Can I confess my sins to God instead of a priest?

If you are a member of the one Catholic, Apostolic church of Nicaea (which is not the church of Rome of course today) you cannot deny the confession to a priest. If you confess your sins directly to God there is no guarantee that He will not turn His face away from you – like He did with so many people.

Where in the Bible does it say to confess to a priest?

The Lord chose to use priests of God to carry out His work of forgiveness. Lev. 5:4-6; 19:21-22 – even under the Old Covenant, God used priests to forgive and atone for the sins of others. James 5:16 – James clearly teaches us that we must “confess our sins to one another,” not just privately to God.

Why do we need confession Catholic?

Through the sacrament of reconciliation, and by confession our sins to a priest, we have the assurance of Jesus’ own words that we shall be forgiven of our sins. This is especially true for mortal or very grave sins. By confessing our sins to a priest, we are given a vehicle by which we can be comforted in our guilt.

Can you confess your sins to God?

You can confess your sins alone to god as well. The reasoning for confession can be found in John 5:16: “Confess your sins to one another that you may be healed.”

Can you confess anything to a priest?

Anything you tell a priest is confidential and privileged. He cannot reveal it to anyone for any reason without your permission.

What happens if you take Communion without confession?

Can You Receive Communion Without Going to Confession? So, what does this all mean in practice? If you want to receive Communion, do you always have to go to Confession first? The short answer is no—so long as you’re only conscious of having committed venial sins.

Can a Catholic priest forgive sins?

Jesus himself said that Scripture cannot be altered (John 10:35). Only Jesus can forgive sins. “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22). The pope and priests and any other person is flesh and blood like you and me and do not have the authority or power from Jesus to forgive sins.

Why is confession important?

The act of confession is important because it allows Roman Catholics to put things right with God and to know that they have been forgiven. The Roman Catholic Church believes that only God can forgive sin. But as Christ’s successors and representatives, priests have been give the power to pass on that forgiveness.

What are some benefits of going to confession?

When confession is followed by positive acceptance, help, support and love from others or yourself, then confession develops a great rush of self-esteem, satisfaction, and a sense of personal power. We all need to feel known, loved, accepted, and appreciated.

What happens if you don’t confess all your sins?

If you don’t confess your sins to a priest, all stain of sin remains on your soul. If the any of the sins are mortal you are spiritually dead though your body lives on and you are separated from God. If you die with mortal sin, the wages of sin are death and you will likely go to hell.

What is confession in the Catholic Church?

In the early Church, publicly known sins (such as apostasy) were often confessed openly in church, though private confession to a priest was always an option for privately committed sins. Still, confession was not just something done in silence to God alone, but something done “in church,” as the Didache (A.D. 70) indicates.

What does the Bible say about confession of sins?

Later in the New Testament, the forgiveness of sins is tied to the sacrament of the anointing of the sick (James 5:13–15). Just as these Biblical practices are channels of God’s forgiving grace, the sacrament of confession does not add to or take away from the finished work of Christ. It is evidence of the finished work of Christ in our midst. 4.

Does the Bible prohibit confession to a priest?

Many will use these verses against the idea of confession to a priest. God forgiving sins, they will claim, precludes the possibility of there being a priest who forgives sins. Further, Hebrews 3:1 and 7:22-27 tell us Jesus is, “the… high priest of our confession” and that there are not “many priests,” but one in the New Testament— Jesus Christ.

What did early Christians say about confession?

Here are examples of what early Christian writers had to say on the subject of confession: “Confess your sins in church, and do not go up to your prayer with an evil conscience. This is the way of life. . . .