12-10-25 Sermon: The Grace of Confession 1

Sermon Outline

I. Introduction and Opening Prayer

A. Announcement of New Study Topic

The new topic for the next several weeks will be 1 John 1:9 .

B. Call to Silent Prayer

A moment of silent prayer is taken to ensure the filling of the Holy Spirit.

Scripture Reference: 1 John 1:9

Quote: "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

This is also an opportunity to address personal problems and distractions.

Application: Cast cares upon the Lord, who cares for you, in order to focus on the Word of God without distraction.

C. Audible Prayer

Thanksgiving to God the Father for the opportunity to study His Word.

Thanksgiving for the provisions of the day and for opportunities to serve and glorify Him.

Petition for the Holy Spirit to open the hearts of the people.

Petition for God to bless the service and the Word, quickening it to their hearts.

Petition for the speaker to have power to speak with the authority and grace the Word deserves.

Prayer offered in Jesus' name. Amen.

II. The Grace of Confession: Introduction to the Series

This series is titled "The Grace of Confession" and is expected to last three to five weeks.

It falls under the main study category of "The Pre-designed Plan of God."

This topic was chosen after the six-week study on "Biblical Walking" because of its importance.

The study will focus on 1 John 1:9.

This topic should have been taught during the doctrine of divine power.

The power system for Christians consists of:

1. The filling of the Spirit.

2. Perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine.

This study was prompted by many questions from people about 1 John 1:9.

The goal of this study is to be freeing, as "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."

III. Introduction to Traducianism

Note on Sermon Outlines: The speaker mentions that detailed notes and an AI-generated outline of the sermon will be available on the church app. The AI prompts have been developed over the last year to extract specific information.

Definition of Traducianism: (T-R-A-D-U-C-I-A-N-I-S-M)

This is a preliminary topic before getting into the main study on the grace of confession.

The goal is to understand what we are doing when we confess our known sins to God.

Key Question: If all our sins are forgiven at the cross, why do we still have to confess them?

Traducianism teaches that human beings receive their physical body and sin nature through human procreation, specifically through the father.

The soul is directly created by God at birth and placed into a body that already possesses the inherited sin nature.

Etymology:

From the Latin word tradux (T-R-A-D-U-X), meaning a "branch," "sprout," or "shoot."

This implies human life is propagated like a branch from the original root, Adam.

Key Concepts of Traducianism:

Humanity descends seminally from Adam.

The sin nature is transmitted through the male's 23 chromosomes.

Christ did not receive a sin nature because he had no human father.

Adam's original sin is imputed to each person at birth because the soul enters a body that contains a sin nature.

Personal sins result from the sin nature but are not the basis of spiritual death.

Doctrinal Implications:

This doctrine explains why Christ was born without a sin nature.

It explains why Adam's original sin, not personal sins, is the basis for condemnation.

Crucial Point: Our personal sins were never imputed to us and we were never judged for them.

No one will ever go to hell because of their sins. People go to hell for one reason: unbelief (failure to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ).

Sins are not mentioned at the Great White Throne Judgment for unbelievers or the Bema Seat Judgment for believers.

The word used is ergon (works), not hamartia (sins).

Unbelievers are judged by their works to see if they measure up to perfect righteousness.

Believers' works are judged for rewards (gold, silver, precious stones vs. wood, hay, straw).

Our personal sins are never imputed to us; they have already been judged on the cross.

Many Christians live a "yo-yo life," sin-conscious, constantly striving, and feeling they can't measure up, missing the point of the Christian life. This study aims to put sin in its proper perspective.

Summary of Traducianism:

It is the doctrine that the sin nature is passed down from Adam through the father.

God imputes Adam's original sin at birth, resulting in spiritual death and the need for salvation.

IV. Scriptural Support for Traducianism

Traducianism teaches the old sin nature is transmitted genetically. Humans produce after their own kind, physically and spiritually.

Genesis 5:3: "When Adam had lived 130 years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth."

Psalm 51:5: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me."

John 3:6: "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit."

Traducianism explains:

Why every human is born spiritually dead.

Why Adam's sin has a "home" for imputation (the sin nature).

Why condemnation is uniform.

