This issue was raised in another forum, and I thought I would introduce it here FYI...
Confession is merely the expressed intention to change, which means nothing if change does not follow. Confession saves only if a person follows through with his confession of Christ and begins to live for him.
The authority to release from sin or to convict of sin was given to all Christians by God. We are not doing the actual binding or loosing--just giving a testimony that is so true that God will back us up. When we discern, by the Spirit of God, that someone is truly confessing his sin, and repenting, we can, with the authority of God, declare God's forgiveness. And God will back us up by forgiving that person, restoring him.
We do not ourselves have the power to forgive for eternal life, but only to forgive transgressions made against us ourselves.
Confession is merely the expressed intention to change, which means nothing if change does not follow. Confession saves only if a person follows through with his confession of Christ and begins to live for him.
The authority to release from sin or to convict of sin was given to all Christians by God. We are not doing the actual binding or loosing--just giving a testimony that is so true that God will back us up. When we discern, by the Spirit of God, that someone is truly confessing his sin, and repenting, we can, with the authority of God, declare God's forgiveness. And God will back us up by forgiving that person, restoring him.
We do not ourselves have the power to forgive for eternal life, but only to forgive transgressions made against us ourselves.