be on slide fifty-eight.”
Personal acknowledgment:
Shout-out to the teacher’s wife, Julie.
Narrative details:
She brought the recording device that was forgotten at home.
She drove about 45 minutes on short notice.
She was not feeling well (rheumatoid arthritis), and needed to be home when the daughter returned from the Philharmonic.
Her immediate willingness: “Oh, I’ll come right now.”
Expressions of gratitude and appreciation.
Transition back to study: “Let’s move forward… Thank you Julie. Let’s go to slide fifty-eight.”
Teaching plan: hold on slide 58 and provide comprehensive review
Intention: Pause at slide 58 to give a comprehensive review of the series’ current position.
Series identification:
“Grace of Confession Nine” (this is lesson 9 in the series).
Forecast:
Series likely to run “two or three more weeks” before completion.
Production note:
Final touches have been put on the next batch of 60 slides (likely not covered tonight).
Forthcoming content overview (future sessions)
Planned finish to the series will address:
“The rejection of rebound” (i.e., opposing views that deny or critique the practice/doctrine of 1 John 1:9 confession for believers).
Answering questions in 1 John and explaining misconceptions and inaccurate teachings surrounding 1 John.
Commitment: Will spend substantial time on these clarifications and corrections.
Opening framing: Foundation of the “grace of confession” and its role in the believer’s problem-solving
Clarification of ministry terminology: “Problem solving devices”
Acknowledgment: No biblical book lists “problem solving devices” as a formal category.
Defense of the term:
The ministry has identified ten scriptural doctrines that, when properly utilized, solve all life problems.
“The Word of God is the power system; half of our power system.”
Attribution: Terminology used by Pastor R.B. Thieme Jr. and Pastor Robert McLaughlin (“problem solving devices”).
Core concept: Categorized doctrines are simply biblical teachings arranged to be applied effectively.
Problem Solving Device #1: Rebound
Rebound ensures the filling of the Spirit.
Rebound is the only device that works when unconfessed sin is present.
Thesis: The ten categories can cover every problem faced in life, when applied accurately.
Transition: The grace of confession
Post-salvation reality:
Believers retain a sin nature after salvation and commit sins despite eternal security.
This reality poses a problem, hence the language “problem-solving device.”
Divine provision:
God ordained a method for believers to remain in fellowship and in the pre-designed plan of God (PPOG).
God designed a way to deal with post-salvation sins in time.
Scripture reference (cited for study): Romans 7:14–25
Doctrine: The believer is saved yet possesses a sin nature.
Salvation removes the penalty of sin, not the presence of sin.
Necessity of recovery
Without recovery (confession), there is no fellowship, no spiritual growth, and no execution of the Christian life/PPOG.
Review of spiritual conflict: Eternal security and satanic opposition
Observation:
Certain doctrines—especially eternal security and rebound—are targeted by the kingdom of darkness.
Strategy of the devil:
If he cannot prevent salvation, he aims to convince believers that “rebound is not for today,” to mislabel 1 John 1:9 as a “salvation passage,” or to claim confession is unnecessary (“sins have already been forgiven; just move on”).
Consequence of rejecting rebound:
Failure to operate accurately and precisely in God’s outlined protocol.
Subjunctive mood warning: If believers do not “do this in the right way,” the intended results will not occur.
Effects of no fellowship / no filling of the Spirit
Nothing done apart from the filling of the Spirit can please God.
Works done in carnality (even large financial giving) “do not count.”
Doctrinal metabolism fails without the filling of the Spirit:
Believers can sit under teaching yet not metabolize doctrine.
Only metabolized doctrine can be applied.
Strategic application theme: “Facing the giants in our life”
Thesis: We face life’s giants only by utilizing God’s designed power system.
Without rebound:
Half of the power system is gone; the other half (doctrine intake) is ineffective due to no metabolism.
Conclusion: The doctrine of rebound is vital, critical, and crucial.
Relationship vs. Fellowship
Relationship:
Established at salvation; permanent and cannot be broken.
Scripture: John 1:12.
Fellowship:
Exists in time; conditional; frequently broken by sin.