Why Christ, born of a virgin, has no sin nature.

V. The Doctrine of Imputation

We inherit the sin nature, but only Adam's original sin is imputed.

"By one man's sin entered..." (sin is singular, not plural).

Our personal sins are birthed out of our sin nature; they were not imputed to us.

Question: Why was only Adam's one sin imputed to us, and not all of our personal sins? Why did God condemn me for something I didn't do?

God imputed one sin, not all sins, to preserve grace, equality, and freedom.

Condemnation by one sin makes salvation by one Savior possible.

God made salvation entirely by grace by making condemnation entirely by one sin.

Many Christians still believe their personal sins are the issue, but all sins (believer and unbeliever) have been paid for at the cross.

God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their sins against them.

A. Adam's Sin vs. The Sin Nature

It is Adam's original sin that is imputed to every member of the human race.

The old sin nature is not imputed; it is inherited genetically through human parents (Traducianism).

At physical birth, God imputes Adam's sin to the old sin nature.

The old sin nature provides the required "affinity" for a real imputation.

The result is that every human is born spiritually dead and in need of salvation.

B. Why Only One Sin Was Imputed

This is a critical part of the doctrine of grace.

1. Prevents Varied Condemnation: If God imputed all our personal sins at birth, condemnation would vary from person to person. Some would be more condemned than others.

2. Preserves Grace Alone: Salvation could not be by grace alone if personal sins were imputed, as human merit/demerit would be part of the equation. Imputing one sin creates a level playing field.

The idea that this is "not fair" is a misunderstanding. It was an act of grace.

This ensures universal, equal condemnation. Every human is condemned the exact same way by the exact same sin.

This provides a universal, equal opportunity for salvation.

"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

3. Enables Grace-Based Salvation: If all are condemned the same way, all can be saved the same way: by faith alone in Christ alone, with zero human merit.

4. Clarifies Federal Headship: Adam represented the entire human race. One man's failure led to universal condemnation. One man's obedience (Jesus Christ) leads to a universal offer of salvation.

Scriptural Support:

Romans 5:15-18 :

v. 15 : "But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one, the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many."

v. 16: "...the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand, the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification."

v. 17: "For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ."

v. 18: "So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men."

VI. Real vs. Judicial Imputation

This doctrine is important for understanding salvation, as taught by pastors like R.B. Thieme Jr. and Robert McLaughlin.

Definition of Judicial Imputation:

Occurs when God credits something to a person without any prior affinity, similarity, or inherent connection.

It originates from the justice of God and is based solely on His sovereign decision, not on anything in the recipient.

It is a totally sovereign act of God.

The Two Judicial Imputations:

1. All Personal Sins to Christ:

Our sins have no affinity with Christ, who is impeccable and sinless.

God the Father judicially imputed the sins of the entire human race to Him.

This is a purely legal, objective, and forensic act.

2. Christ's Righteousness to the Believer:

Christ's righteousness has no affinity with us. We have no righteousness of our own ("all our righteousness is like filthy rags").

God credits His righteousness to us at salvation.

This is a legal act from the justice of God.

Definition of Imputed: To credit something to someone else's account.

Summary of Judicial Imputations:

They originate from the justice of God, not human merit.

They result in legal outcomes: the judgment of sin at the cross and the justification of the believer at salvation.

They function entirely within God's "courtroom of divine justice."

C. The One Real Imputation

Adam's Original Sin to the Old Sin Nature:

This is a real imputation, not judicial.

There is an affinity: sin fits the sin nature perfectly.

The genetically present old sin nature is the proper "home" or "target" for Adam's sin.

No legal friction is required because the match exists by design.

Summary Statement: Judicial imputations are legal actions from God's justice toward a target with no similarity or inherent connection. Real imputation occurs where there is an inherent connection.

VII. Concluding Summary of the Three Imputations

1. Real Imputation: Adam's original sin was imputed to every human because our physical bodies, passed down from our father, contain the sin nature genetically. Adam produced "after his own kind."

2. Judicial Imputation: The sins of all humanity were imputed to Jesus Christ. His body had no sin nature (due to the virgin birth), so there was no affinity for sin. He was sinless. This qualified Him to be our substitute.

