The Grace of Confession, Part 7

Jan 28, 2026 • James Ramieri

01-28-26 The Grace of Confession 7

I. Introduction and Opening Prayer

A. Welcome and Technical Setup

Acknowledgement of God's grace in the quick computer setup.

The Lord provides.

B. Preparation for Silent Prayer: The Importance of the Series

This is week seven, the seventh hour on the study of the "grace of confession."

Recommendation for new listeners to start the series from the beginning due to its power.

The series is based on the principle of taking a moment of silent prayer.

Scripture Reference: 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."

Doctrinal Point: Confession of sin is how we are filled with the Spirit, not indwelled by the Spirit.

This means being controlled by the Holy Spirit, our true teacher.

This is the mechanism for learning and metabolizing Bible doctrine.

C. The Believer's Power System

Confession is one-half of the power system ordained by God for the "new spiritual species."

The two components of the power system are:

1. The filling of the Holy Spirit.

2. The perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine.

Analogy: Just as we need to drink water and eat food for physical survival, we need the filling of the Spirit and Bible doctrine for spiritual operation. This is the power system for the new spiritual species created at salvation.

D. Call to Silent Prayer

Instruction to take a moment of silent prayer.

In addition to confessing sins, believers should cast their cares upon the Lord.

Scripture Reference: 1 Peter 5:7 (He cares for us).

E. Opening Prayer (Verbatim)

"Father, I thank you so much once again for this opportunity that we have to come together and gather around your word, Father. I thank you for this life, and I thank you for everything that we need, Father, for life and for godliness you have provided. I thank you for every person here, God. I pray that the Holy Spirit would open up the hearts of your people right now, that we would hear this word, that it would, you would quicken it to our souls, that it would edify us, Father, and that it would help us to execute the plan that you have for our lives. I pray, Father, as always, that you would be able to give me the power to speak with the authority that your word deserves, and also speak with the grace that your word teaches in Jesus' name. Amen."

F. Post-Prayer Remarks

Minor interruptions (like a phone alarm) do not "break the anointing" and should be moved on from.

II. Review of Key Concepts from Previous Lessons

A. Introduction to Review

The pastor has printed out a review from the previous week's lesson.

B. Rebound vs. Recovery

Rebound: Defined as the instantaneous restoration of fellowship with God through confession.

Based on 1 John 1:9 .

It restores the filling of the Holy Spirit immediately.

Recovery: Defined as the ongoing process of renewing the mind and restoring momentum.

This is achieved through: faith, rest, drill, grace orientation, and doctrinal orientation.

Distinction: Rebound is instant; Recovery is progressive.

Recovery is where repentance (changing your mind) fits in.

C. The Nature of Confession

Confession is non-meritorious.

Word Study: The Greek word is homologeo.

Definition: To name, cite, or acknowledge sin to God.

III. Review of Key Principles of Confession (Weeks 1-7)

A. Introduction to the Review

Confession requires no emotion, guilt, sorrow, promises, or penance.

Forgiveness is based on God's faithfulness and justice, not human merit.

Adding anything to confession corrupts grace.

This study will address a movement within Christianity (starting around late 1999/early 2000s) that claims confession is not necessary.

This movement may have started from genuine concerns about people adding unbiblical requirements (guilt, penance) to confession.

The type of confession they react against is not the type being taught in this series, which is a simple, non-meritorious act.

B. The Three Imputations and the Cross

1. Adam's original sin was imputed to our sin nature at birth.

2. All of our personal sins (past, present, and future) were imputed to Christ at the cross.

This is a critical point of the study.

Previous lessons (Grace of Confession 1, 2, 3) provide extensive scriptural proof.

Since all sins were imputed to Christ and judged, they were already forgiven.

Therefore, believers cannot be condemned or judged for them in time.

It is essential to know what sin is and how to deal with it accurately and precisely according to God's method.

Illustration: One can be sincere but sincerely wrong. Doing things God's way is required to get God's results. God's way is not a mystery; it's a matter of seeking it and applying it.

C. Positional vs. Experiential Forgiveness

Positional Forgiveness: Legal, eternal, and complete at the moment of salvation. Positionally, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places.

