How does a Protestant repent after Baptism and after being "saved"?

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Darrel:
I realize that the prospect of actual spiritual presence in an object is a tough pill to swallow for a protestant.
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Darrell: I don’t think you meant what you said in that sentence; what you’re suggesting is borderline panentheism. That’s not just tough for a Protestant to swallow, it’s also tough for a Catholic to swallow (see Pius IX’s syllabus on the subject, as well as Vatican I’s pronouncement of anathematizing adherents of such thought). God is not in objects or “things,” but God can be experienced, remembered, and seen THROUGH things. Icons do not have a spiritual presence, but they CAN be a window through which to see/experience God.

In the case of a priest/pastor with a penitent, God is present through a person - in the case of one ordained, God is present through a representative of the Church. There is much more going on here than just a priestly presence; naming our sins in front of another keeps us honest and accountable, and hearing words of forgiveness from a human being, even though that forgiveness ultimately is of God, is very freeing and very powerful both psychologically and spiritually. My own Methodist background had the tradition of the society - a group of poeple who adopted similar disciplines and reported to each other weekly how they had done, confessing/repenting where they failed, uplifting each other in joys and thanksgivings, and keeping each other honest and accountable for their actions. Faith without works is dead, and works of piety were (at least in Methodist tradition) sacramental in that they were means of grace.

O+
 
O.S. Luke

Do Methodists do acts of penance. For example, religious fasting, or other Christian ascesticism employed in training the soul to virtuous and holy living. Do you know of other kinds of Protestants who do so?
 
itsjustdave1988 said:
O.S. Luke

Do Methodists do acts of penance. For example, religious fasting, or other Christian ascesticism employed in training the soul to virtuous and holy living. Do you know of other kinds of Protestants who do so?
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Lots of Methodists (and others) practice fasting (John Wesley wrote on the matter, which you can find here.) Many Protestants do these things during the Lenten season, and those under spiritual direction or practicing spiritual disciplines do so as well year-round.

A Wesleyan fast (named after John Wesley, Anglican priest and founder of Methodism) is traditionally Thursday evening, after the evening meal, until mid-afternoon on Friday, focusing time on prayer and spiritual awareness. More about this can be found here.

Traditionally, the early Methodists who wished to continue evidence of their desire of salvation attended to the following General Rules:
  • the public worship of God
  • the ministry of the Word, read or expounded
  • the Supper of the Lord/Eucharist
  • family and private prayer
  • searching the Scriptures
  • fasting or abstinence
These are the General Rules of our societies… If there be any among us who observe them not, who habitually break any of them, let it be known unto them who watch over that soul as they who must give an account. We will admonish him of the error of his ways. We will bear with him for a season. But then, if he repents not, he hath no more place among us. we have delievered our own souls. - from the 1739 United Society rules

As many Methodists practice such spiritual disciplines as I suspect do Catholics - the few, core members that serve as an example to us all in humility and discipleship.

O+
 
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rlg94086:
I would say both. Do you equate prayer with worship?
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Then how is this more direct than I praying to God.? Prayer is asking,worshipping is adoration,both are pleasing to God 👍 God Bless
 
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SPOKENWORD:
Then how is this more direct than I praying to God.? Prayer is asking,worshipping is adoration,both are pleasing to God 👍 God Bless
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Who said it was more direct? It is in addition to. Anyway, this is off-topic. The original poster was asking for non-Catholic practices of repentance, so I don’t think we should hijack his thread. If you are actually interested in learning about the Sacrament of Confession, check out these links:

catholic.com/library/Confession.asp
catholic.com/library/Forgiveness_of_Sins.asp
Is the Catholic who confesses his sins to a priest any better off than the non-Catholic who confesses directly to God? Yes. First, he seeks forgiveness the way Christ intended. Second, by confessing to a priest, the Catholic learns a lesson in humility, which is avoided when one confesses only through private prayer. Third, the Catholic receives sacramental graces the non-Catholic doesn’t get; through the sacrament of penance sins are forgiven and graces are obtained. Fourth, the Catholic is assured that his sins are forgiven; he does not have to rely on a subjective “feeling.” Lastly, the Catholic can also obtain sound advice on avoiding sin in the future.
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If you want to argue about it, start another thread in Apologetics.

God Bless,

Robert.
 
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SPOKENWORD:
Which is more direct? Through Man or through God? :confused:
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What is it that you think is going through Man and not through God?

Also, what do you do to show your repentance? Is it all interior or do you have any outward actions (prayers or service to others or anything as a token of your repentance)?

Let try not to argue on if confession is right or not. I’m mostly wanting to hear how Protestants repent since they seem to be without guidance on this and it is totally up to each individual to “discipline” themselves. I know various denomination will do this differently and I wanted to hear more about them. Confession helps the Catholic person. What helps the Protestant person become better and repent of his sins?
 
O.S. Luke:
Lots of Methodists (and others) practice fasting (John Wesley wrote on the matter, which you can find here.) Many Protestants do these things during the Lenten season, and those under spiritual direction or practicing spiritual disciplines do so as well year-round.