3. Judicial Imputation: The righteousness of Christ is imputed to believers at salvation. There is no inherent righteousness in us to have an affinity with God's perfect righteousness.

Key Takeaway: Nowhere in these three imputations were our personal sins ever imputed to us. They were imputed to Jesus.

"He was made to be sin for us." It never says we were made to be sin.

"We were made the righteousness of God through him."

Understanding this truth can be one of the most freeing discoveries in the Christian life, delivering believers from a life of condemnation, guilt, and experiential separation from God's love.

VIII. The Problem with Misunderstanding 1 John 1:9

Many believers think they are "winners" but will never be because they do not grasp the correct concept of dealing with sin.

Without a proper understanding, one cannot use 1 John 1:9 correctly.

People will add things to the process.

If things are added to it, the filling of the Holy Spirit does not take place.

Analogy to Salvation: This is similar to adding works to salvation.

Salvation is not "faith and I have to get baptized."

Salvation is not "faith and I have to raise my hand."

Salvation is not "faith and I've got to repent of all of my sins."

Theological Rationale:

It is impossible for a person to repent of all their sins.

Our sins are not the problem in the context of salvation's provision.

You did not die for your sins; God (Jesus Christ) died for them. You can do nothing for that.

IX. The Doctrine of Propitiation: God is Satisfied

1 John 2:2

This verse was taught in the past summer on the doctrine of propitiation.

"And he himself [Jesus Christ] is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."

Cross-Reference from the Cross:

John 19:30 - Jesus' statement: "It is finished."

Greek Word Study: tetelestai means "paid in full." This was done by one person only.

Application of 1 John 2:2:

This verse is a counter-argument to hyper-Calvinism, which claims Jesus only died for the elect.

The Bible says He died for "the whole world."

Definition of Propitiation:

Jesus was the atoning sacrifice.

When He was on the cross, all sins were judged in Him.

Propitiation means God is satisfied with that sacrifice.

Theological Implications of God's Satisfaction:

If God is satisfied with the sacrifice for all sins I will ever commit (which were not imputed to me in the first place), then there is no double jeopardy.

I cannot be judged for those sins, or else God would not be satisfied.

Conclusion: Either Christ's sacrifice was enough for my salvation, or it wasn't.

The Believer's Misguided Response:

Believers often continue trying to earn their way to heaven even after being saved.

They live in guilt, asking "Woe is me. What did I do?"

They try to "clean up their act," "clean up their old nature," "do better," or "try not to swear as much."

This is a state of constantly "trying to do things."

They take on the imputation of sins that were never imputed to them by God in the first place.

We impute sins to ourselves and to each other.

Forthcoming Topics in this Study:

The study will address gossiping and maligning.

We are told to confess our sins, not someone else's.

A key principle is to focus on your own relationship with God and not worry about what others are doing.

X. The Believer is Not Judged

John 3:18

"He who believes in him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Brief Word Study on "Repent":

Greek: metanoia

Definition: "to change your mind."

The topic of what Jesus meant by "repent" will be covered later in this study.

Note on Upcoming Slide Content:

The current slide deck (accessible via QR code) covers the difference between "repent" and "confess."

It also distinguishes between "rebound" and "recovery."

1 John 1:9 is "rebound" – it gets us back into the filling of the Spirit.

XI. The Lamb of God Takes Away the World's Sin

John 1:29

"The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’"

This reinforces the universal scope of Christ's atoning work.

XII. Review of Imputation and the Christian Life

Recap of the Doctrine of Imputation:

This is a summary of extensive notes taken over the past year and a half.

Key Takeaway: Adam's original sin was imputed to every human being.

This was an act of grace. We were condemned for something we didn't do.

This created a level playing field, making everyone equal at the foot of the cross.

Universal condemnation through one sin meant universal qualification for a Savior.

Distinction in Imputations:

Judicial vs. Real Imputation: There is no affinity between our sins and Christ.

God's sovereignty and justice judicially imputed our sins to Jesus Christ.

If our sins were imputed to Him, they are not imputed to us; they are gone.

The Ongoing Problem: The Sin Nature

The sin nature is passed on genetically. It is a predisposition to commit acts of sin.

