Why do we need confession?

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cbirtell

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I guess I am a little confused… Why do we even need confession and why is it an obligation?

I came across these verses… Acts 10:43, Romans 4:7, Ephesians 1:7… They all talk about how JESUS is who we ask and who we go to, to ask for forgiveness… Also saying our sins were forgiven on the cross. So I really don’t see the point in confession… Seems a little strange to me.
Confession to me is like I can go sin and do whatever I want because I can just go to a Priest every week and somehow my sins are forgiven???
Any feedback is appreciated!
 
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cbirtell said:
Confession to me is like I can go sin and do whatever I want because I can just go to a Priest every week and somehow my sins are forgiven???
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I am sure someone else will address your other concerns but I really want to address this one. I was a Protestant for seven years and would sometimes think this as well when discussing Catholics. However, now that I’m a Catholic I see how false this was. As a Protestant I was taught once saved always saved and that God would forgive any sins I would do even in the future. This led me to not care about my sin as much because I knew that it would stay “between me and God”.As a Catholic many times I’m deterred from sin because I would not want to have to confess that to someone. Confession is a humbling experience. As a Protestant I thought I could just “sin and be forgiven” with ease. As a Catholic, I know I will have to confess my sins to someone else. The second definitely deters me much more.
 
Jesus commissioned the apostles to go out, hear confessions, and to choose whether to grant absolution (John 20:23). Note that they could only choose to forgive or retain the sins if they knew what the sins were. Jesus established a living Church that would last millenia, and this ministry was passed down from the apostles to our priests and bishops today. Confession is an ancient practice which goes back to antiquity.

It is Jesus who forgives sins through the priest. The priests are his instruments in the sacraments. When we sin, we sin against Christ and his body, the Church. The Church reconciles us to both in Confession.

We do this not because God is limited in power but because it’s what Christ commanded of us.

As for “I have license to sin because I can just go to a priest…” First , that is wrong and a terrible attitude. But why is this any different than going straight to God? People can just do the same thing. “I’ll sin now then immediately pray to God.”

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is what makes Confession truly possible. Note that becoming Christian doesn’t stop us from sinning. To be Christian isn’t just to be done with needing being good. It’s a road, a transformation, and we get assistance, guidance, reconciliation, absolution, and grace through the sacrament.
 
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That’s great that you didn’t. But that wasn’t my experience by far. My point was that Catholics don’t think “you can just sin and be forgiven by a priest so let’s sin!!” It’s a poor argument from Protestants.
 
Why would you reject a sacrament that conveys God’s grace and helps you to avoid sin?

Why would you not RUN to get the gift of God’s grace?

Technically, you’re only obligated to go to confession when you have committed a grave sin that could possibly be mortal, but to wait till you get to that point to go is sort of like waiting to go to the dentist until you have a cavity, instead of having regular checkups, cleanings etc.
 
Esodo said:
My point was that Catholics don’t think “you can just sin and be forgiven by a priest so let’s sin!!” It’s a poor argument from Protestants.
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Yeah, I had a Protestant tell me once many years ago he wished he could be a Catholic so when he sinned (he was sinning a lot at the time) he could just go to Confession and get rid of it and thus he would have “no guilt” about having sinned. I had only met a small handful of Protestants at that point and thought he was out of his mind. I told him, “That’s not how it works.” For a Catholic to think like that actually would add another sin of presumption on top of the actual sin.
 
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Question before I continue. Are you asking all this in good faith? Also would you be interested in what the early Church Fathers had to say about scripture concerning this?
 
The grace of regular Confession does help a person avoid sin.

I can testify it has definitely worked like that with me. I go to confession twice a month. I used to go like once a year and then sometimes not for years. When I started going once or twice a month, within a couple months, the sins I used to commit were no longer so attractive looking, and sometimes now they look downright repulsive. This is the effect of God’s grace.
 
cbirtell said:
Confession doesn’t help me avoid sin?
No its not… because I can just ask God himself to help me and forgive my sins and I will still be forgiven of them.
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That’s not all of what Christ taught us to do as a Church, nor is it all of the teachings we received from the apostles.
 
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cbirtell said:
Acts 10:43, Romans 4:7, Ephesians 1:7… They all talk about how JESUS is who we ask and who we go to, to ask for forgiveness
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Right but the Priest steps into the role of Jesus in confessional booth, as he does during Mass when he says “this is my body” (notice he doesn’t say “this is Jesus’ body”).

I can’t confess to Jesus on my own because often times my ego, pride, sin gets in the way and sabotages the process. I think I’m talking to Jesus, but in actuality I’m talking to my ego/pride/sinful side. Going to a confessional booth and talking to Jesus through a Priest eliminates that deadly risk. Telling a Priest our sins in confession ensures accountability.

Another factor - its easier to confess our sins in private than to another person, but like most things in life the easier route is not the most beneficial route. Its easier to stay in bed than go for walk or go to gym but far more beneficial to get out of bed.

Yet another factor - its an eternal truth that like plants feed on water, evil feeds on silence. When we don’t share or talk about our sins and keep them private, they grow.
 
