The double edged message of The Watchtower call to confession....
From the WT of July 15, 1972:
..."A Christian can become overconfident, failing to realize that 'the one who thinks he is standing needs to be on guard lest he fall.' (1 Cor. 10:12) Or because of not appreciating fully God's provisions for keeping spiritual strength and health and for defense against Satan's attacks, the Christian may become weak and vulnerable to temptation. He may commit a serious wrong.".....
So Christians DO commit sin then, there is hope for me.
...."Why, then, go to these elders? To seek their help as appointed shepherds. Wrongdoing is an evidence of spiritual illness. Showing what is needed, the disciple James says: "Openly confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may get healed".....
I recieve no assistance, no guidance, surely this means that Gods spirit is directing that my plea for healing be ignored. God himself rejects me, surely.
...."Yes, what determines whether the congregation disfellowships one or not is-not the gravity of the wrong, nor the bad publicity it may have occasioned-but the individual's sincere repentance or lack of it. If he is truly repentant, the congregation would never cast the person out just to satisfy the feelings of some individual or of the public in general"......
Well, I am WEEPING and snivelling, surely this indicates true repentance?
...."Clearly there should be sadness, remorse and regret felt by any Christian who sins. And yet these feelings of themselves are not a sure measure of the genuineness of repentance. The question is: Why does the wrongdoer feel such sadness, remorse and regret? What motivates these feelings?.......it is a life-or-death matter that our motive be the right one. Worldly sadness does not stem from faith and love of God and righteousness. It is born of regret due to failure, disappointment, material or social loss, the prospect of undergoing punishment or shame. Worldly sadness mourns the unpleasant consequences wrongdoing brings. But it does not mourn over the unrighteousness itself, or the reproach it brings on God.-".......
Ah. theres the rub. God sees that I repent because I dont want to die at ARMAGGEDON. He sees my inner motive. That is why I stand condemned.
...."The sadness accompanying true repentance has a very different motivation than worldly sadness. There is a heartfelt wanting to come back into God's favor, motivated by a love for him that comes from knowing him"....
yeah. Right.
Edited by - refiners fire on 8 August 2002 22:15:46
