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The Confession of a Christian

Lesson 8 of 8 May 14, 2018

The teacher began by sharing a personal celebration of Mother’s Day and then connected that gratitude to God’s provision, setting a warm tone for the study. He reviewed the “highway to heaven” metaphor, recalling the first two mile‑markers: loving God with all of one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, and genuine repentance as taught by Jesus (Luke 13:3‑5). The lesson’s focus shifted to the third mile‑marker—confession—where he highlighted biblical examples such as Romans 10:9, the Ethiopian eunuch’s confession in Acts 8, and Peter’s confession of Christ in Matthew 16:15‑16. He explained that confession involves both declaring Jesus as Lord and admitting personal sin, whether the sin is publicly known or privately hidden. Sutton then examined 1 John 1:5‑10, stressing that Christians must acknowledge their sinfulness, for denying sin deceives both self and God. He affirmed God’s faithful promise to forgive and cleanse those who honestly confess (1 John 1:9). The class concluded with practical guidance on private versus public confession, encouraging each believer to maintain integrity before God and the church community.

1 John 1:5-10

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.