Scripture: 1 John 1:6–7.
The Christian life depends on fellowship, not merely relationship, because God has a plan for time.
The divine recovery: 1 John 1:9 (doctrinal expansion)
Greek word-study: homologeo
Meaning: to confess, to name, to cite, to acknowledge.
Nature of confession:
Non-emotional, non-meritorious function of the believer’s priesthood.
Confession is not:
Asking for forgiveness
Feeling sorry
Promising God
Rededicating one’s life
Meta note:
The review document aggregates prior messages; speaker used AI to compile a review of “The Grace of Confession” series to ensure completeness across a ten-week series.
Results of confession
God forgives the sin and cleanses from unrighteousness.
Restores fellowship, filling of the Spirit, and spiritual perception.
Scripture: Ephesians 5:18
Command: Believers are commanded to be filled with the Spirit.
Definitions:
Carnality: Sin nature controls the life.
Spirituality: The Holy Spirit controls the life.
Confession restores divine control of the believer’s life.
Case study: David and the grace of confession
2 Samuel 11
Progression of David’s sin:
Neglect of duty
Mental attitude sins
Adultery
Deception
Murder
Cover-up
Psalm 32:3–4
“Year of silence”: out of fellowship for at least nine months or more.
Effects: Misery, loss of vitality, divine discipline.
Note: God did not remove David’s salvation; He disciplined severely.
Pastoral exhortation:
Keep short accounts with God; utilize rebound (1 John 1:9) immediately—do not wait.
Don’t let any situation keep you out of God’s plan.
Get back in fellowship, pick up the pieces, move on.
Turning point for David
2 Samuel 12:13
David: “I have sinned against the LORD.”
Hallmarks: No excuses, no bargaining, no emotional display.
Restoration was immediate.
Psalm 51
David did not ask for salvation again.
Psalm 51:12
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation.”
Doctrine:
Believers do not lose salvation by sin, but they lose the joy of salvation when out of fellowship.
Personal testimony:
Speaker’s period away from doctrine (~20 years): profound divine discipline; loss of joy, not salvation.
Emphasis: The reality of regaining joy via recovery.
Principle
Believers are not destroyed by sin; they are destroyed by refusal to recover.
“Sin unto death” doctrine:
Persistent refusal can lead to divine discipline culminating in the sin unto death.
Loss of rewards and eternal blessings, not loss of salvation.
Resolving the seeming contradiction: Forgiveness at salvation vs. forgiveness upon confession
Colossians 2:13
“Having forgiven us all our trespasses.” Judicial forgiveness at salvation.
1 John 1:9
Experiential forgiveness in time upon confession.
Clarification:
Judicial forgiveness: accomplished at the cross, permanent.
Experiential forgiveness: applied to fellowship in time.
Theological point:
Confession does not secure forgiveness; it applies forgiveness to fellowship.
In confession we acknowledge a sin that “needed to be judged,” which it was—by judicial imputation of all sins to Christ at the cross.
All sins (past, present, future) were judged at the cross; believers cannot be judged for them judicially.
However, sins break fellowship in time, necessitating the rebound technique.
Why confession exists
God honors human volition.
The cross removes the penalty permanently; confession removes the temporal barrier to fellowship.
Grammar note (subjunctive mood):
“Confess,” “forgive,” “cleanse” in subjunctive: maybe you will/maybe you will not confess; accordingly, maybe God will/maybe will not cleanse/forgive (contingent upon the condition).
Soteriological precision:
Salvation is by “believe” and believe only.
Not “believe and repent,” “believe and feel bad,” “believe and vow,” “believe and raise your hand,” “believe and be baptized.”
Adding anything invalidates salvation—no creature credit allowed.
Doctrine of total depravity:
Not all are as bad as possible, but all are universally depraved and cannot please God or help themselves.
God’s grace must get the glory; human credit places us in the cosmic system.
The devil’s objective: creature credit (even via a “clean world” if Satan gets credited).
Confession aligns with grace by eliminating creature merit/credit.
Confession’s scope and subsequent renewal
Confession removes known sins.
