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How do you know you are forgiven...?

Through faith in His promises... they are steadfast and unbreakable.

My problem with reconciling this act of confession... is that forgiveness can be withheld... this equates man to God in divining one's heart... which only God can do... The definition of that phrase and its' meaning is debatable... so I do not see it as instruction that one can withhold forgiveness...

I see no reason to confess are sins to each other, we have been asked to do such... but I don't agree that who we confess to can determine whether you are forgiven or not.... That is God's rightful place... not man's...

What I meant...

"I see no negative reason as to not confess our sins to each other, we have been asked to do such... but I don't agree that who we confess to must be a priest and that they can determine whether we are forgiven or not.... That is God's rightful place... not man's..."

In the end it is our realtionship with Christ, accepting His sacrifice as our ultimate substitute, being justified by His blood and our testimony of faith, is the only way to His kingdom.

There is nothing man can do of his own merit to be made worthy... When we think we can, we just put an idol above our God...

Blessed be those that find peace, love, hope and salvation through Christ....

Through faith in His promises... they are steadfast and unbreakable.

Yes. We call that "moral assurance". It's a logical deduction from the mercy of God. But it is not direct knowledge of forgiveness, which can only come from God Himself. Forgiveness is personal. It really has to be communicated from the offended party to the offender.

My problem with reconciling this act of confession... is that forgiveness can be withheld... this equates man to God in divining one's heart... which only God can do.

Ok, fair enough. So what do you suppose Christ means in John 20 when he says to the Apostles that "whose sins you retain, are retained"?

And note that right before Our Lord says that to them, He breathes on them, and says "receive the Holy Spirit". Doesn't the presence of the Spirit supply what is lacking in the brains and hearts of men doing the confessing?