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Die Doel Om Ons Sondes Aan Ander Te Bely

Die Doel Om Ons Sondes Aan Ander Te Bely

Die Bybel sê,

Is iemand van julle siek? Hy moet die ouderlinge van die kerk roep om oor hom te bid en hom in die Naam van die Here met olie salf. En die gebed wat in geloof gedoen word, sal die sieke gesond maak; die Here sal hom oprig. As hy gesondig het, sal hy vergewe word. Bely dus julle sondes aan mekaar en bid vir mekaar sodat julle genees kan word. Die gebed van ‘n regverdige man is kragtig en effektief (Jakobus 5:14-16 NIV84).

Die Bybel raai ons aan om ons sondes teenoor mekaar te bely – maar waarom? Wat beteken dit? Is dit die doel om ‘n mens se persoonlike sondes openbaar te maak? Is dit die doel dat ons rituele belydenis teenoor ‘n kerk-gemagtigde priester in ‘n belydenishokkie doen?

En wat gaan aan dat Jakobus die belydenis van sondes verbind het met genesing van siekte?

My begrip is dat Jakobus gelowiges lei om die metodes van God toe te pas wat genesing in ‘n mens se hart en verstand bring, en sulke genesing het ook ‘n baie positiewe impak op ons fisiese gesondheid. Jakobus praat nie van ‘n wetlike belydenis, ‘n belydenis aan ‘n kerkamptenaar vir een of ander seremoniële kwytskelding nie, en hy praat ook nie daarvan om persoonlike sondes openbaar te maak nie. Hy praat daarvan om aan ‘n ander mens te bely met die doel om ‘n mens se hart en verstand te genees van die vrees en skaamte wat sonde meebring.

Een van die gevolge van sonde, van die oortreding van die wette wat God in die werking van die werklikheid ingebou het, om teenstrydig met liefde op te tree, is dat sonde ‘n verandering in die sondaar veroorsaak – hulle ervaar skuldgevoelens, vrees en skaamte.

Skuldgevoelens, vrees en skaamte aktiveer die brein se stresbane en aktiveer die liggaam se immuunstelsel, wat verskeie inflammatoriese faktore verhoog; As dit nie opgelos word nie, dra dit by tot verskeie gesondheidsprobleme, soos insulienweerstandigheid, vetsug, diabetes by volwassenes, vaskulêre siektes, depressie, demensie en ander gesondheidsprobleme.

Onopgeloste skuldgevoelens, skaamte en vrees belemmer ook slaap, wat die immuunstelsel, sirkadiese ritmes, die brein se vermoë om afvalprodukte van metabolisme skoon te maak, die liggaam se vermoë om die stressiklus te verminder, ontwrig – wat alles gesondheidsprobleme verhoog.

Boonop ondermyn chroniese skuldgevoelens en skaamte gesonde verhoudings. Mense met chroniese skuldgevoelens en skaamte voel onseker en is bekommerd dat mense kan uitvind oor wat hulle ook al skuldig en skaam oor voel. Hulle sal op hul hoede wees, leer om sosiale “maskers” te dra, voor te gee dat hulle is wat hulle glo ander wil hê, en altyd sekere grense hou om ware intimiteit te voorkom uit vrees vir verwerping as mense die oorsaak van hul skuld en skaamte ken. Dit alles vererger beide geestelike en fisiese gesondheid.

God se plan van verlossing is die plan van genesing, van herstel, van herskepping, van die verwydering van die sonde en die skadelike gevolge daarvan uit die lewens van mense en hulle herstelling tot gesondheid, tot heelheid, tot heiligheid, tot geregtigheid – en dit vereis nie ‘n wetlike vergifnis vir slegte dade nie, maar die verwydering van sonde, die reiniging van vrees, selfsug, skuldgevoelens, skaamte en alle ongesonde motiewe uit die harte en gedagtes van mense.

God belowe dat as ons ons tot Hom wend, kan Hy die volgende doen:

Ek sal jou ‘n nuwe hart en ‘n nuwe verstand gee. Ek sal jou hardnekkige hart van klip wegneem en jou ‘n gehoorsame hart gee. Ek sal my gees in jou plaas en sorg dat jy my wette volg en al die gebooie wat Ek jou gegee het, onderhou. Dan sal jy woon in die land wat Ek jou voorvaders gegee het (Esegiël 36:26, 27 GNB).

