Saved by faith alone? Man's doctrine vs. God's Doctrine

[Brian_Culliton]

No problem, Brian, thank you for your honesty. I have had several debates in regards to specific works, but unless the broadened term of works is defined from a Biblical perspective, the narrower term cannot be discerned. If one believes that we are saved by faith apart from works, as St. Paul rightly tells us, but one uses that verse to mean all works, then no matter which works you may want to discuss it will be a fruitless discussion. Unless one accepts the premise of what this verse means in the broad context, one cannot be more specific.

If a mechanical engineer was to begin a conversation about water flowing through a cooling tower, he would have to accept a few given rules first. He would have to know that water weighs 8.33 lbs per gallon, that one cubic foot of water is equal to 7.5 gallons or 62.25 lbs., and that these rules only apply at sea level at a barometric pressure of 29.92." Without this knowledge, the engineer could not size the pipe for this cooling tower and he could not approximate the brake horse power needed to push the water from the appropriately sized pump to the appropriately sized cooling tower.

The premise you have suggested works on much the same theory. You and I can discuss how sinful it may be to skip Sunday Mass, or why you should appear at confession at least once a year, but that discussion is fruitless since the basic theory on your end has not been understood and accepted (and I mean no disrespect when I say that).

As I stated before, I would be happy to oblige to any discussion, but let’s start a different thread or continue through pm so as to leave this thread on topic.

I wish you would just say you can’t answer my question rather than shoo me away from this topic. I am telling you that the Catholic doctrine of faith plus works is unbiblical and I gave you an example to prove it. That is not off topic. Specifics are exactly what you want to avoid because that is where your doctrine is proven wrong. You have done everything you could to respond without an answer. My conclusion is that you have no answer.

 

[Mitchell1958]

Can someone be a drunkard, an active homosexual, an adulterer, or a murderer and merely have faith which is not reflected in works of virtue overcoming vice and still be saved? If works have no relevance to salvation, then continuing in the above sins should have no effect on one’s standing before God SO LONG AS ONE HAS FAITH.

My understanding of Biblical faith is that such faith involves both interior spiritual acts and exterior physical acts. Christ makes clear that it is not those who merely call him “Lord” who are saved, but who do the works of one who lives committed to Christ’s Lordship. Christ’s interpretation of his own teaching is less obscure than St. Paul’s divinely inspired (though less direct and clear) approach.

I also question your process of discerning God’s doctrine. The God who works through his covenant people to give us sacred writings, also giving them them discernment to choose among many writings which belong in the canon; this God does not abandon his covenant people to their own interpretations of the canonical texts.

In other words, the covenant community has an essential role in deciding the meaning of these writings. Leaving this interpretive role to each individual believer would require that each be expert in ancient Hebrew, Greek, and necessary historical and cultural contexts of the writings.

It is necessary to determine that covenant community which has existed since the time of Christ. An important aid in this would be the church Fathers, especially the earliest ones who were most directly familiar with the Apostolic preaching. History and these church Fathers clearly point to the Catholic Church (with significant consideration of Byzantine/Orthodox communions).

I only accept scripture at all because it is the Catholic Church’s book. Were the Catholic Church proved not to be of Christ, then I could not believe in that Church’s book. I am glad you also appreciate the Catholic holy book.

“Grace Alone!”

 

[erikd]

I wish you would just say you can’t answer my question rather than shoo me away from this topic. I am telling you that the Catholic doctrine of faith plus works is unbiblical and I gave you an example to prove it. That is not off topic. Specifics are exactly what you want to avoid because that is where your doctrine is proven wrong. You have done everything you could to respond without an answer. My conclusion is that you have no answer.

Brian, I don’t want this to end up with you and I not responding to each other, so I will try again. If you feel that we can get through specific topics, I am all for it. Where do we go from here? Would you like me to give you a detailed analysis of the branches and the vine? I will if that’s how you want to proceed. Then I will explain in further detail why my answer is neither. If you want to cover a specific Catholic doctrine, which you feel is man made, I can do that too. Please let me know how you want to proceed.

 

[Mitchell1958]

By the way - it is important to make clear, I reject the teaching “SOLA SCRIPTURA” (emphasis on SOLA) as itself unsupportable from scripture.

Do you begin with the assumption that scripture alone (emphasis on “alone”) is the rule for determining God’s Will and/or Doctrine? If so, then what support do you have from scripture for the doctrine of sola scriptura?