Experiential Forgiveness: Pertains to fellowship and restoration in time when we sin.

Confession restores the filling of the Holy Spirit.

We do not confess to stay saved; we confess to stay in fellowship.

D. The Volitional Aspect of Confession in the Angelic Conflict

This addresses the question: "If all our sins were forgiven, why must we confess them?"

The answer is established by the totality of the study, not a single verse.

Confession is a free-will declaration that:

Rejects the cosmic system.

Chooses the plan of God.

Expresses the desire to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

When you name and cite your sins, you are essentially telling God, "I want to be in Your plan and do it Your way."

The specific sin is not the issue, as it has already been paid for. Confession is simply agreeing with God about the sin.

God already knows what you did and has already judged it at the cross. Confession is tapping into that finished work.

This act is done without adding guilt, emotion, or penance. Whether you feel bad or not is irrelevant; the key is to deal with recognized sin as God commands.

E. God's Integrity as the Basis for Forgiveness

God forgives based on His integrity (faithfulness and justice), not our emotion or merit.

Righteousness demands perfection.

Justice executes what righteousness demands.

The Cross satisfies both God's righteousness and justice.

F. The Cleansing Power of Confession

Though sin is paid for legally, it still pollutes the conscience and the soul.

Confession cleanses the soul and conscience, restoring fellowship experientially.

G. Guilt After Confession

Guilt after confession is a sin.

Prolonged guilt is unbelief and arrogance.

Illustration: People may think someone feeling extreme guilt is pious ("look at how sad that person is about their sin"), but it's actually arrogance.

The solution is to confess the sin of guilt itself: "Father, I confess the sin of guilt." This brings instant restoration of fellowship.

If Christ paid for the sin, rejecting His forgiveness insults the cross.

Guilt must be confessed and rejected by faith.

H. Discipline vs. Judgment

Judgment for sin occurred at the cross and will never happen again for the believer.

Divine discipline may remain after sin, but once the believer confesses and is back in fellowship, that discipline becomes "suffering for blessing."

I. Summary Statement of the Review

"All of our sins were forgiven at the cross positionally. Confession does not make God forgive us. Confession allows us, by our free will, to enter back into fellowship and function in the plan of God."

"Confession is not about paying for sin. It is about aligning our volition with God's plan and restoring divine power in the Christian life."

IV. Reconciling the Efficacy of the Cross with the Mandate for Confession

A. The Seeming Contradiction

The contradiction: If all our sins have been forgiven, why must we confess them?

The simplest answer: Because God says to do it.

The complete answer is found in the totality of this study series.

B. Analysis of Colossians 2:13

Scripture: Colossians 2:13 - "And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings."

Grammatical Point (Greek): The phrase "having forgiven" is a participle. In Greek, the action of the participle must occur before the action of the main verb.

Main Verb: "He made you alive." (Salvation)

Participle: "having forgiven us all our wrongdoings."

Conclusion: The forgiveness of all sins (past, present, future) had to happen at the cross before we could be "made alive" (saved).

This verse indicates a past-tense, completed action of forgiveness for all transgressions.

C. Re-examining 1 John 1:9 in Light of Colossians 2:13

Scripture: 1 John 1:9 - "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Grammatical Point (Greek):

The word "If" indicates a condition.

The verbs "forgive" and "cleanse" are in the subjunctive mood, meaning the action may or may not happen, depending on the fulfillment of the "if" condition (confession).

Doctrinal Application:

This parallels salvation, which is by "faith alone in Christ alone"—a non-meritorious system of perception.

Any addition to faith (e.g., walking an aisle, baptism, raising hands) negates the principle of grace.

Scripture Reference (Implicit): Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For by grace are you saved, through faith... not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Confession operates on the same non-meritorious principle. God will not accept additions like sorrow, promises to do better, or religious activity. It must be only naming and citing the sin.

D. The Basis of Forgiveness in 1 John 1:9

"He is faithful and righteous (or just)."

Faithfulness of God: God is immutable and always does the same thing. He always forgives when you name and cite your sin.

He will do this even if it's the 490th time in one day for the same sin.