God wil ons nie wetlike vergifnis gee nie; Hy poog om vir ons ‘n nuwe lewe te gee, ‘n geneesde lewe, ‘n rein hart, ‘n regte gees, ‘n herskepte en geneesde verstand, gemotiveer met ‘n nuwe gees van liefde en vertroue.

Een van die middele wat God verorden het om vrees en skaamte te verwyder nadat ‘n mens berou gehad het en met Hom versoen is, is die belydenis van jou sondes aan ‘n ander volwasse, Christelike persoon. Die doel hiervan is om die vrees en skaamte te suiwer, te suiwer van die twyfel of ander hulle nog kan liefhê, steeds vir hulle kan omgee, steeds aanvaar, hulle steeds toelaat om deel van die gemeenskap te wees, hulle steeds toelaat om te dien en nuttig te wees in God se saak.

Toe Adam en Eva gesondig het, het hulle bang geword, weggehardloop en weggekruip omdat hulle naak was. Hulle het blootgestel gevoel. Hulle was bang vir verwerping, verleentheid en vernedering, en hulle het probeer om hulle skaamte met hulle eie vyeblaarklere te bedek. Hulle het probeer om hulself goed te laat lyk – hul “masker” om hul skuldgevoelens en skaamte te bedek.

Dit is wat sonde aan mense doen; dit beskadig die beeld van God van binne, besoedel die gees van liefde met vrees en selfsug, skuld en skaamte, wat, indien dit nie verwyder word nie, wegvretend is, wat lei tot isolasie, wat vrees verder aanvuur met die daaropvolgende agteruitgang van ‘n mens se fisiese gesondheid.

Sondaars wat hulle bekeer het en God se liefde en vergifnis ontvang het, moet ook werklike aanvaarding, konneksie, versoening, liefde ervaar en gewaardeer word deur mense wat van hul sondes weet. Sodat hulle kan weet dat hul sonde nie hul lewe ongeldig, permanent verwoes en waardeloos gemaak het nie. Dit is wanneer die berouvolle persoon ervaar dat hulle opreg geliefd en aanvaar word ten spyte daarvan dat ‘n ander persoon hul mees skandelike sondes ken, dat die skaamte en vrees wat isolasie en wantroue veroorsaak, verwyder word.

Een van die plekke waar dit die doeltreffendste beoefen en gedemonstreer word, is Alkoholiste Anoniem (AA) vergaderings. Wanneer ‘n alkoholis na ‘n AA-vergadering gaan, stel hulle hulself voor en sê: “Hallo, ek is Bob, en ek is ‘n alkoholis.” Hulle bely hul verslawing, en die groep reageer met: “Welkom, Bob.”

Hierdie proses demonstreer die genesende element wat deur Jakobus aanbeveel word. Die alkoholis weet hulle sukkel, weet hulle het ‘n probleem, weet hulle het hulself, God, familie en vriende in die steek gelaat. Hulle het herhaaldelik op hul eie probeer ophou, maar hulle het herhaaldelik misluk en voel moedeloos, hulpeloos en skaam, ervaar vrees vir verwerping, veroordeling en selfs straf. Hulle vrees dat niemand hulle sou liefhê as hulle van hul sondes geweet het nie; hul waardigheid word beskadig; hulle is bang om ander in die oë te kyk, en dus bely hulle by die AA-vergadering hul verslawing en ervaar dat hulle aanvaar word ten spyte daarvan dat almal van hul swakheid weet.

Maar gelyktydig met hul aanvaarding as ‘n mens wat gewaardeer en geliefd is, identifiseer die AA-groep die verslawing as vernietigend, skadelik en iets wat oorkom moet word sodat die verslaafde genees en vrygemaak kan word. Die alkoholis word aanvaar; die verslawing nie. Net so moet Christene altyd die sondaar liefhê en aanvaar wat berouvol is en sukkel terwyl ons die sonde verwerp en probeer om God se metodes toe te pas om oorwinning te behaal. Deel van hierdie genesende aksie is die liefdevolle aanvaarding van ‘n berouvolle sondaar.

Wanneer die berouvolle sondaar die aanvaarding, liefde en waardering van mense ervaar ten spyte daarvan dat hulle van hul sondes weet, is daar ‘n verligting van vrees en skaamte. Hul stresbane kalmeer, die inflammatoriese kaskade skakel af, slaap verbeter en fisiese gesondheid verbeter. Die individu kan vorentoe beweeg sonder die ‘masker’, ‘n outentieke lewe lei, werklike verbindings maak waarin hulle hulself is. Dit alles het ‘n genesende impak op ons hele wese.

