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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 29

Thank you for all of your work to correct misconceptions about God’s character. So many people that my husband and I have talked to seem to be against the natural law construct and view it as “errant” and “dangerous.” Having learned more about it through your blogs and lessons, I don’t really understand why they view it that way, except that it means they have to relearn theology they have known for their entire lives. But I’m so excited to relearn this. For the past few years I have been questioning how I could trust a God who punishes arbitrarily and is full of wrath for those who don’t obey His commands. That view made me afraid to “mess up” or “not be good enough,” even within my relationship with God. I really appreciated the point you bring out about God not wanting us to serve Him because we are afraid, but because we love Him.

Melissa H., IN, USA

 

Testimony 24

I wanted to thank you very much for presenting your understanding of God. I’ve always been troubled by this question: Why did Jesus have to die? Since my conversion I understood that The Father & Jesus are one, I did not have issues with that. But was there not any other way to save us than for Jesus to die? I guess I actually had a question about God – if He is so wise, how come He did not find another way? I did not see the real ‘beauty’  in the cross. Only when you explained the picture in the medical context, Jesus providing medicine for my selfishness, have I started to finally ‘see the light’. Thank you so much. Your seminar, “Healing the Mind,” are absolutely marvelous & have shared them with my family and many other people, including colleagues at work. Thanks, thanks, thanks. May God bless you abundantly in your ministry.

M. W., Australia

 

Testimony 15

I have been sharing Come And Reason Ministries Bible study lessons with several folk. You have such a beautiful view of the plan of salvation. If we had this message preached when I was young, my generation would still all be in church.

H. R., New Zealand

Testimony 40

I was brought up in a different faith and have been petrified my whole life of God. I believed that I would burn in hell for eternity. When I was 12 I started pursuing the things of this world, but for the next 45 years the Spirit was always calling me, as I knew there was a God through nature. I could see the vast sea of stars in the universe and knew there was something bigger out there. Five years ago, through a Revelation seminar, I was blessed to learn about God’s character and government.

Then I found Come and Reason Ministries and have come under some extreme pressure when I speak about the ministry. One time a member sent me an internet article titled “Whats wrong with Tim Jennings?” I asked her what she thought of it and she said “I don’t know, I didn’t read it.”

I have always wanted to find out for myself the truth about God, so I stayed with the Design Law construct and have been liberated to understand the big picture. Once we consider Design Law, all other Bible stories and prophecies seem to fit perfectly. It is truly beautiful to see people grasping how God operates this Universe of Love and the liberation it has provided in their lives. It blows my mind to see how consistent Design law is with what our founders believed. I hear statements like “This makes so much sense.”

Tom W., Mt. Pleasant, MI, USA

 

Testimony 50

After coming into contact with Come And Reason Ministries, I can finally say that many of my unanswered questions have fallen into place. I discovered that my view of God’s Law was “imposed laws and rules” with “imposed punishments” and that this was the major culprit of my many unanswered questions. Thanks be to God for using you and those around you to help us who have struggled with this “infection” of thought. I have now rejected the “imposed law” concept to fully embrace “Design Law”… to look thru “Design Law,” instead of “imposed law,” is a relief.

Viliami L., Australia

 

Testimony 60

Just watched watched lesson 10 in the 1st quarter 2021 bible study classs on Isaiah. I want to thank you for your intellectual spirituality; it’s not an oxymoron! From the point of view of a teacher I also enjoy seeing how much personal pleasure you clearly take in not just tasting, but feasting on God’s word – it reminds me of Jeremiah not being able to hold it in! It makes me smile that your cup is so full and overflowing that you make it to Tuesday’s lesson (on a good day). It just goes to show the richness of God’s Word.

God bless the Come and Reason Team from our church here in Great Britain.

Andrew H., Great Britain

 

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 52

Your unique way in spreading the truth is what we all need today. Most of us don’t recognize the contamination coming from all the lies and selfishness in the world. Because of our fear of death, we forgot how to live. Lies left and right. I was losing hope and faith, because of so many ideas that are always contradicting each other – so many questions answered by other, more complicated, questions – until I found your channel on YouTube.

You did not just give me answers, you also taught me how to answer new questions that arise in my mind. Now I see things differently. I see God’s mercy, grace, and Love everywhere, in spite of all the chaos that we all have done as humans. I don’t fear death anymore. Accepting the Truth and Love about God is truly a genuine Freedom from all the confusions, sufferings, selfishness, pain, and death.

I just wanted to say, thank you, sooooo much for revealing the real Remedy for our infected life. I have a new hope and now see the world in a different perspective!

Wheinny P., University Place, WA, USA

 

Testimony 38

Since November 2015, when I started studying Gods word from this God Is Love point of view, my life has been transformed. My troubled marriage of 15 years has been healed and my husband and I are truly happy for the first time in 15 years. Now When I read the word of God I understand it so much better and I can’t help but see Gods love radiating through the pages to humanity. Gods word is living and active and I am blessed beyond measure to be having this amazing experience. God has given me a beautiful understanding of Jn 3:16 that amazes me more and more each day. Thank you again for your ministry.

Helen D., London, England

 

Testimony 7

Ok, so last night I listened to “The Law of Liberty” and “How to Achieve Victory: Freedom, Truth and Spirtual Warfare.” These are both MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITES so far! The logic is just soooooo beautiful. I had to re-listen to them a couple of times. I just want to EXPLODE! (<< we assume with joy and happiness)

N. B., Canada

 

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 47

I can’t even begin to thank you and your ministry enough for introducing me to the Truth about a loving and merciful God! I have my daughter and her in-laws to thank for sharing with me “The God-Shaped Brain” as well as your website. I listen to the Bible study class lessons on my daily walk. May God continue to bless your thirst-quenching ministry!

Liz H., Port Angeles, WA, USA

 

 

Testimony 59

I’m a native Ghanan, but am currently in France for my master’s degree. Prior to this, during my final years at undergraduate studies in Ghana, I was introduced to your ministry and I’ve been immensely blessed by what you share, especially about the Design and Imposed Laws. God richly bless you for that.

One of the first things I did when I arrived in France was to buy all four of your books. They not only helped me, but those I shared them with. I shared the message with an atheist student and I marveled at how God worked mightily in his life. Today this person shares the Love of God with others and debunks theories of who God is not. I want to share what you present in your “Heavenly Sanctuary and Investigative Judgment” pamphlet, because the message brought rest to my soul and I live today as a healthy person.

God bless you so much and your ministry.

Michael A., Ghana

 

Testimony 55

I was born [into the church], then I left it for many years. 10 years ago, I came back, but I could not take the hypocrisy and the lack of answers to the missing pieces. I struggled, but I did not abandon my commitment to know the truth. God is leading me to the simple understanding of his relevance and I am relearning what the church taught me as a youth… that he loves me, that he has led me to a knowledge of him such as I have never known. He is using Dr. Jennings to connect the dots that are now so apparent and hiding in plain sight!

Dean P., Arlington, TX, USA

 

Testimony 41

I have been blessed by your ministry. I have experienced personally, and deeply resonate with, the God of love and the beautiful picture of God’s character that you present. I have seen your seminar series on YouTube, read ‘The Journal of the Watcher’ book, used your mobile app, and also listen/study the bible study lesson with you each week. I concur with many of the thoughts and perspectives that you share. I understand your conclusions on natural laws vs imposed law and the legal/penal substitution (incorrect diagnosis). This makes perfect sense to me.

Bless you for all you do.

Melissa L.