This would be a tremendous help in any future dialog you enter into with Catholic or Byzantine/Orthodox Christians.

 

[erikd]

I am telling you that the Catholic doctrine of faith plus works is unbiblical and I gave you an example to prove it. That is not off topic. Specifics are exactly what you want to avoid because that is where your doctrine is proven wrong.

Have you read the attachments I left for you? That may help to explain, from a Biblical perspective why works and faith are an absolutely Biblical idea.

 

[Brian_Culliton]

Brian, I don’t want this to end up with you and I not responding to each other, so I will try again. If you feel that we can get through specific topics, I am all for it. Where do we go from here? Would you like me to give you a detailed analysis of the branches and the vine? I will if that’s how you want to proceed. Then I will explain in further detail why my answer is neither. If you want to cover a specific Catholic doctrine, which you feel is man made, I can do that too. Please let me know how you want to proceed.

I am going to try this one more time – real slow this time.

I am not talking about whether or not one can loose their salvation.

I am not talking about why Catholics confess their sins to their priest.

I am not talking about obligatory mass.

The salvation, priest and mass are all part of a scenario meant to illustrate a point about salvation by faith plus works.

The premise of my point is: what specifically are those works of salvation? The answer is there are several. So I chose to inquire about one particular area where works are involved with regards to salvation.

I hope you are still with me. I am trying to block all avenues of diversion.

You believe that if a faithful Catholic, who is in good standing with the church, commits a mortal sin they are cut off from God’s grace. Right now I do not care about why you believe that; let’s just go with it.

So now we have a Catholic who has committed a mortal sin and is no longer in a state of grace. Show me biblically how this Catholic is going to earn his way back into God’s grace by his faith and works.

 

[erikd]

I am going to try this one more time – real slow this time.

I am not talking about whether or not one can loose their salvation.

I am not talking about why Catholics confess their sins to their priest.

I am not talking about obligatory mass.

The salvation, priest and mass are all part of a scenario meant to illustrate a point about salvation by faith plus works.

The premise of my point is: what specifically are those works of salvation? The answer is there are several. So I chose to inquire about one particular area where works are involved with regards to salvation.

I hope you are still with me. I am trying to block all avenues of diversion.

You believe that if a faithful Catholic, who is in good standing with the church, commits a mortal sin they are cut off from God’s grace. Right now I do not care about why you believe that; let’s just go with it.

So now we have a Catholic who has committed a mortal sin and is no longer in a state of grace. Show me biblically how this Catholic is going to earn his way back into God’s grace by his faith and works.

The answer is I can’t because the Catholic can’t earn his way back into God’s grace. Nowhere in the Catechism or Church teaching does the Catholic Church teach that salvation can be earned. To the contrary, the Church teaches, as does the Holy Scripture, that salvation is a free gift from God (Romans 6:23). There’s a difference between earning your way and cooperating with God’s will. A Catholic, or any Christian for that matter, can cooperate with God’s will but cannot earn something that is freely given out of love by our Creator.

Cooperating with God’s grace, I think you would agree, is also very Scriptural, as in 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Romans 1:24-32. Remember that in Romans 1:5, St. Paul tells us that “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.” Certainly in order to belong to Christ we must have the spirit of Christ. Otherwise, as St. Paul again tells us in Romans 8:9 “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

That only answers part of the question but I want to stop there because I also want to take it step by step. Let me know if that covers your main objection (which I assume was about earning) and we can move on from there. You’re in the driver’s seat so let me know where we go from here. Be as specific as you’d like.

 

[erikd]

I am going to try this one more time – real slow this time.

I’d like to ask you again if you had read the two attachments I posted. They would be helpful in answering some of the objections you have. If you have read them, is there anything in particular on those that you object to? Those papers are full of Biblical quotes because I wrote them just specifically for these types of objections. Once again, you’re in the driver’s seat so I’m here to help navigate. Let me know where we go from here.

 

[fdesales]

So now we have a Catholic who has committed a mortal sin and is no longer in a state of grace. Show me biblically how this Catholic is going to earn his way back into God’s grace by his faith and works.

Erik covers this, I just want to add another aspect that hopefully, will help you understand our point of view:

A person in a state of mortal sin is “spiritually dead”. He has severed his relationship with God by willfully choosing to do a something seriously evil and knowing full well it is something evil… Wouldn’t you say this is destroying a relationship?