Hierdie volledige genesende belydenis word spesifiek voorgeskryf vir verslaafdes in die vierde en vyfde stap van AA se 12 stappe, wat lui:

Stap 4: Maak ‘n soekende en vreeslose morele inventaris van jouself

Stap 5: Erken aan God, jouself en ‘n ander mens die presiese aard van jou verkeerde dinge

Hierdie stappe pas die genesingsbeginsel toe wat Jakobus opdrag gegee het om te gebruik. Om van sonde te genees, moet ons ophou om weg te hardloop van die waarheid dat ons gebroke is en aan God, onsself en ten minste een ander mens die waarheid oor onsself, ons stryd, ons swakhede en ons sondes erken. Wanneer ons dit doen, ervaar ons vergifnis van God, ‘n nuwe hart van God, herskepping van God, liefde van God en ‘n nuwe lewendige motivering van God. En wanneer ons dit aan ten minste een ander mens bely en hulle leef in harmonie met Jesus en reageer soos Jesus sou doen, dan ervaar ons aanvaarding. En dit is deur hierdie menslike aanvaarding te ervaar dat die vrees en skaamte verwyder word. Die verwydering van vrees en skaamte uit ‘n mens se hart en verstand is ‘n vereiste vir genesing.

As jy sukkel met chroniese vrees, skuldgevoelens en skaamte, sal ek jou aanmoedig om ‘n deurdringende morele inventaris te doen en dan na God toe te gaan, alles aan Hom te bely, en Hom te vra vir ‘n nuwe hart en regte gees, sy teenwoordigheid in jou innerlike wese te ervaar, sy liefde, vrede, genade, barmhartigheid, aanvaarding. En vind dan ten minste een volwasse Christen en voer hierdie gesprek, verduidelik jou verlange na God se genesing in jou lewe, en bely jou sondes aan daardie persoon sodat jy kan ervaar dat jy geliefd is as ‘n kind van God en dat jou vorige sondes jou nie uitgesluit het van God se liefde, genade of gemeenskap in sy familie nie.

As jy die krag van gebed en die doel van die olie in Jakobus se aanbeveling hierbo wil verken, kyk na ons blog Salwing Met Olie: Ware Medisyne Of Bygelowige Seremonie?

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Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia

 

Testimony 45

I have been confused for years about what [christianity] calls [its] most disgusting teaching. It has never made much sense to me and for that reason has been evermore empty. I have listened to your class off and on and have struggled determining what is truth, because of the resistance design law encounters in the church. So, I thank God for your ministry. What you teach makes sense. It’s logical and backed up by the power of love. I have never seen that in Christ until now. I am astounded by the insight that is found when we look at God’s ministry through design law. All strength to this message, as I believe it to be the power of God.

Brendon S.

 

Testimony 62

I would like to express my thanks to the C&R team for creating a platform from which people can learn to trust in God and grow. My life is a witness to the effectiveness of this ministry. Without believing the truth about God as you have shown, I don’t know what my life would be like. I had given up on God helping me with certain sins – it was all useless. Given that the scripture is clear and God is so good, how could I have betrayed him so many times? I was a yo-yo christian; spinning up and down. My faith and enthusiasm was driven by discoveries/threats that prophecy is about to be fulfilled. But when I watched your “Healing the Mind” seminar, it was like a light finally went on. I could see God had no plan to hurt me, the danger came from sin, and that He is working to protect me and strengthen me. Thank you for allowing God to use you. The message God gave C&R saved my life!

Antony N. – Hobart, Australia

 

Testimony 67

I was introduced to Come And Reason by a friend of my mother-in-law, who gave me several CD’s of Dr. Jennings. The clarity of the message and recognition that God’s is a God of love was so clear, advancing beyond Dr. Maxwell’s message. However, grappled with Maxwell saying God used emergency measures for the fallen world. Now after several years of being a regular listener of the Come And Reasoning bible study class and attending Jennings’ meetings in Dallas/Fort Worth, TX, things are becoming clearer for me. Design law versus imposed law has added so much to my personal understanding of theology. This message has really impacted my work in counseling so many people miserable because they are searching for and trusting human governments to create order and peace or believing in a God who says love Me or I will kill you. I am grateful that I have an alternative view to offer my clients that makes sense. I teach a bible study class on a semi-regular basis and I value the materials that Come And Reason so freely offers to aid me in presenting this vital message. Thank you for continuing to provide advancement in our very limited understanding of a Infinite God that is rational and believable.

