Reconciliation

In Roman Catholic teaching the sacrament of reconciliation covers four stages of forgiveness: Contrition of heart, Oral confession, Absolution (spoken by a priest), and Satisfaction or Penance.

This process of repenting, confessing our sins, receiving absolution and then making up for our wrong by paying a penance, has no foundation in the Bible and is not taught by Jesus. In fact, the Bible says the opposite.

We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, once for all…

Romans 6 verse 9 – 10

Jesus has died for our past sins and our future sins. He is not repeatedly dying every time we confess. He sacrificed himself once, to cover all sins. We do not need to continually confess our sins to receive that forgiveness. We do not have to have our confession affirmed by a Priest. We do not have to do anything to make up for our sin. Jesus has done it.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Romans 8 verse 1

Once we have committed our lives to Jesus, we do not need partake in this cycle of confession to cleanse ourselves, because there is no condemnation for those who are believers.

In John chapter 8 verses 3 – 11 a woman who is caught in the act of adultery is brought before Jesus. The crowd ask Jesus if they should stone her for the act that she has committed, and Jesus replies “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” As the crowd slowly disperses, leaving the woman alone with Jesus, he says to her “’Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.’”

The three things to note from this story are:

Jesus came to save not to condemn.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 3 verse 17

Believers in Christ are to live in the knowledge that Jesus has already paid the price for our sin, and there is no condemnation for those who believe in him.

Those who believe in Jesus are forgiven.

When the woman in this story speaks to Jesus, she calls him “Lord” (the Greek word ‘Kurios’). A number of commentators say that in calling Jesus “Lord” she recognises that he is the son of God. And, in seeing her faith Jesus forgave her.

Jesus asks the woman to “go, and from now on sin no more”

It is impossible to live a life without sin. Even Paul, in Romans 7 verse 15 references his inability to do so when he says “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”

So why does Jesus tell her to do the impossible? Because he is talking to a believer. He is pointing towards living a life of believing in him. Believing that he was the one who came to bring forgiveness. Believing that through his death and resurrection the sins of all who believe would be forgiven.

Sure, talk to God about your sin, but do so in the knowledge that Jesus has already paid the price for it, and there is no condemnation for those who believe in him. You do not have to do anything to receive forgiveness. Only believe in Jesus.

It is also worth mentioning that indulgences, the act of visiting a Holy site, reciting a set prayer, or giving a charitable donation to atone for a sin, was introduced by the Roman Catholic Church in 1095. This practice is still wrongly taught as a way of gaining God’s forgiveness.

To conclude; this process of reconciliation (repenting, confessing our sins, receiving absolution and then making up for our wrong by paying a penance) is one that was created by the Roman Catholic Church. It has no foundation in the Bible. Upon believing in Jesus, we receive the free gift of forgiveness of our past, present and future sins.