The sin nature is not removed at salvation.

Our physical body, which has the sin nature, will go into the ground.

The new spirit God gives us at salvation is a part of us that cannot sin.

Living as a New Creature:

The Christian life involves learning to live in this new creature.

There is a power system for the new creature.

Analogy: The Heater:

A heater is plugged in and has power available.

A switch can turn it off without disconnecting it from the power source.

The power is available but can be turned off.

Analogy: The New Radio:

God didn't just give you new stations on your old radio.

He gave you a new radio with new channels and a new way of living.

Our Power Source: The filling of the Holy Spirit and the perception, metabolization, and application of Bible doctrine.

Focus of the Upcoming Study:

Ensuring, maintaining, and recovering the filling of the Spirit.

Personal sins, though judged at the cross, break our fellowship with God.

Breaking fellowship puts us into the "cosmic system."

Two Ways of Walking:

We are either walking in the pre-designed plan of God or walking in the cosmic system.

Victory in this life has a direct correlation to spending the maximum amount of time walking in God's pre-designed plan.

To do this, we must understand the mechanics, which brings us to 1 John 1:9.

XIII. The Believer's Rest and the Necessity of Faith

Scripture Reference: Colossians 2:13 (Introduced, to be read shortly).

Scripture Reference: Hebrews 4:1-2

Hebrews 4:1: "Therefore let us fear... any one of you may seem to have come short of it."

This is a literal use of the word "fear" (be afraid), not just reverence.

We should be afraid of failing to enter the "rest" or pre-designed plan God has for us.

Hebrews 4:2: "For indeed we have good news preached to us just as they also. But the word that they heard did not profit them because it was not united by faith in those who heard."

This is not talking about the gospel for salvation, but about the Word of God for the believer's life.

Illustration: The 12 spies at the border of the Promised Land.

The word they heard from Moses did not benefit the 10 spies who responded in unbelief.

The 2 spies (Joshua and Caleb) who responded in faith said, "we're well able to possess it."

The Role of Faith in Metabolizing Doctrine:

You can read the Bible and sit in Bible class, but if you don't believe it, you are not metabolizing it.

If you don't metabolize doctrine, you cannot apply it.

You can metabolize doctrine and still fail at the application phase.

Analogy: Eating Food: You can't get energy from a plate of food by just looking at it. You must eat and digest it.

We metabolize doctrine by believing it, the same way we were saved by faith. It is a non-meritorious system of perception.

XIV. The Positional Truth of Forgiveness in Christ

Scripture Reference: Colossians 2:13

"And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings."

"Dead" (Greek: nekros): Refers to spiritual death, separation from God.

"Wrongdoings": Your known sins.

"Uncircumcision of your flesh": Your sin nature.

"He made you alive": God the Father made you alive.

The Abundant Life:

Scripture Reference: John 10:10

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. Jesus said, I came so that they would have life and have it abundantly."

This is the pre-designed plan God has for us.

Greek Word Study: The word for life here is zoe.

Attribution: Pastor Bob (Robert McLaughlin) has excellent studies on the zoe life.

This life is not just about existing or getting by.

God has graced us with every spiritual blessing. This study is about how to access them.

Greek Word Study: stoicheo - to walk, march in step with the spirit, march in rank like a soldier.

The Foundation of Our Position:

Scripture Reference: Colossians 2:9

"For in him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form."

This is the doctrine of the Hypostatic Union: Jesus is 100% God and 100% man.

Analysis of Forgiveness in Colossians 2:13:

We can enjoy being made alive with Him because of forgiveness.

"Having forgiven" (Greek: charizomai)

This is an aorist middle participle .

The root word is charis (grace), from which we get "Eucharist."

It means to be graced out with forgiveness.

The forgiveness of all sins (past, present, and future) took place at salvation.

The cross is the greatest illustration of forgiveness, where all sins were imputed to Christ and judged.

XV. The Motivation and Basis for Forgiveness

Compassion Motivates Forgiveness:

Our point of contact with God is His justice and integrity, not His love.

However, God's love and compassion motivated the plan of salvation.