Dr. Roger D, Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 9

I really enjoy with you the view of a gracious God. Thank you for sharing the work you are allowing the Lord to do in you.

L., Queensland, Australia

 

Testimony 20

I just wanted to personally thank you for your teachings and insight into scripture. I came across your website via my cousin who suggested I look into “Healing the Mind” information. My youngest daughter has been struggling over the last couple of years and it all came to a head this spring. When I started listening to the “Healing the Mind” lectures my own life began to be transformed. I began sharing with all my daughters the concepts you laid out so clearly. I ordered your book and soaked it up. I just want to say “Thank You!” My walk with the Lord has been refreshed and renewed. Your obedience to the Lord is a blessing to so many.

R. K., Anderson, SC, USA

 

Testimony 1

Thank you! I love listening to the Come And Reason Ministries Bible study classes and am using some of your notes to get the lessons together that I will be teaching. You always have such good quotes and Bible texts and pull things together to make good sense.

T. C., IN, USA

 

Testimony 11

I would love to have a copy of “Healing the Mind” DVDs to have in my therapy office. I enjoy having clients check out materials to enhance their therapy experience. I have sat under Dr. Jennings’ teaching at an American Association of Christian Counselors convention and respect his work greatly.

K.B., LA, USA

 

Testimony 44

We were given a gift of the DVD set, “God and Your Brain,” and we just finished watching it. The truths in this are so powerful and truly an answer to a prayer. We’re seeing hope where once we thought God wasn’t answering our prayers to be free of certain mindsets. He answered with these DVDs and we are hungry for more. Thank you!

Daniel T., Easley, SC, USA

 

Testimony 58

I have been watching your videos in The Power of Love seminar and I must say these have liberated me and have improved my relationship with the Lord. I am no longer terrified of him as I was before following your teachings.

Thando N., South Africa

 

Testimony 8

Thank you for the ministry you are sharing with us, it is a real blessing to us and especially to my husband and myself! You are encouraging us to think for ourselves and not just to except everything, without thinking it through, with God’s word!

M.K., USA

 

Testimony 64

I’ve been reading the bible and walking with Jesus since I was around 16. I’m 42 now. I’ve mostly been alone in my walk although I went to several churches in different denominations. For the past 3 years God has been showing me His character of agape. It’s been a blessing and changed how I view God and my walk with Jesus. About a year ago I came across the power of love and the principles of design law. These teachings changed how I read scripture and have been such a beautiful blessing. I’m very excited and grateful for these truths. We share these truths of agape, design law and the reality of the principles of the two trees in the garden of Eden with people on Facebook and YouTube. People all over are learning to trust God and His agape design law which makes life possible. Thank you for everything you shared with me. May God continue to bless your ministry and lives.

Bradley M., Hinsdale, NY, USA

 

Testimony 57

You have helped make sense of thirty two years of confusion. The material you freely provide reorganized so much of my life into such a beautiful pattern that has always been hinted at from within, but misguided with my training and what I was experiencing externally. My filipno parents, who were converted from Catholicism to SDA, were sincere and did their best to raise me the right way and I have deep respect for them. However, being immigrants and not understanding the language made for a difficult transition as I was growing up, which also applied to my spiritual growth as I learned the patterns of religion. I have been listening to as many bible study classes and reading blog posts as my time in a work truck will allow, searching for the practical applications of where spirituality and reality meet, and I thank you for helping me find that. You have helped me reach a point in which I can truly say that I love God, that I believe He loves me, and, like David, I delight in His law. God bless.

Emmanuel V., Calgary, AB Canada

Testimony 69

After reading your book, ‘Could It Be This Simple,’ someone was explaining Christianity in a way that made sense to me for the first time in my life. One morning, I simply prayed “I’m sorry and I love you.” As soon as I silently said that, I could literally feel God’s presence and light flood down on me from above and fill me up with love and joy. I sat there crying my eyes out, because I was so overpowered with this feeling of love and joy. It was just so incredible. I hope that more people can read this book and get a blessing from it. It’s really amazing.

Rachael H.