Why Pastors Ought To Go Repeatedly To Confession: 15 Theses

Dr. Stephen Pietsch introduced the next theses to fourth 12 months seminarians attending his Theology and Management course.

1. It’s useful for pastors to go repeatedly to confession, not a lot as a “self-discipline of the pastoral life,” however to ceaselessly and richly obtain the gracious present of forgiveness for his or her sins, and a pure conscience, by way of Jesus Christ. As Luther says, the absolution is the most important factor on this observe.
2. Going to confession introduces a component of non secular accountability to on a regular basis life, which acts as a deterrent to sin, since it’s painful to the guts and conscience to endure the conviction of the legislation and the information of God’s judgement.
3. Pastors are particularly topic to the satan’s assaults and deceptions, since they proclaim the gospel of Christ to others, straight opposing the satan’s will. Religious assaults and temptations, together with those who come through the pastor’s personal private weaknesses, are actual, and the pastor have to be on guard in opposition to them (Ephesians 6:14).
4. Furthermore, whereas a pastor could declare Christ’s forgiveness confidently to others, the satan’s accusations and misleading assaults on his conscience could trigger him regret and disgrace which lead him to query whether or not Christ’s forgiveness is actually for him too, since he sees himself as a hypocrite.
5. In confession sins have to be freely acknowledged within the presence of the brother. The burden of hiding sins or denying them for worry of publicity and disgrace is lifted and relieved, as they’re introduced into the sunshine and healed. Confession and absolution then break the strongholds of self-delusion and self-justification, which can lead the pastor into theological or doctrinal distortions or deceptions.
6. A pastor is one in non secular authority over others, exercising the keys on Christ’s behalf. He ought due to this fact additionally to be topic to non secular authority himself, able to make himself accountable earlier than Christ (1 Corinthians 4:3–4).
7. Pastors typically work alone in ministry however shouldn’t be left alone to take care of their sin. Christ turned our brother to assist and save us. As we kneel in confession, our brother confessor turns into Christ to us, to assist us and produce forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace in His identify.
8. Confessing sin is humbling and confronting. The previous Adam dies an ignominious demise within the presence of Christ and the brother. Confession thus helps guard a pastor in opposition to false satisfaction, together with non secular satisfaction in workplace or ministry.
9. Confession locations the pastor within the place of receiving humbly from Christ, as one who’s each bit as a lot in want of God’s forgiveness and charm as another believer. This helps him to take care of a transparent and mandatory distinction between himself and the workplace through which he serves.
10. As for all who come to confession, listening to the exterior phrase of Christ’s forgiveness by way of the voice of a brother relieves the worry of self-deception which will proceed within the coronary heart when one tells oneself: You’re forgiven.
11. Proclaiming the phrase of God to others could also be compromised for a pastor who has a nasty or burdened conscience. On this case the pastor feels the necessity to disguise sure sins from these he serves and is compromised in confronting with the legislation those that want it, as a result of he is aware of he’s himself responsible of the identical offence (1 Timothy 1:5; 3:9).
12. A pastor with a burdened conscience may be tempted to switch or undertaking his personal guilt a few besetting or secret sin onto others and turn out to be unjustly or immoderately accusatory in direction of his flock.
13. When a pastor is carrying sins on his conscience, he could nicely turn out to be delicate to the likelihood that his flock, and those that are maybe antagonistic in direction of him, have someway discovered him out, through which case he could start to turn out to be cautious, fearful, or suspicious in response to others’ feedback.
14. A pastor is, alternatively, higher in a position to preach the gospel of forgiveness when he himself lives within the actuality of that forgiveness and the enjoyment and power it brings. He’s, on this case, in a position to preach the gospel of Christ freely and joyfully from the guts.
15. A pastor ministering with a free and pure conscience is healthier in a position to see others as Christ sees them, with eyes of mercy and love, as a result of he himself has obtained mercy and love (Luke 7:47).