Unknown sins, human good, and cosmic influence accumulate while out of fellowship.
Longer out of fellowship → more cosmic influence picked up.
Post-recovery need:
Renewing of the mind is necessary after prolonged carnality.
Speaker’s testimony: 20 years out → two years of renewing, relearning doctrine, and ongoing restoration.
Results of rebound (summation)
Restores fellowship.
Restores the filling of the Spirit.
Re-enters believer into the pre-designed plan of God.
Begins recovery from cosmic influence.
Alternative: Divine discipline
Hebrews 12:6–11
Refusal to recover leads to discipline.
Psalm 32:5
Acknowledgment of sin brings immediate relief.
Central issue: Grace vs. works
Grace: God does the work; man receives the benefit.
Salvation: by faith alone.
Recovery: by confession alone.
Final principle of review:
The Christian life is not lived by trying harder, but by recovering faster.
Failure is never final; refusal to recover is.
God provides restoration in time.
Conclusion (review close)
Grace saves and sustains; the same grace restores.
Confession is a privilege.
New section: The rejection of rebound (preview of forthcoming studies)
Announcement of forthcoming studies:
The series will continue with deeper analysis of the rejection movement, beyond the initial planned conclusion.
Observation:
A modern movement rejects rebound as a doctrine.
Speaker’s stance: It is false teaching, though often taught sincerely and with righteous motives.
Reason for charity:
Some were combating false views (e.g., Roman Catholic confession to a priest) and overcorrected.
Source/motivation analysis:
The rejection arises from post-Reformation grace emphases (late 1990s onward), accelerating into the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Movements involved:
Certain strands of revised Free Grace theology
Hypergrace teaching
Some Reformed circles reacting against Roman Catholic confession (rightly rejecting priestly confession).
Common emphasis:
All sins forgiven at salvation (true), therefore confession is unnecessary or wrong (false conclusion).
Claim examined
“Confession undermines the finished work of Christ.”
Speaker’s response:
Understands the motive; does not agree with the teaching’s accuracy.
Plan: Over the next two weeks, examine and interpret the same key verses used by this movement.
Fundamental problem
Failure to rightly divide biblical categories.
Teaching method reminder: ICE method emphasized:
Isagogics (historical context)
Categories (doctrinal cross-referencing)
Exegesis (textual analysis)
Do not take passages out of context or mix categories.
False teaching’s core error:
Category collapse of three distinct biblical areas:
Eternal salvation
Temporal fellowship
Spiritual power and growth
Scripture maintains clear distinctions; they do not overlap.
The movement often denies the existence of the “carnal believer,” which Scripture affirms.
Doctrinal distinctions reiterated
Eternal salvation:
Judicial and permanent forgiveness.
Temporal fellowship:
Experiential and conditional.
Spiritual power and growth:
Dependent on the filling of the Spirit and doctrinal metabolism; restored via rebound.
Rebound:
Never a means of salvation; a grace provision for restoring fellowship and the filling of the Spirit after sin.
Scripture pointer (preview)
John 13:10
Introduces category distinction imagery (already bathed vs. needing feet washed) to be developed in forthcoming sessions.
Balance doctrine preview
Warning against extremes:
Extremes do not complement the grace of God or the work of God.
Many movements begin with good intentions but lose balance.
Exhortation:
“Rightly divide the Word of truth.”
Maintain doctrinal balance to avoid category errors and extremes.
Closing setup for next studies
Next two weeks:
Engage the verses used by the anti-rebound movement.
Provide precise, categorical interpretation supporting the grace of confession and rebound.
Opening reference and thematic setup (developed illustration): John 13:10
Quoted and explained: “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet; otherwise he is completely clean. And you are clean, but not all of you.”
Immediate contextual note: “not all of you” refers to Judas.
Illustration drawn from first-century travel and sandals:
Bathing = whole body is clean.
Feet contact daily dirt = need for repeated cleansing.
Doctrinal parallel:
Bath = salvation (once and for all).
Foot washing = post-salvation cleansing, repeated as needed.