A Wesleyan fast (named after John Wesley, Anglican priest and founder of Methodism) is traditionally Thursday evening, after the evening meal, until mid-afternoon on Friday, focusing time on prayer and spiritual awareness. More about this can be found here.

Traditionally, the early Methodists who wished to continue evidence of their desire of salvation attended to the following General Rules:
  • the public worship of God
  • the ministry of the Word, read or expounded
  • the Supper of the Lord/Eucharist
  • family and private prayer
  • searching the Scriptures
  • fasting or abstinence
These are the General Rules of our societies… If there be any among us who observe them not, who habitually break any of them, let it be known unto them who watch over that soul as they who must give an account. We will admonish him of the error of his ways. We will bear with him for a season. But then, if he repents not, he hath no more place among us. we have delievered our own souls. - from the 1739 United Society rules

As many Methodists practice such spiritual disciplines as I suspect do Catholics - the few, core members that serve as an example to us all in humility and discipleship.

O+
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I like this post. Now, I’m learning something. Thank you.
 
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Shibboleth:
I doubt that this was your intent but you should really repent before you take the Eucharist.
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I don’t think he “took the Eucharist”. I think he was referring to the Blessed Sacrament in adoration. His experience in adoration was moving. That is a wonderful event. I experienced myself just as I started the RCIA program. It gave me a lot of strength that I ended up needing very much.
 
Well we’ve all probably been around and around and around and aro…ok get the point! LOL! We’ve all probably been going around in circles trying to explain to those who simply do not understand the Sacrament of Reconciliation or confession if you were born before me!

I’ve been reading the many comments made by a typical non cath who i’ve met many times just with different faces and with different names!

I’m sure everyone has told this bloke that the idea of Confession is that you confess to Christ! Christ HIMSELF has appeared many times to saints and explained the importance of going to confession. NOt only that He says that when we go to confession we are confession to Christ!

To also stress the Importance of Confession, which by the way is a gift from the Holy Spirit which comes from Christ who comes from GOD the Father, Our Lady has also appeared to many saints and has stressed the importance of going to confession! Especially on the first Sat, of every month!

So to conclude theres just too much evidence that proves the importance of Confessions, which is a gift from teh Holy Spirit, which comes from Christ who comes from God the Father! So WHY do those not believe in the power of Confession?!

Unless those who do not believe and go to confession with a CATHOLIC priest who has concecrated hands, UNLESS you experience the POwer the love the forgiveness from Our Lord, than you will NEVER believe the importance of Confession , which is a gift from the Holy Spirit, which comes from Christ who comes from God the Father!

As it says in the BIBLE! Yes the non cath sole source of Christian teachings, it says, what you ( as in the Apostles, inc. St Peter) bound on earth will be bound in heaven , and what you do not bound on earth will not be bound in HEaven!

So still got doubts? Well then I dare a non cath to have a serious reflection time about yourself and have the courage to go to Confession especially if it is a Mortal Sin because I tell you I have been to confession in 04 for the first time since high school, and I had commited a mortal sin, I had carried it with me for over a year and when I finally went to confession and I was truely sorry for my sins, I was in tears and I think I was in there for like ages! and mass was delayed because of me…oops but the priest didn’t mind! Anyways afterwards I recieved advice and guidence and ofcause my penance which was to go to a mass! And after that Mass has become so much more holier for me and more Powerful as you can truely feel Christ once again! Like He never left but being in a state of sin He cant fully come into us as I understand it!

Ok so I’ve given everyone something to read about and also what you confess you are then given graces by God the Father not only forgiveness but also the graces needed not to sin again!

But then I’m not the expert this is from my experience and understanding of Confession, which is a gift from the Holy Spirit, who comes from Christ who comes from God the Father!

Amen
 
O.S. Luke:
Darrell: I don’t think you meant what you said in that sentence; what you’re suggesting is borderline panentheism. That’s not just tough for a Protestant to swallow, it’s also tough for a Catholic to swallow (see Pius IX’s syllabus on the subject, as well as Vatican I’s pronouncement of anathematizing adherents of such thought). God is not in objects or “things,” but God can be experienced, remembered, and seen THROUGH things. Icons do not have a spiritual presence, but they CAN be a window through which to see/experience God.

In the case of a priest/pastor with a penitent, God is present through a person - in the case of one ordained, God is present through a representative of the Church. There is much more going on here than just a priestly presence; naming our sins in front of another keeps us honest and accountable, and hearing words of forgiveness from a human being, even though that forgiveness ultimately is of God, is very freeing and very powerful both psychologically and spiritually. My own Methodist background had the tradition of the society - a group of poeple who adopted similar disciplines and reported to each other weekly how they had done, confessing/repenting where they failed, uplifting each other in joys and thanksgivings, and keeping each other honest and accountable for their actions. Faith without works is dead, and works of piety were (at least in Methodist tradition) sacramental in that they were means of grace.

O+
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Thank you for your reply,

For the purpose of clarity I will explain in detail what I am saying. I am speaking in reference to being exposed to Christ’s literal presence in the Eucharist while in prayer at a chapel of adoration.

As far as I know the Catholic Church teaches that the Eucharist is quite literally Christ. I was just there this evening after work and felt his literal presence again. I do not feel it is remotely symbolic and in all honesty if it were symbolic I would not waste my time going.

