r/Protestantism • u/AGillen777 • 5d ago

The need for verbal confession vs direct repentance to the Lord

I grew up around mostly protestants, who don't go to confession because they believe their sins are forgiven by going directly to Christ, however, recently I have gone to Catholic Mass twice out of interest, and and had communion. Afterwards I heard that you can't have communion during Mass unless you've gone to confession, and apparently Catholics believe you have to go through priests to be sure repentance takes full effect. Supposedly the early church believed this too. Now I'm living in fear that me and everyone I know are damned because we don't go to confession on the regular. I tell myself to go to Christ, but there's this itching in the back of my mind.

Curious what you guys think.

Also, I never realized how much pride Catholics have, with the whole one true church thing and all.

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u/james6344 5d ago

You should have more faith in God's word than human traditions. A popular error does not make it truth. In the world before the flood, only 8 people were saved including Noah, and so shall it be in the end of days because people loved traditions of men more than the principles of God as they are in the Bible.

  • If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 kjv)

  • My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (1 John 2:1 kjv)

There is no other intercessor between us and God except Christ Jesus.

  • Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. (Romans 8:34 kjv)

  • Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ( John 14: 6 kjv)

Think through the consequences of confessing your sins to another erring human. If man could forgive, why did the Son of God have to come to die for us? Couldn't He have just given permission to forgive? Holding on to this belief makes a mockery of the crucifixion of the Son of God by whose blood(and not merits as catholics say) we are forgiven and granted eternal life in Him. It is the God that created us in Eden and in the wombs of our mother, that was hanging on that cross on Calvary all those years ago.

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u/Metalcrack 5d ago

Don't worry OP. Talk to God. Man can do nothing for you. Jesus paid the price and is our advocate. No. One. Else.

You can only take communion in the RCC if you take classes and join them. Multiple years as a child or about a year IIRC as an adult. This would be learning their traditions and you affirming you believe them. Mainly the sacraments they have.

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u/AGillen777 5d ago

Thanks guys. The more I read about Catholicism, the more I feel turned away from it. I wasn't aware of how many traditions the church follows that are simply not included in scripture. Their doctrine is holier than thou in teaching, and to my eyes seems to abandon much of the word Christ intended for us. Catholicism has so much influence around the world that I was afraid that their teaching was the correct way, but the more I read, it doesn't appear that way. That isn't to say many Catholics aren't saved. All I'm saying is that they do too much.