Confession of Achan

Driving home: As one man of God has said, confession is the first act of an awakened sinner, the first mark of a gracious spirit.

Martin uses the Roman Catholic practice of auricular confession to highlight negative connotations of the word 'confession' and to contrast it with biblical confession, arguing that it is an abuse that has led many Christians to have an ill-defined concept of true confession.

Now the very word confession should cause us to perk up our ears, since confession is a fundamental element of vital and saving experience. And though the word confession has some very negative connotations and strikes up negative vibes in many of us because of the Roman Catholic abuse in what is called their doctrine of auricular confession, the confession of one sinner to another fellow sinner through a black veil, I believe we have recoiled and overreacted against the word confession so that most Christians have a very ill-defined concept of what confession is. What constitutes true confess...

3:21 - 4:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: As one man of God has said, confession is the first act of an awakened sinner, the first mark of a gracious spirit.

Balaam, a false prophet who spoke profound truth, is used as a parallel to Achan, who also spoke truth in his confession despite not being a true penitent. This illustrates God's ability to control men's tongues to speak His truth even when their hearts are strangers to its power.

This is one of those passages that is parallel to some of the words of Balaam, the false prophet, though he was a false prophet, he spoke profound truth. It was Balaam who said, under pressure to change the word of God, must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord putteth in my mouth? Numbers 23, 12. So Achan spoke truth, though he was a false prophet.

4:49 - 5:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Confess your sins to fellow believers when they affect your relationship with them, seeking their forgiveness, or for chronic weaknesses, to secure their intercession.

Martin uses the contemporary discussions of 'flirting with Rome' and 'T73 joint evangelistic efforts' to underscore his strong condemnation of Roman Catholic practices, particularly auricular confession, as 'man-made religion under the curse of God.'

Or, if it is an area of chronic weakness, I confess my sins to them not to be absolved, I get that at the throne of grace. But to secure an interest in their intercession, That God would give me more grace, That I might overcome the area of sin and weakness. Beyond that, the Bible knows of no confession. And therefore we stand to say today, With all of the talk of flirting with Rome, And with getting together with Catholic Pentecostals and Charismatics, And getting together in T73 joint evangelistic efforts, As long as that man who stands as the officiator of Roman religion, And calls himself ...

14:40 - 15:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second ingredient is an unreserved acknowledgment of personal responsibility for sin. Achan's repeated 'I' statements contrast with Adam's blame-shifting. Martin argues that…

Adam's attempt to transfer guilt by blaming Eve and God ('the woman thou gavest') is contrasted with Achan's confession, which takes full personal responsibility, illustrating the difference between true and false acknowledgment of sin.

Unlike Adam who began his pseudo-confession with an accusation of the wife and of God, seeking to transfer the responsibility with the words, the woman thou gavest, she this and then I, he begins, I saw, I took. I am the guilty one.

29:33 - 29:54 Read in full sermon

The point: Stop the abominable transference of the guilt of your sin to everything else and everyone else except your own bosom to make progress in sanctification.

Martin critiques modern societal tendencies to excuse criminals by blaming genes, environment, or circumstances, likening it to a form of fatalism that denies human responsibility. He contrasts this with biblical doctrine, which secures true freedom and emphasizes man's accountability for sin.

You live in a day that has turned God's order topsy-turvy. And we let criminals sell because they can't be blamed.

35:12 - 35:24 Read in full sermon

The point: On your knees before God, trace out what brought you to the point of disobedience, acknowledging how sin progresses from sight to desire to action.

Superficial confessions are compared to 'quickie paint jobs' on a car that only cover up rust for a short time. True confession, like a thorough auto repair, goes down to the 'bare metal' to deal with the root of the problem, leading to lasting healing and change.

with sin that cause us to sin that cause us to have frequent falls into sin and if we're honest this morning we'll have to say much of our confession is sort of like the quickie paint jobs that you're offered for $29.95 spray something on quick to make it look good for a few weeks any paint job you get for $29.95 on your car everyone else will know about it in about three months it's only the outfit that finds every little rust spot sands it puts on the rust proof paint the sealer it goes down to the

45:15 - 45:59 Read in full sermon