Knowing Jesus. In a real way…
How we view the sacrament of confession, baptism, salvation and the Christian Hope.
CONFESSION.
Confession is also known as Reconciliation of a Penitent, or Penance. This is a sacramental rite in which those who repent of their sins may confess them to God in the presence of a priest, or bishop and receive the assurance of pardon and the grace of absolution. Have you ever wanted to know for sure that you were forgiven for a stupid or unkind thing that you’ve done, which still nags at your conscience? Have you ever wanted to discuss the recurring problems of the spiritual life with a priest? Have you ever wanted to have a companion or guide to help you deal with the ups and downs of being a Christian and battling against sin? The sacrament of Confession is given to us as a remedy for all these concerns. When we make a confession to a priest, we tell him the things we have done wrong. We are given advice and counsel, and the priest then pronounces absolution. Absolution is when a priest declares we are forgiven our sins in the name of Jesus himself. Absolution lets us know for sure that that those things on our conscience are put away forever, and that God forgives us. It is clear from the New Testament this practice took place in apostolic times, and many find it today a freeing gift and wonderful source of strength. The clergy of Church of the Risen Christ are always available to hear confessions either before or after each celebration of the Mass. Please contact us if you would like to find another time more convenient or want to make an appointment for spiritual direction. The clergy are always happy to talk beforehand about how to make a good confession with anyone who has never used this sacrament before.
The Sacrament of Penance must be seen within the context of conversion from sin and a turn to God.
"You are forgiven...It is finished".......John 19:30
"When you were dead in your sins, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins....He took it away, nailing it to the cross," Colossians 2:13
"Your sins have been forgiven on account of His Name," 1 John 2:12
True confession focuses our minds not on our failures, but back to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the Cross, which leads to a thankful heart. So, when we continue to sin (hopefully less and less), we thank God for what He has already done. Believe it! Your sins are forgiven! It is finished!
From the Catechism
About Sin and Redemption
What is sin? Sin is the seeking of our own will instead of the will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation.
How does sin have power over us? Sin has power over us because we lose our liberty when our relationship with God is distorted.
What is redemption? Redemption is the act of God which sets us free from the power of evil, sin, and death.
How did God prepare us for redemption? God sent the prophets to call us back to himself, to show us our need for redemption, and to announce the coming of the Messiah.
What is meant by the Messiah? The Messiah is one sent by God to free us from the power of sin, so that with the help of God we may live in harmony with God, within ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation.
Who do we believe is the Messiah? The Messiah, or Christ, is Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son of God.
About Holy Baptism
What is Holy Baptism? Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ's Body, the Church, and inheritors of the kingdom of God.
What is the outward and visible sign in Baptism? The outward and visible sign in Baptism is water, in which the person is baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
What is the inward and spiritual grace in Baptism? The inward and spiritual grace in Baptism is union with Christ in his death and resurrection, birth into God's
family the Church, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit.
What is required of us at Baptism? It is required that we renounce Satan, repent of our sins, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Why then are infants baptized? Infants are baptized so that they can share citizenship in the Covenant, membership in Christ, and redemption by God.
How are the promises for infants made and carried out? Promises are made for them by their parents and sponsors, who guarantee that the infants will be brought up within the Church, to know Christ and be able to follow him.
The Christian Hope
What is the Christian hope? The Christian hope is to live with confidence in newness and fullness of life, and to await the coming of Christ in glory, and the completion of God's purpose for the world.
What do we mean by the coming of Christ in glory? By the coming of Christ in glory, we mean that Christ will come, not in weakness but in power, and will make all things new.
What do we mean by heaven and hell? By heaven, we mean eternal life in our enjoyment of God; by hell, we mean eternal death in our rejection of God.
Why do we pray for the dead? We pray for them, because we still hold them in our love, and because we trust that in God's presence those who have chosen to serve him will grow in his love, until they see him as he is.
What do we mean by the last judgment? We believe that Christ will come in glory and judge the living and the dead.
What do we mean by the resurrection of the body? We mean that God will raise us from death in the fullness of our being, that we may live with Christ in the communion of the saints.
What is the communion of saints? The communion of saints is the whole family of God, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those whom we hurt, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer, and praise.
What do we mean by everlasting life? By everlasting life, we mean a new existence, in which we are united with all the people of God, in the joy of fully
knowing and loving God and each other.
What, then, is our assurance as Christians? Our assurance as Christians is that nothing, not even death, shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
FAITH IN JESUS…
Born Again, The New Birth, What is it?
The term “born-again Christian” has become somewhat common in our culture, however the term, taken from the Gospel of John, chapter three is as old as the Church and the Scriptures of the New Testament.
Differing terms have been used over the centuries: believe, believe on, trust in, regeneration, chrismation, born-again and even confirmation but the terms all refer to one thing—coming to a point where the body, soul and spirit of a person go from self to God as the One who owns, adopts and makes a person spiritually new. It indicates a change from “Me” to “Thou” in relation to God.
Now there are subtle differences in the terms above. Some of them refer to a covenant made between the parents of an infant pledged to God in which they return to God what God gave to them: the child. Some refer to those at the so-called “age of reason” when a younger child decides to make Jesus their Savior and Lord. All of them mean that the body—soul—and spirit now belong to Jesus Christ.
Faith normally involves three things for an adult or someone at an age to make a decision to answer God’s call to “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 16:31)
1. Admit that I am a person who has committed offenses against God and that I cannot without God’s help live a life that is pleasing to Him.
2. Agree to turn from following self as “boss” and submit myself to God as Father, Master and Friend, seeking to live a life pleasing to God guided by Scripture and the Holy Spirit.
3. Believe that God can and will “save” you if you sincerely ask Him. Receive and believe in Jesus into the heart (the seat of the mind, will and emotions) and be “born of God” becoming a person with a child to Parent, person to Parent relationship. From this time on to live as a “Jesus follower”, which is what is means to be a Christian in practical terms. All of this occurs because God’s Holy Spirit is reaching out to you and persuading you: “come to me all you who are weary and weighed down with the burdens of life and I will give you rest.”
Belief is from the heart and not all believers come to faith in the same way. Rev. John Wesley (Anglican Priest and founder of what became known as the Methodist Church) said that he “felt” his “heart strangely warmed.” All we know is that we are now trusting Jesus Christ to save us from our sins and make us a “new creation” in our mind will and emotions.