Illustration: God's immutability is a favorite attribute because it means He is dependable and doesn't change. Unlike people who may have "bad days," God is always the same. His policy is always grace.

Analogy: A book about living with bipolar individuals is titled Stop Walking on Eggshells. With God, we never have to "walk on eggshells" because His character is constant.

Righteousness/Justice of God: God is just in forgiving us because of Colossians 2:13. Since Christ satisfied the demands of God's righteousness at the cross, God's justice is now free to bless us.

Our present (experiential) forgiveness is about our volition lining up with the plan of God, which accesses the provision already made.

V. The Simplicity of Confession and the Efficacy of the Cross

A. Why Only Confession is Required

The fact that only confession is required emphasizes the complete efficacy of Christ's substitutionary atonement.

God made the process simple and easy, paralleling salvation.

Salvation: By faith (Greek: pisteuō , to believe), a non-meritorious verb. Anyone can do it.

Confession: By confessing (Greek: homologeō, to name and cite), a non-meritorious act. Anyone can do it. It requires no special intelligence, education, or merit.

B. The Error of Adding to Confession

When someone says confession is "too easy" or "not enough" (e.g., the Lordship Salvation crowd), they are inadvertently attacking the sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross.

This implies that the cross was not enough and we must add our own works or merit.

A critical question for those who hold this view: "Were the sins paid for at the cross, or were they not?" You cannot have it both ways. It is illogical to say Christ paid for all sins, but we still have to work to make it up to God.

Verses used to support such ideas are often misapplied, confusing the loss of rewards in heaven with the loss of salvation.

Clarification: This doesn't mean there are no consequences for sin (e.g., David's murder and adultery). Believers do not get off "scot-free."

You will not lose your salvation.

You can be restored to fellowship.

However, the longer a believer is out of fellowship (not naming and citing sins), the more divine discipline they will bring upon themselves.

C. The True Results of Confession

Scripture Reference: 1 John 1:9 : "He forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness."

The Danger of Adding to Confession:

If you name your sin and add a promise, you will not be forgiven or cleansed.

If you name your sin and add human emotion or works (feeling guilty, walking an aisle, feeling bad), you will not be forgiven or cleansed.

We are only forgiven and cleansed when we add nothing to the simple act of confession as prescribed.

D. The Flesh's Resistance to Simple Confession

The act of simply naming and citing sin feels unnatural because of our flesh (sin nature).

The devil desires "creature credit" and opposes the grace of God.

Our flesh wants to be involved in the process, similar to how it wants to contribute to salvation.

The flesh rebels against the idea of simply having to trust God without adding anything.

We project our own human standards onto God; we wouldn't forgive people for some of the things they do.

The Basis of God's Forgiveness: It's not God simply dismissing our sins. The basis is the cross; our sins have already been paid for and judged.

The verbs "cleanse" and "forgive" are in the subjunctive mood.

The same principle applies to post-salvation forgiveness as it does to salvation: God will not make "faith plus anything" effectual.

VI. Following God's Precise Procedure

A. The Pre-designed Plan of God

The pre-designed plan of God for a believer's life is based on following the precise, correct procedure ordained by God (future sermon series mentioned).

The doctrines of "walking" and the "grace of confession" establish these important procedures.

The precise, correct procedure is always non-meritorious. Man can never take credit.

B. The Right Thing in the Right Way

"The right thing must be done in the right way. If a right thing is done in the wrong way, it becomes wrong."

Illustration: Giving. Giving is a right thing, but if not done with proper motivation while filled with the Spirit, it becomes a wrong act.

The right thing and the right way are clearly delineated in the Bible. We must take time to learn it to function correctly as a child of God.

VII. Word Study: "Cleanse Us From All Unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9)

A. Grammatical Breakdown

Original Language (Greek): The prepositional phrase is apo pasēs adikias .

apo : Preposition translated "from."

pasēs: Means "all."

adikias: Comes from the root word dikaios (righteousness). The "a" is a negative prefix, making it adikias (unrighteousness).

Meaning: At the moment of confession, God cleanses us from the immediate source of any filth or garbage that has entered the soul.

