• Assurance of Forgiveness

Memory Verse

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness"

  • 1 John 1:9

"If we confess our sins"

+++We began by defining an assurance, which is like a guarantee or certainty, and we remembered that an assurance from God has a 100% success rate; God's promise never fails. (

Isaiah 55:10-11

Then we discussed that after identifying our sins, we should identify the things that might lead to those sins, like hanging out with certain people or having bad habits. Our first step after this is to

  • repent
  • Repentance

+++How do we repent?

  • After reading

1 John 1:8 & 10

, we found out that claiming we are not in sin is self-deception. We discussed how we all

  • at least

have the original mark of sin because we are all descended from Adam & Eve.

  • We then read about confessing our sins in 3 ways
  • "To elders" a.k.a. our priests

To each other

To God in our hearts/minds during the Prayer of Absolution during Raza before the Eucharist.

  • Reading
  • Acts 3:19

, however, we decided confessing your sins was just a step in repentance.

He is Faithful and Just and will forgive... and purify

+++Finally, we looked at what way God imparts (gives) his forgiveness of sins in

  • John 20:22-23
  • ***Apostolic Authority—

Christ gave his disciples, or apostles, the authority to forgive sins through

  • HIS name
  • by giving people the Eucharist (Qurbana)

ohn 20:22-23.

  • ***Holy Eucharist—
  • The Body & Blood of Christ, through grace,

Ephesians 1:7.

Where do we get Qurbana? At Holy Mass (raza qadeesha).

  • Body & Blood of Christ(Eucharist)—
  • Matthew 26:26-28 & 1 Corinthians 10:16
  • +++
  • Forgiving others—
  • Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 6:14-15
  • This Week's Study

—Listen to Rabi's podcast on the steps of repentance

—Read the parable of the Unforgiving Servant to see why Christ calls us to forgive others who have offended/sinned against us.

Matthew 18:21-35

—Read the following verse to see other examples of Christ giving his disciples authority, "Apostolic authority"

-Matthew 10:1 -Mark 3:14-15 -Luke 10:19 -Matthew 28:18-20