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As I stated previously. Even if you reject the idea of sacramental grace, I think that having to go to confession will deter someone from sin. When I was a Protestant and thought I was saved no matter what I did, I didn’t have much of a reason to be worried about slipping up.
 
Jesus’s death made it POSSIBLE for us to be forgiven and have salvation. It didn’t automatically wipe everyone’s slate clean. That’s a Protestant heresy, not supported anywhere in the early church or any time before the reformation.
 
cbirtell said:
Yeahhh I was Protestant and I never thought I could just sin, cause I was “always saved” My problem with it is that I don’t need a Priest to resolve my sins… Jesus is the only person that can. You don’t need to tell other people your sins unless you need advice or it involves them
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You say you were Protestant and now your profile says you are Catholic. Did you go through RCIA? Did you recite the vow before God that you believed in all the teachings of His Church?
 
OP, I seem to recall you converted to Catholicism.

Did they not teach you in RCIA about why Confession is important?

As the person above said, once you have converted to Catholicism, you don’t get to pick and choose which Catholic beliefs you’re going to accept. You are talking about yourself like you’re still a Protestant and simply don’t need this Catholic stuff or think that it’s wrong. This is concerning.
 
Jesus atoned for our sin, but why then is therre a judgment after death? Why did He forgive the thief on his right, but not on His left? Why are there still sheep and goats? Clearly, there is more to this.

Look at Saint Paul. He admonished sinners - baptized, practicing Christians - to “be reconciled with God” 2 Cor 5 In that same chapter, he identified himself and the Apostles as Ambassadors for Christ…with the authority of Christ…as if God was making His appeal through us."

The authority of Christ. Ponder that.

Page back to 2 Corinthians 2:10, wherein Saint Paul teaches of sin and forgiveness. He clearly states "Whatever sins I have forgiven, if indeed I have forgiven any, I have done so in the person of Christ (some bibles have it: with the authority of Christ) for your sakes.

Why would he do that if Christians already had their ‘get out of hell free’ cards? Was Paul wrong? Did he teach false doctrine? No!

Why would Jesus give the twelve power to forgive sin if it was already forgiven? That would make Him irrational. Nonsense, I say! Not only that, but the power to hold sin bound if the sinner was not repentant. See Acts 5 regarding Ananias and Saphira. Their sin was held bound, as they failed to repent.

Each and every Catholic priest and bishop act just as Saint Paul did - forgiving sins in the person of Christ. Look at each and every example of Christ forgiving sin (Mark 2:5, Luke 5:20, Luke 7:48). In every case, He told the sinner that their sins were forgiven - there was zero doubt.

Have you ever heard the words of absolution - in your ears? No? That is not how the Lord intended and that is not biblical. Remember that the devil waits to fool you when you are self-satisfied that you are good with God. That is the sin of presumption - putting the Lord to the test.

Not to mention James’ admonition to “confess your sins to one another” James 5:16

Yes, you can make an act of contrition (“confess”) to the Lord and trust in His mercy - Catholics do that constantly - but please do not expect it or demand it or assume it.

EDIT: correct typos and addition.
 
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Penance, as Catholics are taught, is a sacrament like the others we learn. “An outward sign of God’s love”. So when we come to confession, Jesus is giving us peace by telling us directly “your forgiven.”
 
Suggested reading material:-

Why Do Catholics Confess Their Sins to a Priest instead of Directly to God?

How to Defend the Sacrament of Confession whilst the title is misleading, I think you should read it as it cites other verses of the Bible.

Why Do Catholics Confess Their Sins To A Priest? (pdf file) - answers the question “Do Catholics sin because they know they can get absolution in Confession?” which I think relates to one of yours. It also details what the early Church Fathers believed and practiced regarding confession.

Why Do Catholics Practice Confession of Sins to a Priest? also cites various verses from the Bible.

I’m wondering if embarrassment is not the underlying reason for your questions.
 
Like some have addressed above, Jesus explained the importance of confessing to one another, as well as him giving the apostle the ability to absolve sins in his name.

I also think about how humble it is to not only just speak to God out loud about one or more sin (especially if it’s a mortal one), but to have another human (the priest) listening to you spill it out as a witness. It can show both that humility, humbleness, and being honest that you messed up and you want to have another chance.
That’s how I try to look at it without making it seem as a chore.
 
Who taught you this grossly edited and foreshortened, only partially biblical doctrine? Did you not read the above-listed scriptural warrants for confession? Did you ignore almost 2,000 years of both Catholic and Eastern/Oriental Orthodox practice?

Did you ignore Saint Paul forgiving sins in the person of Christ? Did you ignore our Lord giving the power to forgive sin to the Apostles?

Sadly, yes, it appears that you either ignored or overlooked all of that massive biblical evidence.

Oh, if only bible Christians would read their bibles…
 
Not for nothing, but God breathes on man twice in the Bible, only twice. The first time is in Genesis when he gives him life. The second time is in John’s Gospel, when Jesus imparts the ability to forgive sins to the Apostles. So important is this power, God himself equates it with the giving of life.

-Fr ACEGC
 
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