This is a powerful part of 1 John 1:9, beyond just forgiveness.

B. Three Categories of Unrighteousness Cleansed at Confession

1. The Effects of Unknown Sins (Sins of Ignorance)

Adikias (A-D-I-K-I-A-S)

When we name and cite known sins, we often have other sins we are unaware of.

Sins of ignorance are still sins (a choice of our volition) but have been judged at the cross.

When we confess a known sin, God is faithful to forgive it AND cleanse us from the unrighteousness of unknown sins.

This is necessary for the filling of the Spirit to be possible.

Application: You don't need to keep confessing as you remember past sins. You must trust God's Word that He has cleansed you from all unrighteousness.

Prayer for others mentioned: Praying for them to trust God and not lean on their own understanding.

Scripture Reference (Paraphrased): A prayer for others to "trust the Lord your God with all... do not lean on your own understanding but acknowledge him in all your ways and he will direct your path." (Proverbs 3:5-6).

This is not blind faith, but trusting God's Word even when we don't fully understand how it works.

God is faithful, just, and immutable; He will not pull the rug out from under you.

2. The Influence of Human Good and Its Resultant Impressions

When out of fellowship, a believer can fall into:

Cosmic Two: Religion, legalism, morality, hatred of doctrine.

As opposed to Cosmic One: Overt sinning.

The soul becomes influenced by human good, which is anti-doctrine.

The resulting impressions often lead to mental attitude sins (self-righteousness, judging others) and sins of the tongue.

The arrogance complex of sins and the emotional complex of sins can play off each other (e.g., anxiety/worry leading to arrogance).

Application: Keep short accounts with God. Don't let sins pile up.

Recalls the study on David's life, who went nine months or more without confession.

Personal Illustration: The speaker shares a recent experience where he "blew it" and initially didn't want to confess because he wasn't happy with the person or situation.

Principle: "Nothing and no one is worth being out of the pre-designed plan of God for your life."

Do not wait to "cool down," "process," or "feel better" before confessing. The moment you realize it's a sin is the moment to confess.

Forgiveness is not based on your desire to confess, but on God's promise.

A believer can sin (Cosmic One), feel guilty, and then move to religion (Cosmic Two). In both states, they are out of God's plan and picking up garbage that needs cleansing.

When you confess the overt sin, the guilt that resulted is also cleansed.

3. The Influence of Evil Picked Up While Out of Fellowship

Definition of Evil: Satan's system of thinking that opposes the grace plan of God.

Distinction: All sin is evil, but not all evil is sin. Not all acts of immorality are necessarily getting caught up in "evil."

It can be easier to recover from acts of immorality (Cosmic One) than from evil (Cosmic Two).

A person who commits an immoral act, recognizes it, and confesses can get back into fellowship more easily.

Delving into evil involves the mind being corrupted by the thinking of the world.

Scripture Reference: Romans 12:2: Being conformed to the world, squeezed into its mold.

Characteristics of Evil: It is organized, strategic opposition to God's plan. It operates through:

Human good

Religion

Legalism

Arrogance

Counterfeit righteousness

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 6:12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

Our struggle is not against people.

The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual.

VIII. The Doctrine of Evil: Counterfeit Righteousness

A. The New Spiritual Species & Introduction to Counterfeit Righteousness

The believer is a new creature, a new spiritual species that cannot sin. This is why immorality is not an issue for the new creature itself.

God's ways are higher than our ways. He has created a new spiritual species.

The following are examples of counterfeit righteousness, which are substitutes for God's plan.

B. Examples of Counterfeit Righteousness

1. Moralism:

Example: A person believes they are spiritual because they avoid obvious sins and live a moral life.

Why it's counterfeit: Morality is not God's righteousness. God's righteousness is imputed, not earned.

Cross-reference: Isaiah 64:6.

2. Legalism:

Example: A believer measures spirituality by church attendance, Bible reading quotas, giving, or cultural rules.

Why it's counterfeit: Spirituality is based on the filling of the Spirit and metabolized doctrine, not external rules. This is doing a right thing in the wrong way, making it wrong.

Cross-reference: Galatians 3:3.

