Children of God who believe in Lord Jesus Christ, as found in the verse, "Upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18), it appeared good to me to write about the remission of sins as granted by Lord Jesus Christ which I came to know through "New Jerusalem Church", the body of Jesus Christ and the spiritual blessings which I have experienced.

Once I was driving my car fast and crossed the speed limit of 50 KMPH. A police official who saw me breaking the traffic rule, caught me and took me to a court. The judge asked me, "A case has been registered against you for disobeying the traffic rule. Are you guilty or not guilty?" I replied, "I am guilty but I assure you that I will not do this any more". He pronounced the judgment immediately that I must pay a fine of 100 rupees. I paid the fine and was released. The police who till then guarded me to prevent my escape, left me alone.

"Thou shalt not covet" was the commandment which God had given to me. I disobeyed it. The Lord told me, "I have a complaint against you (Micah 6:2). Come now and let us reason together" (Isa. 1:18). And He took me to the mountain of the Lord's house (Isa. 2:2) and again told me, "Arise, plead your case before the mountains" (Micah 6:1). He then told, "Hear, O you mountains the Lord's complaint" (Micah 6:2). Thrones were set there for judgment (Ps. 122:5). The judges appointed by God were seated (John 20:21-23). I accepted and confessed my transgression before them (I John 1:9). A punishment was pronounced on me, but my Father volunteered to bear my punishment (Isa. 53:5). I was released. I was redeemed by the sacrifice of my Father. My sins which looked like crimson now appeared like wool. My transgression which looked like scarlet turned like wool (Isa. 1:18). Millions of praises to my Lord Jesus who saved me!

I was born in a Hindu family which disregards Christianity. During my college life, I came to know Jesus Christ through a relative of mine. Christian students guided me into Christian doctrines. They taught me to confess all my sins to Jesus Christ by way of prayer and to believe that all my sins were forgiven. Some others suggested me to plead with God for my sins with tears in order to get divine peace. I followed these suggestions but I did not get peace resulting from remission of sins. I tried to cry but I could not.

As the grace of God was upon me, He who loved me, graciously helped me to hold on to Him. Then I went to a Pentecostal church and gave a testimony of my former life and the day I was changed. Later I was baptized in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Then I received the anointing of the Holy Spirit as promised by God.

Praise the Lord. I witnessed my experience to many other students in college. But all the time I did not have the peace due to the remission of sins. I taught others as I had been taught to confess their sins to Jesus Christ to get peace. This happened out of my ignorance as we read in the verse, "They have also healed the hurt of My people superficially, saying, 'Peace, peace!' when there is no peace" (Jer. 6:14).

Meanwhile, once I went to my native place. As I loved Christians, I went to "New Jerusalem Church". The pastors there accepted me and inquired me of my matters. Finally as they were about to pray, they told me, "Brother, you must openly confess your sins". I replied to them that I had already confessed my sins. They again said that, that is not the method of confessing the sins but one had to openly confess them. I was perplexed. I thought for a while. If, as he said, the method of confessing followed by me was wrong, I could do as he suggested. But if it were correct, what harm was there in telling him my sins again. What was that to me if by hearing my sins he were to be spoiled? After all it was he who told me to confess them to him. Then I told some of my sins that came to my mind to him. He also said prophetically that I was forgiven. Soon after the prayer, another minister with the gift of prophesy who assisted him revealed, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the sins which I committed in my childhood; some of which I had already confessed according to the doctrine I had known earlier.

Why should God reveal through him now, the sins which I had already confessed if they were forgiven? Besides even those sins which I had forgotten to confess also were being revealed through him thus enabling me to become holier. Only the Holy Spirit will lead someone into holiness. Moreover, Apostle Paul too substantiated his claim that God spoke to him through his gift of prophesy by which he detected the sins of the congregation.

Therefore deciding to do what he told me, I began to confess my sins one by one. As I started to confess, all the sins I committed since my childhood came out. The sins of my mouth emerged out of my bones (Job 20:11). I was filled with remorse at the thought of how sinful I looked in the eyes of the Lord though I appeared righteous in the eyes of the people. I wrote down my sins page after page and confessed all of them openly in accordance with the verse Acts 19:18.