Application: living in the “cosmic system,” believers pick up “dirt” (sin) and require restoration.
Key doctrinal point: This passage is used as a “very, very good illustration of rebound.”
Clarification and definition of terms
“The bath refers to salvation accomplished once and for all.”
“The foot washing refers to post salvation cleansing necessary repeatedly.”
Warning: “Rejecting rebound ignores declared distinction taught by Christ himself.”
Key false assumptions addressed
False assumption #1: Confusing forgiveness with fellowship
Doctrinal distinction:
Forgiveness (judicial, once-for-all at salvation) versus fellowship (experiential, can be broken and restored).
False assumption #2: Redefining confession as emotional or penitential
Correction:
Confession is “name and cite only”—acknowledge/agree with God about the sin.
It is not penance (e.g., “say five Our Fathers and ten Hail Marys”).
It is wrong to confess sins to a priest; there is no penance that can be done to restore fellowship.
Avoid vows like “I will never do it again”; God knows the heart, and lying adds another sin requiring confession.
Doctrinal emphasis: “Rebound is not emotional—grace-based procedure.” Those who reject rebound often reject the character of confession, not the biblical doctrine.
False assumption #3: Misusing union with Christ
Union with Christ:
Positional and permanent.
By the baptism of the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation.
“It can never be ever ever be broken.”
Fellowship:
Experiential and conditional.
Assertion: “First John was written to believers, not unbelievers.”
It clearly states believers can walk in darkness while claiming to be in the light—this is false but possible experientially for believers.
These statements lead up to 1 John 1:9.
Central text on confession (rebound) restated and expanded
1 John 1:9 quoted and expounded:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous/just, [result:] He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Written to believers.
Present tense and conditional: “If we confess.”
If confession were unnecessary, the verse would be meaningless.
Sealing and grieving
Ephesians 4:30 quoted: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed [unto] the day of redemption.”
Sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit:
Guarantees salvation—down payment of eternal security.
Yet believers can grieve and quench the Spirit.
Theological implication: “Grieving the Holy Spirit is incompatible with fellowship.”
If Scripture commands “do not grieve,” then the potential to grieve exists, proving fellowship can be lost experientially.
Parallel logic applied to “be filled with the Spirit”:
If filling were never lost, Scripture would not need to command it.
Distinguish indwelling (permanent) from filling (experiential/conditional).
Correction of a misinterpretation:
Some teach indwelling and filling are identical and perpetual; they appeal to the “new creation” that cannot sin.
Clarification: The old nature does sin; when believers sin, fellowship is broken. Command “be filled with the Spirit” indicates filling is not automatic or unloseable.
Examination, self-judgment, and discipline in the Lord’s Table context
1 Corinthians 11:28–32 cited and explained:
v. 28: “But a person must examine himself…”
v. 29–30: Eating/drinking unworthily brings judgment; “many among you are weak and sick, and a number are asleep [physical death].”
v. 31: “If we judged ourselves rightly…”—explanation:
“Judge” can mean eternal condemnation OR making a decision/evaluation.
In confession, we “judge” our action—acknowledge it was wrong, recognize it was judged at the cross, trust God’s faithfulness to cleanse and restore fellowship.
v. 32: “We are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned with the world.”
Distinguishes divine discipline of believers from condemnation of the unbelieving world.
Practical damage caused by rejecting rebound
Chronic carnality without recovery.
Chronic discipline eventually—not punitive but corrective to restore fellowship.
Loss of spiritual power.
Confusion between grace and license.
Rationalization of sin.
Spiritual stagnation—“believers who are saved but stalled.”
Positive framing:
Rebound protects grace rather than denies it.
Rebound removes guilt, emotion, penance, and self-effort.
Rebound restores fellowship, the filling of the Spirit, doctrinal perception, and spiritual momentum.
Grace does not eliminate responsibility; grace provides the means of recovery.
Rejection of rebound is not “advanced grace” but “reactionary theology,” arising from confusion, philosophical influences, and fear of legalism.
Tone of correction:
Intent to be gracious toward teachers who oppose rebound.