3. Emotionalism:

Example: A person believes they are spiritual because of strong emotional experiences, feelings, or religious excitement.

Why it's counterfeit: Emotion is a responder, not a leader. Spirituality is objective, not based on subjective feelings.

Cross-reference: Jeremiah 17:9.

4. Works-Based Salvation or Sanctification:

Definition: Adding conditions like baptism, repentance of sins, surrender, or commitment as requirements for salvation or spirituality.

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 2:8-9 - "for by grace are you saved through faith alone."

Doctrinal Point: Nothing can be added to what God has already done for salvation and spirituality.

5. Pharisaical or Hypocritical Righteousness:

Definition: Public spirituality with private arrogance, bitterness, or hidden sin.

Doctrinal Point: This is counterfeit because it is external righteousness without internal doctrine and the control of the Spirit.

Scripture Reference (Mentioned): Matthew 23.

6. Social or Political Activism/Spirituality:

Definition: Equating Christian spirituality with social reform or political activism.

Personal Illustration: The speaker was once involved in political activism, not for religious reasons, but due to a natural tendency to be a crusader.

Doctrinal Point: An unbeliever can be blessed by operating under the laws of divine establishment, but a believer operating this way will be under divine discipline.

Doctrinal Point: This is counterfeit because the Church Age mission is evangelism and doctrine, not reforming Satan's system.

Attribution: Pastor Bob (Robert McLaughlin) has spoken about people blowing up abortion clinics and engaging in civil unrest.

Application: Believers are not to be involved in "any of this baloney," including civil unrest, fighting ICE, or getting rid of the government.

Peaceful protest is a right, but the term is used loosely today. It is not God's calling for a believer to be involved in civil unrest.

Scripture Reference (Mentioned): Romans chapter 13 deals with submission to government, even tyrannical ones like that of Emperor Nero.

Christians are not called to overthrow governments or prepare for civil wars. The devil leads believers out of God's plan through these activities.

Core Principle: We are "citizens of heaven." This alone answers the issue.

7. Self-Condemnation and False Humility:

Definition: A believer refusing to accept forgiveness and living in perpetual guilt.

Doctrinal Point: This is counterfeit because it rejects the finished work of Christ and is arrogance disguised as humility.

Illustration: People who seem impressive by how bad they feel about their past sins.

Saying "God could never forgive me" is arrogance, not humility. It implies one's sin is too great for God to forgive.

The Holy Spirit shines the light of the gospel.

Scripture Reference (Paraphrased): John 3:16 - "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

Once you believe this, you must get out of the mode of thinking you can't be forgiven.

Application/Exhortation: This point is made forcefully to "wake someone up." Get out of the self-pity, "woe is me" mode. All of us are "no good," which is the point of the cross.

Saying "I can't live the Christian life" is correct. You are not supposed to. God provides a power system (the Holy Spirit) to live it, and He gets the credit.

Application: If you "blow it," confess it to God and move on.

8. Religious Ritual Without Doctrine:

Definition: Treating rituals, sacraments, or penance as having spiritual power.

Illustration: Fasting.

It is being promoted by some churches online.

Fasting for health reasons has benefits, but it does not make you more spiritual.

There is no New Testament commandment to fast.

If you do it, do it privately between you and God, recognizing it's for setting aside time to focus on Him, not adding to your righteousness.

Doctrinal Point: Ritual without doctrine is just an empty ceremony.

Scripture Reference: Hebrews 10:14 - "For by one offering, he has perfected for all time those who are sanctified."

Interpretation: There are no more rituals that can add to the finished work of Christ. One offering took care of everything.

Illustration: The Lord's Supper.

It is the only ritual commanded in the New Testament.

We do it "in remembrance" of what has already taken place. It is not a habit or a new ritual.

Illustration: Catholicism, praying the rosary, repeating prayers.

Any ritual without sound doctrine is meaningless and is counterfeit righteousness.

C. Clarification: Spirituality vs. Morality

Attribution: Pastor Bob (Robert McLaughlin) has taught this.

"Morality is not the Christian life; spirituality is the Christian life."

This does not mean Christians have no moral standards.

Spirituality is higher than morality and therefore includes morality.