In the past I considered this to be straight up idolatry… now that God has shown me the truth I must say I was most certainly incorrect for the better part of 20 years.

-D
 
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Shibboleth:
I doubt that this was your intent but you should really repent before you take the Eucharist.
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I’m not clear on this comment in regards to when I should repent. I am not yet a Catholic who can receive at a mass. I have only spent time in a temple of adoration in prayer and have attended mass without going to the front to receive.

Are you saying I should repent before entering the chapel of adoration to pray? I ask this in all sincerity because I am quite new to all of this

-D
 
sorry I got a little off track with my last post! 😦 Duibuqi!
 
Dear Darrel,

I think you were only misunderstood. Come to Eucharistic Adoration any time in whatever state you are in. It can only do you good.

Dear WhatIf,

What I found unique about Catholicism when I joined was the notion of reparation. This was not part of my Protestant background (Baptist). The notion entrenched itself on my conscience one day (still a Protestant) when an argument flared up between two members of my Church. One was a new Christian who had stolen something from the other person while the first one was not yet a Christian. Upon conversion, the new Christian confessed his sin to the other, but did not feel he needed to pay back what was stolen. His reasoning was that he was forgiven and his sin and all memory of it had been blotted out in the eyes of God. The issue came up before the congregation, and the new Christian eventually relented to pay back the worth of what he had stolen. The basis for his reimbursement was that “it was the Christian thing to do” on the grounds of St. Paul’s exhortation not to owe anyone anything except love. It disturbed me somewhat that the rationale for his reimbursement was not the result of an obligation to make up for his sin, but simply out of love with no reference to his past sin. It simply did not make sense that his reimbursement was portrayed as having nothing to do with his past sin, when in fact it was the very cause of it.

Needless to say, this was one of the many little things that eventually led me to the Catholic Church.

God bless,

Greg
 
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GAssisi:
Dear Darrel,

I think you were only misunderstood. Come to Eucharistic Adoration any time in whatever state you are in. It can only do you good.

Dear WhatIf,

What I found unique about Catholicism when I joined was the notion of reparation. This was not part of my Protestant background (Baptist). The notion entrenched itself on my conscience one day (still a Protestant) when an argument flared up between two members of my Church. One was a new Christian who had stolen something from the other person while the first one was not yet a Christian. Upon conversion, the new Christian confessed his sin to the other, but did not feel he needed to pay back what was stolen. His reasoning was that he was forgiven and his sin and all memory of it had been blotted out in the eyes of God. The issue came up before the congregation, and the new Christian eventually relented to pay back the worth of what he had stolen. The basis for his reimbursement was that “it was the Christian thing to do” on the grounds of St. Paul’s exhortation not to owe anyone anything except love. It disturbed me somewhat that the rationale for his reimbursement was not the result of an obligation to make up for his sin, but simply out of love with no reference to his past sin. It simply did not make sense that his reimbursement was portrayed as having nothing to do with his past sin, when in fact it was the very cause of it.

Needless to say, this was one of the many little things that eventually led me to the Catholic Church.

God bless,

Greg
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What a great example of what part of the meaning of the Sacrament of Reconciliation is. Some non-catholics ( I won’t speak word of his name:)) do not understand the many facets of confession of sin. We are doing everything that the Protestant does in confessing sin DIRECTLY to God and MORE. When Christians sin we hurt the Church as a whole. Penance is to help repair this damage that we’ve done to the Christian Community. This is how I understand it.

I am happy to read that some Protestants also focus on reparation and turn to each other for help in the struggle to avoid sin. As Catholic’s we have the Priest and absolution to help us, but also our peers can be a tremendous help and I think Protestant churches are very strong in their “fellowship” which is a great help to many. I just never knew if they kept their struggle against sinning totally private and interior or if they had a “process” that helped pull them out of sinful behaviors. I am thankful for those who do not want to argue that CAtholic are wrong, but instead help me understand what Protestants do to stay on the narrow path.
 
I might also add that the issue of reparation was something which was also a factor in my decision not to join the Orthodox Church. It is only the Catholic Church which offers the holistic approach of not only evangelical perfection (theosis in the Orthodox Church), but also the necessity of reparation for one’s sins (temporal punishment).

God bless,

Greg
 
I can’t tell you how a Protestant repents after baptism since I am not one. I can tell you how a Christian repents. We do what the bible says.

There are 3 parts to repenting.

1 - You must confess to God what you’ve done. 1 John 1:9 says -
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
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In confessing to God what we’ve done we admit our wrongs.

2 - We must repent of this sin or turn away from the practice of it. Merely confessing is not enough. If we do confess our sins to God and are truly sorry then we will turn away from it. Luke 13:3 says -
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
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3 - We must make reparations for our wrong doing. If our sin caused another to be harmed in any manner we must try to repair what we did. Jesus says in Matthew 5:24 -
Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother
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, and then come and offer thy gift. This is a principle of God even going back to the earliest of the OT. Leviticus 6:2-4 says -
2 If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour; 3 Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein: 4 Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore
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that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,
 
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