https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQtDh6Kh-CY
This is a highly recommended sermon for everyone, Catholic, Protestants, Orthodox and especially non-believers.
To the protestants, please listen to this carefully, to clear out any misconceptions about our Catholic brothers and sisters. To the Catholics, this is well worth listening.
A few notable points that I remember, not in any order of importance:
1. We need to invite Jesus into our lives. Then He will live IN us and we will live IN Him.
2. For us to live IN Him, we need to live according to His Way, that is, get rid of all sinful behaviour.
3. We are saved by Hearing Him, i.e. including hearing His Word. We cannot earn our salvation.
4. Being saved means bearing good fruit. So our live must be reflecting good works (it did not say doing good to be saved).
5. So for the main title of this sermon, as we invite Jesus to come live with us, and we are saved, so we can confess directly to Him.
6. Why do we need to go to Confession? The Word says we should confess our sins to each other. The sermon did not say we confess to the priest and ask the priest for forgiveness.
7. In confessing and repenting before God, we must be right before God. One key example is we cannot have unforgiveness remaining in us, or we have to make restitution (ie. correct a wrong we have done), before coming to confession.
To my Protestant brothers and sisters - the priest did not say Confession is where the priest will forgive. He also did not say salvation is earned by good works. Hope this will clear up some misunderstanding among the children of God.