Acknowledgment that many taught out of pure motives, but the teaching is off track.
Attribution recall:
Earlier attribution to Pastor R.B. Thieme Jr. and Pastor Robert McLaughlin on “problem solving devices.”
Alternative to rebound: divine discipline (expanded)
Hebrews 12 overview
Hebrews 12:6 cited: “For whom the Lord loves, He disciplines; and He punishes [‘scourges’] every son whom He accepts.”
Word study note:
“Scourges” (Greek: mastigoō) understood as “to skin alive with a whip”—intense discipline (teacher recalls this from a sermon by Pastor R. B. Thieme Jr., referred to as “Pastor Themes”).
Hebrews 12:7: “It is for discipline that you endure. God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?”
Hebrews 12:8: “If you are without discipline… then you are illegitimate children and not sons.”
Application and illustration:
God disciplines only His children, not unbelievers.
Analogy:
The teacher disciplines his own child (daughter, age 14), not others’ children.
In modern society, disciplining others’ children will get you in trouble—illustration supporting the point.
Practical test:
Some who live riotously and prosper may be unbelievers; lack of discipline can indicate not being God’s child.
Foreshadowing: “Seven laws of the harvest and sowing and reaping” series to address this more fully; “God is not mocked.”
Hebrews 12:9: “We had earthly fathers to discipline us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?”
Hebrews 12:10: “They disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.”
Hebrews 12:11: “All discipline for the moment seems not pleasant, but painful; yet to those trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
Personal testimony/illustration:
Twenty years under severe divine discipline including mental anguish and seasons of not wanting to live.
Retrospective gratitude: “It was all worth it… God knew exactly what was needed… It could have ended earlier, but God’s grace and mercy sustained.”
Hebrews 12:12: “Strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble.”
Hebrews 12:13: “Make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.”
Hebrews 12:14: “Pursue peace with all people and the holiness, without which no one will see the Lord.”
Hebrews 12:15: “See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.”
Notes drawn from personal study (no slide)
Purpose of earthly fathers in the passage: discipline (not sentiment), leading to respect.
Respect is the key to love; children must learn the value of discipline.
“Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live?”
Many are not trained by discipline because they rebel against it.
Application:
The teacher’s 20-year period was prolonged by stubbornness; recovery would have been shorter had he submitted earlier.
When believers do not rebound:
“Hands become weak and knees become feeble”—their productivity ceases.
They are under divine discipline.
“The lame limb” imagery indicates consequences of not recovering; risk of permanent scarring if one persists.
Healing is possible when we recover and continue in God’s plan.
David’s experience under unconfessed sin (expanded)
Psalm 32:3–5 cited and applied:
v. 3–4: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality failed as with the dry heat of summer. Selah.”
Turning point:
v. 5: “I acknowledged my sin to You, and I did not hide my guilt; I said, ‘I will confess my wrongdoing to the Lord,’ and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.”
Application:
Rejecting rebound leads to physical, emotional, and spiritual depletion.
Confession restores fellowship and lifts divine pressure.
Next text mentioned (queued but deferred in detail)
1 Corinthians 10:13 referenced as forthcoming, but the teacher diverts to Psalm 38 first.
Psalm 38:1ff read and explained (anthropomorphism and accommodation)
Psalm 38:1: “O Lord, rebuke me not in Your wrath and chasten me not with Your burning anger.”
Anthropomorphism and language of accommodation explained:
When Scripture says God “hates” or “gets angry,” these are human characteristics ascribed to God to accommodate our understanding.
God does not have literal hands, yet “the hand of God” communicates His action.
Theological point:
These expressions signal a policy change in how God deals with us due to sin.
God is not literally ruffled; He is the sovereign, unchangeable God.
Language of accommodation helps us grasp experiential consequences and divine relational adjustments.
Opening reading and exposition: Psalm 38:2–20 (select verses emphasized)
Text cited and paraphrased in sequence:
“For your arrows have sunk deep into me, and your hand has pressed down on me.”
Clarification: God’s hand was not physically pressing down; this is the felt weight of divine pressure (discipline).