The only way to restore that is to call upon the Lord Jesus Christ and beg for forgiveness through the sacrament of Reconcilliation, the ministry given to man for restoring God and man, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians in his second canonical letter. We continue to have One who intercedes at the right hand of the Father, even when we sin.

If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Regards

 

[Brian_Culliton]

The answer is I can’t because the Catholic can’t earn his way back into God’s grace. Nowhere in the Catechism or Church teaching does the Catholic Church teach that salvation can be earned. To the contrary, the Church teaches, as does the Holy Scripture, that salvation is a free gift from God (Romans 6:23). There’s a difference between earning your way and cooperating with God’s will. A Catholic, or any Christian for that matter, can cooperate with God’s will but cannot earn something that is freely given out of love by our Creator.

Cooperating with God’s grace, I think you would agree, is also very Scriptural, as in 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Romans 1:24-32. Remember that in Romans 1:5, St. Paul tells us that “Through Him we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name.” Certainly in order to belong to Christ we must have the spirit of Christ. Otherwise, as St. Paul again tells us in Romans 8:9 “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”

You are saying that the Catholic in this situation cannot “earn” his way into God’s grace, but he can cooperate with God’s grace? What does that mean; how does he do that? Is it as Fdsales said, he need only call upon the Lord and beg forgiveness? If that is the answer then you and I are almost on the same page. Once he has done this he is justified in the sight of God and can participate in partaking of the Eucharist, correct?

You also said that Christians can cooperate with God’s grace; does that mean a Catholic in mortal sin is still a Christian? Fdsales said a Catholic in this situation is spiritually dead; therefore, he does not have the spirit of Christ in him. I’m a little confused about how you are correlating a Christian having the Spirit of Christ and that being the enabling factor in him cooperating with God’s grace and the notion that he is spiritually dead.

 

[crazzeto]

You are saying that the Catholic in this situation cannot “earn” his way into God’s grace, but he can cooperate with God’s grace? What does that mean; how does he do that? Is it as Fdsales said, he need only call upon the Lord and beg forgiveness? If that is the answer then you and I are almost on the same page. Once he has done this he is justified in the sight of God and can participate in partaking of the Eucharist, correct?

You also said that Christians can cooperate with God’s grace; does that mean a Catholic in mortal sin is still a Christian? Fdsales said a Catholic in this situation is spiritually dead; therefore, he does not have the spirit of Christ in him. I’m a little confused about how you are correlating a Christian having the Spirit of Christ and that being the enabling factor in him cooperating with God’s grace and the notion that he is spiritually dead.

God’s grace is something that can not be earned through any means. Not through faith, not through works. There is nothing a man can do to merit Gods grace. Rather, grace was a free gift, poured out unto the world in the fulfillment of the old covenent with Jesus hanging from a tree.

A man (not just a Catholic, but a man of any faith) can merly cooperate or choose to not cooperate with Gods free gift. Or, I guess for more simplistic terms, since we already accept that grace is a free gift think of it this way:

Let us, for the purposes of this example say that grace is a shiny new Logitech Harmony remote control. I caution here, lets not get hung up on specifics, I’m just using this as a working example to put this into a context easily understood. I understand fully that Grace is a gift way cooler than any fancy TV remote control, but I think it will help us to put this into the context of an actual gift. Think of this almost like a parable if you will.

So now, lets say you have a fancy home theater system, with a dozen or so components which all need to work in harmony in order for you to enjoy your movies. Lets say, further that your birthday is coming up, and fianlly lets say you don’t have any kind of Universal remote control, so to watch a movie you need no less than say, 3 remote controls at your disposal at any point in time.

Now lets say you have a very Charitable friend, who realizes it’s your birthday coming up. And lets say they realize your situation, and how much it fustrates you (I know it would, I’m living it ever since my puppy ate my logitech harmony remote ). So this friend buys you a Logitech Harmony 900 remote control. If you don’t know anything about these, here’s how they work breifly. You connect the remote to your computer, (name removed by moderator)ut all the devices you want to control with the remote. The remote downloads the profiles for every device from the internet, and then organizes this into so called “activities”. When it comes time to use the remote, literally you just push “Watch TV” or “Watch a Movie” button, and the remote will do exactly that, and will control all your home theater componets exactly as you want it to. How cool is that??

