Why Christians Don’t Go To Confessional
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all people.” – 1 Timothy 2:5-6a
In this article, Christian refers to Protestant Christian.
Catholics Believe
Catholics teach like the priests of the Old Testament and the Pharisees of the New Testament. Because of the fall of man (read Genesis 3), believers could not have direct communion with God. Rather, they had to go through a mediator.
In the same way, the Catholic church believes that, in order to have your sins forgiven, you must go through a mediator. That’s typically through a priest in a confessional booth.
According to the Catholic World Mission, “When you go to confession, you will speak with a priest who has been given the power to forgive sins by Christ.” (The Ultimate Guide to Confession.)
For your sins to be forgiven, a priest might tell you to do certain things. Perhaps he tells you to say seven “Hail Marys” and your sins will be forgiven. Being required to do that, in order for your sins to be forgiven, would be considered works. Something that you had to do to earn your salvation. Our salvation is a gift from God. Not something that we can earn or have to work for.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” – Ephesians 2:8-9
You’ll be delivered from your sins when you put your faith in Jesus Christ and accept the free give being offered to you.
“He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” – Psalm 103:12
Related article: How to Witness to Others
It’s Blasphemy to Forgive Sin
What did the church leaders of the New Testament think when Jesus forgave sin? They called him a blasphemer (Mark 2:1-12). According to the Old Testament law, which is what the religious leaders of Jesus’ time adhered to, the penalty for blasphemy was death (Leviticus 24:10-16).
Therefore, if the religious leaders of the New Testament era believed that blasphemy was punishable by death, then why would Catholic priests believe it’s okay for them to forgive sin?
Referenced article: The Sins a priest cannot forgive?
What Christians Believe
As Christians, we don’t need to go to another human being to speak with God. The only intercessor we have is also the only way to God the Father. That’s through His son Christ Jesus (John 14:6). Therefore, you won’t find a confessional booth in a Christian church.
There’s no priest, pastor, or reverend that we must go through, in order to speak to God. Jesus made the way when He died on the cross as the substitutionary lamb. He said, “It is finished” – John 19:28-30. At that very moment, the veil/curtain that separated the holy place from the holy of holies split from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51). That was the symbology that we no longer had to go through the High Priest (Leviticus 16:1-23) or any human.
Jesus Replaced the High Priest
During the time of the Old Testament, once a year the Israelites had to atone for their sins (Hebrews 9:1-10). When Jesus died on the cross, He paved the way for us to have direct communication and communion with God, once again (Hebrews 9:11-15). He became the permanent replacement for the Passover lamb.
Through His death and resurrection, we no longer have to give animals, birds, or any other burnt offerings for our sins. We just have to accept the gift that Jesus freely gives to those who are willing to receive it (John 3:16).
If you’re a Catholic only because your parents were, consider accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Consider reading: How to Witness to Others
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