“There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.”
“For my iniquities are gone over my head; as a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.”
“My wounds grow foul and fester because of my folly.”
“I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I am mourning all day long.”
“My loins are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.”
“I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart.”
“Lord, all my desire is before you, and my sighing is not hidden from you.”
“My heart throbs, my strength fails me; and the light of my eyes—even that has gone from me.”
“My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague, and my kinsmen stand far off.”
“Those who seek my life lay snares for me; and those who seek to injure me have threatened destruction; and they devise treachery all day long.”
“But I, like a deaf man, do not hear; and I am like a mute man who does not open my mouth.”
“Yes, I am like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no arguments.”
“For I hope in you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God.”
“For I said, ‘May they not rejoice over me, who when my foot slips would magnify themselves against me.’”
“For I am ready to fall, and my sorrow is continually before me.”
“For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin.”
Doctrinal emphasis:
The experience of divine discipline under known sin produces comprehensive spiritual, psychosomatic, and social distress: bodily lack of “soundness,” inner agitation, relational isolation, external hostility, and the collapse of vitality and vision.
Confession is explicitly mentioned (“I confess my iniquity”), but the preceding condition illustrates the misery of life without active confession, rebound, or recovery.
Application: The misery of a believer out of fellowship
“Painting a picture of living a life without confession, without rebound, without recovery is not a good life.”
Reference to David’s plea (allusion): “Restore to me the joy of my salvation” (Psalm 51:12).
Theologically precise distinction:
Salvation remains intact, but joy is forfeited when living outside the predesigned plan of God.
Joy is contingent on fellowship and alignment with God’s plan, not on the existence of salvation itself.
Terminology used:
“Rebound” = confession and recovery to fellowship.
“Pre-designed plan of God” = God’s decreed plan for each believer’s spiritual advance and service.
Principle stated (verbatim concept)
“When a believer rebounds from a state of divine discipline, the unbearable suffering is instantly removed; instead, it is converted into suffering for blessing which is always bearable.”
Theological distinction:
Divine discipline suffering (under carnality/out of fellowship) vs. suffering for blessing (under fellowship, within the plan of God).
Conversion of category occurs at rebound/confession, not necessarily the removal of all circumstances.
Transition to 1 Corinthians 10:13 (exposition and application)
Citation and paraphrase:
“No temptation, no testing has overtaken you except something common to mankind, and God is faithful.”
“He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able… and with the temptation will provide the way of escape also so that you will be able to endure it.”
Doctrinal assertions:
God’s faithfulness is absolute; He “will not allow” beyond-ability testing for the believer in fellowship.
Distinction of conditions:
If out of fellowship under divine discipline, the promise is not being applied as “testing for blessing”; the experience may be punitive/corrective.
If in fellowship, any trial not removed is intended to be endured and overcome by God’s provision.
Theological support statement (allusion): “God is not a man that He should lie” (Numbers 23:19).
Encouragement: “Get excited when you’re going through things in life.”
If you are righteous/in fellowship (i.e., not under discipline), God will not permit anything you cannot bear and will provide the way of endurance.
Volition emphasized:
“We have to utilize what God gives us.”
Warning:
“Sometimes suffering for blessing turns into divine discipline, because then we’re getting out of fellowship.”
Application refrain:
“Always rebound, rebound, rebound.”
Closing doctrinal exhortation: Fear rightly directed — Hebrews 4:1
“Therefore, we must fear… while a promise remains of entering His rest, any of you may seem to have come short of it.”
Word-study note:
Often “fear” (phobos) is reverence/respect (e.g., “the fear of the Lord” as reverential awe), but here the imperative is literal fear.
Application:
The only rightful object of fear: falling short of God’s rest by missing His plan.
Pastoral priority in prayer:
Most important prayer for believers is not material prosperity but divine guidance into God’s path/plan.
Model petitions:
“Lead and guide them in the path that He has for [them].”
“Open up doors and opportunities for them to glorify You.”
“Come against any distractions and any obstacles that would hinder the plan.”