Now I think you would have to be foolish not to beleive that this remote control (grace) is sufficient to control your home theater exactly as you want, freeing you of all those remote controls (freeing you from sin, offering you salvation). I think it’s also fair to say that you dont deserve the Harmony remote. You didn’t really do anything to Merit it, it’s just being offered to you as a free gift.

You have two choices, cooperate with your charitable friend by thanking them (prefusly) and gratiously accepting the gift of the Harmony remote. In Christian terms, with regard to grace we do this through faith in God, working through love. The second choice, is to tell your friend “I don’t want anything to do with you, or your gift of the remote control (grace)”. In Christian terms, you do this by rejecting faith, and forgetting love and charity towards fellow man.

Any of that make sense to you?

 

[Brian_Culliton]

crazzeto,

Nice analogy, thank you! It sounds like you agree with Fdsales. The Catholic in our scenario, once he confesses his sin to God, is good to go, right? He needn’t do anything else to be in proper standing in the church; God’s grace is sufficient?

For example, let’s say this man’s sin is not going to mass on Sunday because he was too tired. Let’s say he later feels bad about that and before he goes to bed that night he asked God to forgive him and promises to try harder. When he goes to mass next Sunday everything is back to normal, he can participate in communion just as he did before because he accepts God’s grace. There is nothing else he needs to do; is that what you are telling me?

 

[crazzeto]

crazzeto,

Nice analogy, thank you! It sounds like you agree with Fdsales. The Catholic in our scenario, once he confesses his sin to God, is good to go, right? He needn’t do anything else to be in proper standing in the church; God’s grace is sufficient?

For example, let’s say this man’s sin is not going to mass on Sunday because he was too tired. Let’s say he later feels bad about that and before he goes to bed that night he asked God to forgive him and promises to try harder. When he goes to mass next Sunday everything is back to normal, he can participate in communion just as he did before because he accepts God’s grace. There is nothing else he needs to do; is that what you are telling me?

Well I think what you missed is the “…working through love” portion. Love is not unimportant, in fact it’s critical. So much so, that St. Paul writes:

Corinthians 13

2 And if I should have prophecy and should know all mysteries, and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

Lets see what St. Paul means, lets reconsider my analogy

What if your response to your Charitable friend was “give me that present, now get out of here I never want to see you again because I’m sick of you”. Well what is your friend going to do? I don’t know about you, but if I was that charitable friend my charity would dissapate rather quickly. My response would be “Oh, well I’ll just keep the remote and I think we’re done here”.

Now the problem with my anology, is it doesn’t capture the fact that “working through love”, means continously as St. Paul says. Think of it this way, would you agree with me if I were to suggest that you must continously maintain the faith, in order to continously receive saving grace from God? Well since our response is continous faith, an that faith must work through love, then we must contiously maintain our charity towards our fellow man.

If either of these fall off, then we are sepearted from the body of Christ until such time that we repent, and revive our faith working through love. This is what both St. James and St Paul are talking about in their Epistles.

 

[fdesales]

You are saying that the Catholic in this situation cannot “earn” his way into God’s grace, but he can cooperate with God’s grace? What does that mean; how does he do that? Is it as Fdsales said, he need only call upon the Lord and beg forgiveness? If that is the answer then you and I are almost on the same page. Once he has done this he is justified in the sight of God and can participate in partaking of the Eucharist, correct?

Yes. The Table is the expression of our shared unity in Christ, our common relationship in Christ by the Spirit.

You also said that Christians can cooperate with God’s grace; does that mean a Catholic in mortal sin is still a Christian?

Yes. The Jews who died in the desert rejecting God were still Jews, members of the chosen race, legally speaking. However, as Paul would say in Romans 2, they were not “spiritually circumcised”. A Christian who has been validly baptized will always be a child of God. Whether they later reject that is the matter of discussion.

Fdsales said a Catholic in this situation is spiritually dead; therefore, he does not have the spirit of Christ in him. I’m a little confused about how you are correlating a Christian having the Spirit of Christ and that being the enabling factor in him cooperating with God’s grace and the notion that he is spiritually dead.

Catholics see our relationship with God a bit differently, since our paradigm is based upon the Trinity as THE principle doctrine. Everything is based upon it. The Trinity is a relationship of Love that desires to pour Itself out, to share Itself, to reach out to the beloved, as Love does. Thus, when the Triune God reaches out to mankind to share His divine nature, calling us into union with Father, Son and Spirit, we see that relationship MUCH differently than our separated brothers.