A believer on the path to spiritual growth will have higher standards than the average person who is just trying to be moral.

D. The Doctrine of Eternal Security

It is impossible to lose your salvation. If it were possible, every believer would lose it.

Personal Anecdote: In the 1990s, wrestling with this concept and being in a church that didn't teach eternal security. The idea of losing salvation was illogical.

"If I could lose my salvation, at what point does it happen? Is it one sin? Is it habitual sin? Is it 490 sins, but 491 is the limit?" The concept never made sense.

The argument is not an excuse to sin (as the Lordship Salvation crowd claims). It's about correctly dividing the word and understanding the sin issue.

If our salvation depended on us "even a little bit," none of us would make it. Since it depends entirely on God, there is nothing we can do to mess it up.

We can, however, mess up our lives in time, lose rewards, and come under divine discipline. This will be covered in future topics like the "Seven Laws of the Harvest."

E. The Error of Sinless Perfectionism

There is a movement in Christianity that believes a believer can reach a state of sinless perfection in this life.

This is an arrogant thought.

Attribution: Pastor Bob (McLaughlin) used to say regarding the sin nature, "[When will it be gone?] When the sin nature goes into the ground," and would joke about calling the person's wife to verify their sinlessness.

F. Summary Principle of Righteousness

Key Doctrinal Principle:

True righteousness is imputed at salvation.

It is produced in time by the filling of the Holy Spirit and metabolized doctrine.

Counterfeit Righteousness (Definition Recap): Any human substitute (ability, morality, emotion, religion, works) for God's righteousness. It may look good to people but has no value with God.

This section is referred to as a "commercial" or "summary" on counterfeit righteousness.

IX. The Cleansing from All Unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 Context)

A. Review: Going back to the influence of evil picked up while out of fellowship.

Evil is organized, strategic opposition to God's plan, operating through human good, religion, legalism, arrogance, and counterfeit righteousness.

B. Distinction:

Sin offends God's righteousness.

Evil attacks God's grace/policy of grace.

C. Context: "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." All these evil influences are cleansed as well.

D. Distinction between Sin and Evil:

Sin: An individual act of disobedience (mental, verbal, or overt) which can occur in weakness, ignorance, or failure.

Evil: A deliberate alignment with Satan's cosmic system. It includes human good, legalistic morality, religious self-righteousness, intellectual arrogance, and false doctrine.

Evil always includes sin, but it is "sin with direction, purpose, and strategy."

Key Principle: Evil is what happens when human ability replaces divine provision.

X. The Cleansing Process and the Role of Bible Doctrine

Cleansing from human good and evil can only happen through doctrine in the soul.

The filling of the Spirit is instantly restored at confession (rebound), but the cleansing process (recovery) comes from the Word of God.

Recovery requires:

1. Applying doctrine you have already metabolized.

2. Perceiving, metabolizing, and applying new doctrine needed for recovery.

A. Scriptural Support for the Cleansing Process

Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees shows God's attitude toward legalism.

Scripture Reference: Matthew 23:24

"You blind guides who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel."

Interpretation: They meticulously filter a small impurity but metaphorically swallow a camel, a filthy animal.

Scripture Reference: Matthew 23:25

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence."

Note: Calling someone a "hypocrite" was equivalent to using the "F word."

Scripture Reference: Matthew 23:26

"You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean."

Scripture Reference: Matthew 23:27-28

"Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you too outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."

Scripture Reference: John 15:3

"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you."

Scripture Reference: 2 Corinthians 7:1

"Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Scripture Reference: Hebrews 9:14

"How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"

Scripture Reference: James 4:8

"Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."

Future Topic Preview: The story of Jesus washing Peter's feet.

Jesus said those who have taken a bath are already cleansed but need their feet washed.

Analogy: The feet represent contact with the world (cosmic system).

This passage will be used to address the heresy that confession is not necessary for the believer.

Scripture Reference: Ephesians 5:26

"so that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word."

XI. Conclusion and Future Topics

A. End of Tonight's Lesson: Will stop here for the night.

B. Next Week's Topic: The heresy of "sinless perfection."

The slides for this are available to review.