Clarification about praying for trials:
When praying for “doors and opportunities to glorify God,” this entails readiness for trials/tribulations in which God’s strength, Word, and Spirit are utilized to defeat “giants” and glorify God in the angelic conflict.
Security considerations:
Practical prudence (security team: Heidi and Bob) is good and necessary.
However, the greatest fear is not external threats but stepping out of God’s plan.
Providence:
Nothing can happen unless God ordains it; thus, fear misdirected to circumstances is misplaced. Proper fear is of missing God’s will.
Ministry trajectory and upcoming teaching plan
Announcement:
“Whole new series of slides” in the next couple of weeks; “sixty more.”
Study focus: The Epistle of 1 John.
Objective: Examine three key passages commonly used as tests of salvation and “prove… the epistle of First John is not a test of salvation, and that confession is for today.”
Anticipated blessing from the study for the teacher and congregation.
Publication plan:
Samantha to assist in turning the study into a book.
Distribution:
Free on the app and as a PDF initially; potential later hardback.
Doxological reflection:
“God is able to do exceeding(ly) and abundantly above all that you could ask or think.”
Allusion: Ephesians 3:20–21 and Philippians 4:19 language blended.
Personal testimony:
Astonishment at God’s restorative work after time spent away from God and present ministry opportunities, including a forthcoming book.
Closing prayer (content summarized in themes)
Thanksgiving:
For God’s Word and “everything… You do for our lives.”
For grace defined as “unmerited favor,” and God’s policy towards us being “always grace.”
Petition:
That the studied Word would edify and help the hearers.
That believers would use these principles to “stay in fellowship.”
Affirmation: God has “provided everything that pertains to life and godliness” and “a way… no matter how we’ve blown it… to still be in the pre-designed plan.”
Guidance:
“Lead them, guide them in their pre-designed plan.”
“Open up doors and opportunities… to glorify You.”
“Come against any distractions and obstacles that would hinder the plan.”
Closing: “In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
Scripture References in the Exact Order Mentioned or Alluded To
1. 1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
2. 1 Peter 5:7 (principle allusion) — “Cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us.”
3. 2 Corinthians 4:17 (principle allusion) — “Eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”
4. Romans 7:14–25 — Indwelling sin nature post-salvation.
5. John 1:12 — Relationship established at salvation.
6. 1 John 1:6–7 — Fellowship conditional and can be broken.
7. 1 John 1:9 — Confession for experiential cleansing (reiterated).
8. Ephesians 5:18 — Command to be filled with the Spirit.
9. 2 Samuel 11 — David’s progression into compounded sin.
10. Psalm 32:3–4 — David’s misery under silence/unconfessed sin.
11. 2 Samuel 12:13 — “I have sinned against the LORD.”
12. Psalm 51:12 — “Restore to me the joy of your salvation.”
13. Colossians 2:13 — Judicial forgiveness at salvation (“forgiven us all trespasses”).
14. 1 John 1:9 — Experiential forgiveness upon confession (reiterated).
15. Hebrews 12:6–11 — Divine discipline for sons; training yields righteousness.
16. Psalm 32:5 — Immediate relief upon acknowledgment/confession.
17. John 13:10 — “He who has bathed… needs only to wash his feet.”
18. 1 John 1:9 — Conditional, present-tense confession (reiterated).
19. Ephesians 4:30 — “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit… sealed unto the day of redemption.”
20. 1 Corinthians 11:28–32 — Examine, judge yourselves, discipline vs. condemnation.
21. Psalm 38:1 — “Rebuke me not in Your wrath…”
22. Psalm 38:2–20 — “Your arrows have sunk deep… I confess my iniquity…”
23. 1 Corinthians 10:13 — No temptation/testing beyond what you can bear; way of escape.
24. Numbers 23:19 (allusion) — “God is not a man that He should lie.”
25. 2 Corinthians 12:7–9 (allusion) — “Thorn in the flesh” analogy for sovereignly permitted remnants.