“You” (or most separated Christians) see Christ as a substitution. He replaces us. We see God calling us into a PARTICIPATIVE relationship, not one where God pushes us aside and does things because we are inept. This establishes our paradigm, explains why we view Mary as a Co-Redemptorist, “give it up to for the sake of others”, and other such cooperative, participative mindsets. We see God and man working together because God is DRAWING US into Himself, the Trinity. As Peter wrote, we are being called to share in the Divine Nature. Protestant paradigm of God has man as something that God saves, as a parent who shakes their head in partial disgust, partial pity. WE see God as a God who condescends to US, even becoming one of us, to SHOW how much He loves us and desires that we accept His love and we return it back.

The idea of synergism is found throughout Scriptures, as Paul mentions how we are co-workers with God, how we will share in Christ’s resurrection, how Jesus Christ is our REPRESENTATIVE, as the Second Adam (rather than a replacement…) It is much more in keeping with the GOOD NEWS - God LOVES US and wants to bring us into the Divine Union of Father, Son, and Spirit. And we do not have to earn this!

On the notion of being spiritually dead and yet cooperating with God’s grace, do not be confused with Paul’s notion of “dead in sin” and equate it to physical death - and thus, "man can do nothing, being dead like a physically dead man… " That is a common Protestant mistake.

I urge you to look to Luke 15 and the Prodigal Son. Jesus twice calls the younger brother “dead”, but clearly, he returned to the Father. Christ is talking about a death of a relationship, the son killing the relationship by leaving. The son remains the son, legally, but in mind, considers the father “dead”. THIS parable clearly explains the concept that a person SPIRITUALLY dead is INDEED able to return to God, with grace, and that spiritual death is not to be equated with physical death. “Death” and “Life” speaks of the relationship that God is drawing us into (or that we draw away from), my brother. By the grace of God, a person in the state of mortal sin can be drawn back to beg for forgiveness - the man is cooperating with God’s initiative. As the Prodigal Son, we beg for forgiveness and return to partake of the fatted cow (or the Lamb, to continue the Eucharistic analogy).

Regards

 

[fdesales]

Nice analogy, thank you! It sounds like you agree with Fdsales. The Catholic in our scenario, once he confesses his sin to God, is good to go, right? He needn’t do anything else to be in proper standing in the church; God’s grace is sufficient?

For example, let’s say this man’s sin is not going to mass on Sunday because he was too tired. Let’s say he later feels bad about that and before he goes to bed that night he asked God to forgive him and promises to try harder. When he goes to mass next Sunday everything is back to normal, he can participate in communion just as he did before because he accepts God’s grace. There is nothing else he needs to do; is that what you are telling me?

This example and the following question is correctly answered.

The above example is not an example of a mortal sin, thus does not need to be absolved through sacramental Confession. The beginning of the Mass includes the “Confessional Rite” where we beg God for forgiveness in a public setting, just as the first Christians did!

I confess to almighty God,
and to you, my brothers and sisters,
that I have sinned through my own fault,
in my thoughts and in my words,
in what I have done,
and in what I have failed to do;
and I ask blessed Mary, ever virgin,
all the angels and saints,
and you, my brothers and sisters,
to pray for me to the Lord, our God.

Regards

 

[crazzeto]

Correction to my last post (can’t edit)… It sounded like the conversation was headed towards once saved, always saved. That might not be the case (looked back at everything). If that was not the case, then disregard and I apologize.

 

[Brian_Culliton]

fdesales,

You said someone who commits a mortal sin can return through the sacrament of reconciliation. How does that work? You mentioned sacramental confession, I assume that means confession to a priest. Is that a work that must be performed for one to regain salvation? If so, please provide biblical evidence to support that work of salvation.

 

[crazzeto]

fdesales,

You said someone who commits a mortal sin can return through the sacrament of reconciliation. How does that work? You mentioned sacramental confession, I assume that means confession to a priest. Is that a work that must be performed for one to regain salvation? If so, please provide biblical evidence to support that work of salvation.

The short version, you confess your sins to Jesus [through your priest, who hears your confession], Jesus then gives you absolution [through your priest] and perscribes pennance.

