The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of the most unique and beautiful aspects of Catholicism. Jesus Christ, in His abundant love and mercy, established the Sacrament of Confession, so that we as sinners can obtain forgiveness for our sins and reconcile with God and the Church. The sacrament “washes us clean,” and renews us in Christ.
“Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I send you.’ And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained’” (John 20:21-23).
I am a pentecostal and l think charismatic churches get it wrong in this area. My opinion is this…
Just asking the congregation to pray for forgiveness of sins during church/prayer meetings is not enough reflection of what God wants in respect to confession of sin ….by Frederick Falade
The charismatic churches find it important to make altar calls and for people who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and personal saviour to stand up for the congregation to acknowledge them. This is very essential as the church recognizes new arrivals in the Kingdom and watches out for them. This is also very important as the new arrivals in the Kingdom also have a conviction in the things they do that they might be seen by anyone who saw them stand up in church receiving Jesus Christ.
But they only during prayer sessions ask the congregation to pray for forgiveness of sins. I think that this makes sinning again or backsliding very easy as you are the only one who knows the sins you have done and there is no check on earth to help you keep up.
It is very easy to decieve yourself about confession during prayer. Usually, you will go back to the sin and after a while, the sin becomes normal to you and your concience contrary with the Holy Spirit. Then the Holy Spirit departs from you because you are dwelling in sin.
I think the charismatic church has to look into this confession sacrament and adapt to it so that we can keep our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and be steadfast in it.
I experienced confession in the Catholic Church last month and it was an owesome experience.
If you haven’t been to Confession before, the Catholic Church wants to welcome you, and invites you to participate in this beautiful sacrament of healing.
Take a step in faith. You’ll be surprised about how free you feel after taking part in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. So many Catholics describe incredible feelings of peace, joy, relief, and love that they never expected. Jesus is calling you to experience His mercy in this way too.
written by Frederick Falade