26. 2 Corinthians 4:17 (allusion, reiterated) — “Eternal weight of glory…”
27. Hebrews 4:1 — “Let us fear… lest any of you seem to have come short of it.”
28. Ephesians 3:20–21 (allusion) — “Exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.”
29. Philippians 4:19 (allusion) — “According to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Definitions, Word Studies, and Original Language Notes
Confession (Greek: homologeo)
Meaning: to confess, to name, to cite, to acknowledge.
Nature: Non-emotional, non-meritorious priestly function.
Not: Asking for forgiveness, feeling sorry, promising God, rededication, or penance.
Filling/Control of the Holy Spirit
Spirituality = Spirit controls the life.
Carnality = Sin nature controls the life.
Indwelling is permanent; filling is experiential and can be lost and restored.
Metabolize Bible doctrine
Spirit-enabled process of understanding, believing, and applying doctrine.
Requires being filled with the Spirit; unconfessed sin inhibits metabolism.
Subjunctive mood (1 John 1:9)
“If we confess” indicates contingency; God’s forgiveness/cleansing applied conditionally in time.
Word study (Hebrews 12:6)
“Scourges” (Greek: mastigoō): severe discipline; vivid illustration of intensity (attributed via recollection from Pastor R. B. Thieme Jr.).
Doctrinal Points (in-flow)
Confession (rebound) is necessary for believers to restore fellowship when they sin.
Sin breaks fellowship with God but does not:
Remove the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Cause loss of salvation.
The Christian way of life depends on being filled/controlled by the Holy Spirit for:
Learning Scripture.
Metabolizing doctrine (doctrine becoming usable in the soul).
Operating outside the plan of God occurs when in unconfessed sin; aim is to live within God’s “predestined/pre-designed plan.”
The Holy Spirit is the true teacher; academic study without the Spirit’s filling does not result in metabolized doctrine.
Approaching Bible study requires preparatory confession and mental focus on God’s Word.
Trials and pressures are under divine providence, producing eternal benefit (for those in fellowship).
Satan targets eternal security and rebound; category errors foster rejection of rebound.
Judicial vs. experiential forgiveness must be distinguished; 1 John 1:9 applies experiential cleansing for fellowship, not salvation.
Divine discipline trains sons; refusal to recover prolongs and intensifies discipline, potentially to sin unto death (loss of reward, not salvation).
Rebound converts suffering from punitive discipline to suffering for blessing; circumstances may remain, but their category and bearability change.
Proper fear is missing God’s rest/plan, not circumstantial threats.
Grace vs. works: Salvation by faith alone; recovery by confession alone; no creature credit.
Applications, Illustrations, and Analogies
Application:
Begin study with silent prayer, confess known sins, cast cares on the Lord, focus on the Word.
Maintain ongoing vigilance to remain filled with the Spirit, especially during doctrinal intake.
Keep short accounts with God; rebound immediately after sin.
Utilize doctrinal rationales daily to face life’s “giants.”
Illustration (personal):
Gratitude to wife, Julie, for sacrificial service (45-minute drive, rheumatoid arthritis, daughter’s Philharmonic timing) to deliver the forgotten recording device—example of service under pressure.
Personal testimony of 20 years away from doctrine under intense discipline; later renewal took two years; ongoing use of remaining struggles as “suffering for blessing.”
Social sharing (e.g., Facebook) as overflow of private doctrinal processing.
Security team (Heidi and Bob) acknowledged—prudence affirmed; ultimate fear redirected to missing God’s plan.
Analogy:
John 13:10 bath vs. foot washing: salvation vs. post-salvation cleansing.
“Giants” language for trials; angelic conflict framework.
Anthropomorphisms and language of accommodation to describe God’s relational stance in discipline.
Attributions to Other Pastors or Sources
Pastor R.B. Thieme Jr. — “Problem solving devices” terminology; recollection of “scourges” (mastigoō) vivid definition in Hebrews 12:6 (referred to as “Pastor Themes” in the recollection).
Pastor Robert McLaughlin — “Problem solving devices” terminology.
Session Timing Reference
Content creation date: 2026-02-11 19:03:11.
This outline reflects the sermon flow delivered up to and including the review orientation at slide 58 and the subsequent teaching and application segments on that date.