The long version:

[note: there’s a lot more than what I’m posting here, but you asked about confession. It should all be read to be fully understood]

usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.shtml#art4

1455
The confession (or disclosure) of sins, even from a simply human point of view, frees us and facilitates our reconciliation with others. Through such an admission man looks squarely at the sins he is guilty of, takes responsibility for them, and thereby opens himself again to God and to the communion of the Church in order to make a new future possible.

1456
Confession to a priest is an essential part of the sacrament of Penance: "All mortal sins of which penitents after a diligent self-examination are conscious must be recounted by them in confession, even if they are most secret and have been committed against the last two precepts of the Decalogue; for these sins sometimes wound the soul more grievously and are more dangerous than those which are committed openly."54

When Christ’s faithful strive to confess all the sins that they can remember, they undoubtedly place all of them before the divine mercy for pardon. But those who fail to do so and knowingly withhold some, place nothing before the divine goodness for remission through the mediation of the priest, "for if the sick person is too ashamed to show his wound to the doctor, the medicine cannot heal what it does not know."55

1457
According to the Church’s command, "after having attained the age of discretion, each of the faithful is bound by an obligation faithfully to confess serious sins at least once a year."56 Anyone who is aware of having committed a mortal sin must not receive Holy Communion, even if he experiences deep contrition, without having first received sacramental absolution, unless he has a grave reason for receiving Communion and there is no possibility of going to confession.57 Children must go to the sacrament of Penance before receiving Holy Communion for the first time.58

1458
Without being strictly necessary, confession of everyday faults (venial sins) is nevertheless strongly recommended by the Church.59 Indeed the regular confession of our venial sins helps us form our conscience, fight against evil tendencies, let ourselves be healed by Christ and progress in the life of the Spirit. By receiving more frequently through this sacrament the gift of the Father’s mercy, we are spurred to be merciful as he is merciful:60

Whoever confesses his sins . . . is already working with God. God indicts your sins; if you also indict them, you are joined with God. Man and sinner are, so to speak, two realities: when you hear “man”—this is what God has made; when you hear “sinner”—this is what man himself has made. Destroy what you have made, so that God may save what he has made. . . . When you begin to abhor what you have made, it is then that your good works are beginning, since you are accusing yourself of your evil works. The beginning of good works is the confession of evil works. You do the truth and come to the light.61

 

[Brian_Culliton]

The short version, you confess your sins to Jesus [through your priest, who hears your confession], Jesus then gives you absolution [through your priest] and perscribes pennance.

The long version:

[note: there’s a lot more than what I’m posting here, but you asked about confession. It should all be read to be fully understood]

usccb.org/catechism/text/pt2sect2chpt2.shtml#art4

The Bible says nothing about confessing my sins to a priest and it says nothing about my sins being forgiven through a priest. In fact, the Bible tells me that Christ is my Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). James urges us to confess out faults to one another (5:16). John said that if we confess our sins He (God) is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:19). (There is a whole lot more but don’t have much time right now.)

Where in the Bible do you find justification for inserting a man between a Christian and Christ? And where in the Bible does it say one must perform penance to be reconciled to God? Is faith, confession to Him, and repentance of the sin committed not good enough? Why does your church demand these unbiblical works for salvation?

 

[crazzeto]

The Bible says nothing about confessing my sins to a priest and it says nothing about my sins being forgiven through a priest. In fact, the Bible tells me that Christ is my Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). James urges us to confess out faults to one another (5:16). John said that if we confess our sins He (God) is faithful to forgive us (1 John 1:19). (There is a whole lot more but don’t have much time right now.)

Where in the Bible do you find justification for inserting a man between a Christian and Christ? And where in the Bible does it say one must perform penance to be reconciled to God? Is faith, confession to Him, and repentance of the sin committed not good enough? Why does your church demand these unbiblical works for salvation?

Yes it does, though I caution we are starting to get off topic now:

James

16 Confess therefore your sins one to another: and pray one for another, that you may be saved. For the continual prayer of a just man availeth much.

Matthew 28

18 And Jesus coming, spoke to them, saying: All power is given to me in heaven and in earth.

Luke 5

21 And the scribes and Pharisees began to think, saying: Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?

John 20

21 He said therefore to them again: Peace be to you. As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. 22 When he had said this, he breathed on them; and he said to them: Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23 Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them; and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.

Matthew 9

6 But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then said he to the man sick of palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. 7 And he arose, and went into his house. 8 And the multitude seeing it, feared, and glorified God that gave such power to men.

1 John 1

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