The Sacrament of Confession | Penance
Millions of Roman Catholic people around the world faithfully perform penance. According to the Catholic Catechism, the priest imposes these acts of penance on the sinner at the time of his confession. These acts of penance are said to expiate (remove) sins. Penance may include saying a series of prayers as punishment for confessed sins. This whole process is at odds with what the Bible says. Dear reader, consider this: why did Jesus die on the cross?
The Catechism Says:
Para 1459 …Raised up from sin, the sinner must still recover his full spiritual health by doing something more to make amends for the sin: he must “make satisfaction for” or “expiate” his sins. This satisfaction is also called “penance.”
Para 1460 .It can consist of prayer, an offering, works of mercy, service of neighbor, voluntary self-denial, sacrifices…
The Bible Says:
Acts 5:29-31 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
Romans 4:24-25 .if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
The Catechism Says:
Para 1491 .The penitent’s acts are repentance, confession or disclosure of sins to the priest, and the intention to make reparation and do works of reparation.
Para 1494 The confessor proposes the performance of certain acts of “satisfaction” or “penance” to be performed by the penitent in order to repair the harm caused by sin and to re-establish habits befitting a disciple of Christ.
The Bible Says:
Hebrews. 1:3 “…when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
1 Peter 2:24 “Who his own self (Jesus) bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”
Romans 4:5 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
The Catechism Says:
Para 980 It is through the sacrament of Penance that the baptized can be reconciled with God and with the Church: Penance has rightly been called by the holy Fathers “a laborious kind of baptism.” This sacrament of Penance is necessary for salvation for those who have fallen after Baptism, just as Baptism is necessary for salvation for those who have not yet been reborn
The Bible Says:
Romans 5:9-10 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
Ephesians 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Summary of issue:
From Scripture we see that Christ paid the full price for our sins at Calvary. To believe that good works are necessary to recover one’s “full spiritual health” and that penance is required for one’s salvation is to deny God’s Word. God makes this promise to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ: “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin” (Hebrews 10:17-18). God promises never to remember the sins of true Christians, and declares that once sins are forgiven through faith in Christ, there is no more offering for sin. In other words, there aren’t any works you can do that will cause your sins to be forgiven. Christ did it all! Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Romans 3:28).
Dear Catholic reader, please consider what the Bible says in regards to the all-sufficient offering of Jesus on the cross to pay your sin-debt. According to Scripture. we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags… (Isaiah 64:6). You see, my friend, there is nothing you can do to merit the favor of God but to trust in what He has done for you. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).