Just as Achan confessed his sins to Joshua in the presence of God (Jos. 7:19-21), I too confessed my sins before an authorized minister of God. I confessed in front of the congregation those sins that could be confessed in the church (so that others might correct themselves) and I confessed before the minister in the presence of God those sins which could not be confessed in front of the congregation.

Moses powdered the golden calf made by the Israelites, mixed it with water and made them drink it. Was it because he feared that even a small part of it, if left out would tempt the people to worship it! (Deut. 32:20). Similarly I confessed my sins in detail separating them part by part. According to I John 1:7-8, the blood of Jesus Christ cleansed all my sin. The sin which dwelt in me causing me to do the evil, which I hate, was removed by the blood of Jesus Christ. "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death" (Rom. 8:2).

Because I wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching entrusted to me, I became righteous (Rom. 6:17-18). I received the true peace of remission of sins. Those disgusting sins from which I could not be released earlier had now left me completely. By grace, I received a victorious holy life easily from the truth which I understood (Col. 1:6).

Before knowing this doctrine, whenever I commit a sin, my conscience would torment me. I would sense the sorrow of the Holy Spirit. I would say remorsefully that I had sinned and beg to God for pardon. But I could not get relief. I used to say it again many times. Still peace was elusive. I would search the scriptures for a comforting verse such as "Your sins are forgiven" but again it would not be useful. If the verse I John 1:9, is to be interpreted that it is sufficient to tell your sins to God, it should have been sufficient to have confessed once. But how many times I had confessed that way! As mentioned in verse "My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, for he is indeed flesh" (Gen. 6:3), the Holy Spirit would convict a person for his error for a while and then would become silent. I deceived myself believing that God would have forgiven my sins as I had got peace. Why should I believe that I have sorrow or peace. Isn't that plainly evident? Similarly why should I forcefully believe that the burden of sin had left me. It should be possible to feel it. Why is it necessary to believe something which we can sense? After I came to know the doctrine of confession, I would confess the sins that grieve me (or Holy Spirit) just once before a man of God or before congregation. And the God who does not despise a broken and contrite heart would pardon and remove my sins and restore to me the joy of salvation and make my face shine. This knowledge makes me glad in Christ.

The Lord gave a revelation regarding the manner in which a person confessed his sins openly, unmindful of the shame. A preacher filled with the Spirit delivers a message with reference to sin. A listener is convicted and his heart is broken. The people surrounding him do not appear to him except his sin which alone appears huge and formidable. He does not feel the greatness of himself, but only the bulkiness of his sin. He becomes unsettled, stands up and cries that he has sinned. That man cries as one who has lost his child, unmindful of his social standing. He receives forgiveness.

King David did the same thing (II Sam. 12:13). Why should you be shameful while confessing the sin when you did not feel the same shame while committing it? Moreover while considering the words, writings and testimonies by men of God affiliated to different spiritual churches, I could see that when they were convicted of their sins through the Holy Spirit or holy men, they had openly declared their sins with broken heart in the presence of God (either before the man by whose words they were convicted or before the congregation). There were revivals only when those who were convicted of their sins by the Holy Spirit (Scriptures) from time to time cried aloud and confessed their sins openly. It was clear to me that the Holy Spirit has been leading people in this manner.

I came to know that just as circumcision was preached as a doctrine by Moses to the Israelites though it was being practiced since the time of patriarchs (John 7:22), the method of getting remission of sins had been made one of the doctrines by "New Jerusalem Church".

Moreover, before knowing this doctrine, though I had received Holy Spirit with the sign of tongues, while I was praying, I had to be content with speaking just a few words in tongues even after pleading with God for a long time. But by God's grace, from the days I began to confess all my sins openly according to this doctrine, I have been able to experience the divine happiness; I could pray with power and the fullness of the Holy Spirit and speak in tongues without restraint.

Every good gift comes from heaven only. We seek the prayers of brothers to get a blessing from God. Knowing that remission of sins too is a major gift granted by God, I reveal my transgressions to others and request them to pray for me so that I may receive life in accordance with the verse I John 5:16.

The benefits which I received through this doctrine are remission of sins, holy life, heavenly peace, fellowship with God and a life of victory over the evil one. I commend this to you so that you may also receive it.

"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins" (Heb. 10:2).