We must not forget the character of God amidst legal and judicial doctrines. God's policy is grace and compassion.

Scriptural Support for God's Compassion:

Psalm 78:38: "But he, being compassionate, forgave their wrongdoing and did not destroy them. And often he restrained his anger and did not stir up all of his wrath."

Psalm 130:3-4: "If you, Lord, were to keep an account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you so that you may be revered."

This relates to the earlier point: if our sins were imputed to us, no one could stand.

Daniel 9:9: "To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness because we have rebelled against him."

To experience this, one must have a personal relationship with God.

XVI. The Grammatical Proof of Forgiveness

Return to Colossians 2:13:

"And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings."

The Rule of the Aorist Participle in Koine Greek:

The action of an aorist participle in a sentence precedes the action of the main verb.

Aorist Participle: "having forgiven"

Main Verb: "He made you alive"

Conclusion: The act of "having forgiven" had to happen before God "made you alive."

Theological Implication:

Forgiveness had to happen before God could make us alive.

The fact that you are born again is proof that God has forgiven all of your sins.

All personal sins had to be judged somewhere. God's justice cannot be compromised.

Even people God loves will spend eternity in hell if they reject the non-meritorious system of faith in Christ.

The Unpardonable Sin Today: The unpardonable sin as described in the Gospels cannot be committed today. The unpardonable sin today is simply unbelief.

The Believer's Struggle:

Many believers accept forgiveness for past sins but struggle to accept it for present sins, which prevents them from living in the new life.

XVII. The Mechanics of Confession of Sin (1 John 1:9)

Analogy: Cardiology and Blocked Arteries:

When a blockage occurs, blood flow is stopped. The blood is still there, but it can't get to the heart muscle.

The heart tissue (myocardium) begins to die (necrosis).

If blood flow is restored quickly, the muscle is just "stunned" and can recover.

If blocked for too long, the tissue dies and becomes unrecoverable scar tissue.

Correlation to the Soul:

The longer you are out of fellowship, the more "scar tissue" you build on your soul, making it harder to return.

However, as long as we are alive, there is always hope for recovery, unlike dead heart muscle.

The Effect of Personal Sin:

When we sin, we are not judged for those sins (they were judged at the cross).

The blood is there, but it's "blocked."

There should be no guilt or condemnation. How you feel about your sin is inconsequential and irrelevant to God.

Involving too much emotion can become another sin ("chain sinning").

We must simply confess and trust what God's Word says, not our feelings.

We must unite the doctrine with faith.

Failure to believe this leads to doubting salvation and missing out on the fantastic life God has planned.

Scripture Reference: 1 John 1:9

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous [or just] to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

The word "just" is a better translation than "righteous" here (to be explained in future lessons).

The Believer's Responsibility: Confession

Question: If all our sins are forgiven, why must we confess them?

Some modern doctrinal movements teach that confession is no longer necessary.

Reason #1: Because God's Word says to do it. This should be enough.

XVIII. Rebound vs. Recovery

Rebound and Recovery are not the same.

Rebound: The act of confession via 1 John 1:9.

This gets you back into the plan of God.

Analogy: It's like turning the switch on the heater back on. The power is restored.

You can now operate in God's power system and metabolize doctrine again.

Key Concept: No one out of fellowship with unconfessed sin can metabolize Bible doctrine.

This is why we have a moment of silent prayer before Bible study.

How you feel about the sin is inconsequential. You must know it was a sin and name it to God.

"Confess": To name, to cite, to acknowledge. It is agreeing with God. It is not repentance.

Recovery: This happens after rebound.

Scripture References: Ephesians 4:23 and Romans 12:2 .

After rebounding, you must recover from the sinful thought patterns that led to cosmic involvement.

If you don't recover, you will fall back into the same sin.

The Goal is Not Constant Rebound:

If you find yourself constantly confessing the same sin, it indicates a lack of mind renewal.

Rebound alone is not enough. The Christian life is not just walking around confessing sins all day.

The goal is to move beyond mere rebound by renewing your mind with the mind of Christ.

This leads to spending more time in God's pre-designed plan and less time in the cosmic system, reducing the need to use 1 John 1:9 constantly.

XIX. Encouragement and the Spiritual Life

A. Exhortation to Persevere

There will be days where you are bombarded and have a bad day.

No matter what, do not get discouraged, get down on yourself, or quit. This is a key takeaway for the next couple of weeks.

B. The Mechanics of Spiritual Renewal

Ephesians 4:23 : "that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your mind."

The "spirit" here is pneuma (Greek), referring to the breathing of your soul, in and out.

To be renewed in the breathing means to be renewed by what you are taking in, which must be Bible doctrine.

The Power System for the Spiritual Life:

You cannot function in the spiritual life (the filling of the Spirit) without Bible doctrine.

You can confess your sins (1 John 1:9) repeatedly, but without taking in Bible doctrine, it becomes a "funeral process."

The whole power system must be combined to live the life God has ordained.

Romans 12:2: "Do not be conformed to this world... but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

"Conformed to this world": The Greek implies "let the world squeeze you into its mold."

"Transformed": The Greek is metamorpho, the root of our word "metamorphosis."

Analogy: It's like a caterpillar (immature form) changing into a butterfly (mature form).

By renewing our minds with Bible doctrine, we go from an immature form to a mature form.

This connects back to Ephesians Chapter 4: "be no more children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine."

After salvation, it is time to grow up by learning the spiritual life and the ways of God.

This is done by taking in and metabolizing Bible doctrine.

The Goal of Transformation (Romans 12:2 continued): "...so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

XX. Review of the Three Imputations

A. Introduction to Imputations

An imputation is the act of crediting something to another person's account.

There are three major imputations that have taken place in human history.

B. Imputation #1: Adam's Original Sin (Real Imputation)

This was a "real" imputation because there was a place for it to be credited: the sin nature.

The sin nature is passed down genetically through the man (the father).

Your sin nature was not given to you by God but is passed down from fallen man, Adam.

This is why Jesus had to be born of a virgin, to bypass the genetic transmission of the sin nature.

The sin nature is in your body, your flesh, your 23 chromosomes.

Because this sinful nature existed, God could perform a real imputation of Adam's original sin to condemn all of humanity.

Every person who receives soul life from God possesses a sin nature, allowing for this real imputation.

C. Imputation #2: Personal Sins to Christ (Judicial Imputation)

This imputation was made at the cross.

All personal sins of every member of humanity, for the whole world, were judged at the cross.

God was satisfied with that judgment; this is propitiation.

This was a "judicial" imputation because there was no affinity or connection between Jesus and sin.

It was an act of the pure sovereignty and justice of God.

D. Imputation #3: God's Righteousness to the Believer (Judicial Imputation)

This occurs upon believing in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We receive the very righteousness of God.

This is also a "judicial" imputation, an act of God's sovereignty and justice.

God's statement: "I am satisfied with the sacrifice of my son. My justice has been satisfied. I am free now to give them perfect righteousness."

Doctrinal Point: The only way anyone can ever see God or get to heaven is to be perfect, to have perfect righteousness.

God cannot have anything to do with anything less than perfection.

Since we could never achieve perfection, we were given perfection as a judicial imputation.

XXI. Concluding Remarks and Application

A. Future Topics

The subject of imputations will be explored more deeply in the future.

Next week's topic will likely be repentance, specifically the difference between repentance and confession, as the terms are often confused.

B. Evaluating Bible Teaching

Attribution: Cites a recent sermon by Pastor Bob (Robert McLaughlin) on the marks of a good teacher.

The Core Question: You must ask yourself if what you are learning from the pulpit or in a Bible study is positively affecting your life.

The Litmus Test:

If your life is better because of what you are hearing, then you know you are hearing the truth.

If you are going to Bible study but are still filled with bitterness, resentment, guilt, and anger, you must question what you are being taught.

Teacher's Personal Conviction: A major priority when teaching is to represent the character and nature of God properly and accurately.

XXII. Closing Prayer

Thanks given to God for the time of study, for His Word, and for His forgiveness.

Acknowledgement of God's plan for each person.

Prayer for God to lead, guide, and give strength to each person present to carry out His plan.

Prayer for blessing and favor upon their lives.

Prayer closes in Jesus' name.