Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

^2. But if we consider it well: your own blame is His praise. For why is it that you now confess in accusing yourself for your sin? In accusing yourself why do you confess? But because you have become alive from the dead? For the Scripture says, “Confession perishes from the dead, as from one that is not.” If confession perishes from the dead, he who confesses must be alive; and if he confesses sin he has undoubtedly risen again from death. Now if he that confesses sin has risen again from the dead, who has raised him? No dead man can raise himself. He only was able to raise Himself, who though His Body was dead, was not dead. For He raised up that which was dead. He raised up Himself, who in Himself was alive, but in His Body that was to be raised was dead. For not the Father only, of whom it was said by the Apostle, “Wherefore God also has exalted Him,” raised the Son, but the Lord also raised Himself, that is, His Body. Whence He said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it again.” But the sinner is dead, especially he whom the load of sinful habit presses down, who is buried as it were like Lazarus. For he was not merely dead, he was buried also. Whosoever then is oppressed by the load of evil habit, of a wicked life, of earthly lusts, I mean, so that that in his case is true which is piteously described in a certain Psalm, “The fool has said in his heart, There is no God,” he is such an one, of whom it is said, “Confession perishes from the dead, as from one that is not.” And who shall raise him up, but He who when the stone was removed, cried out, and said, “Lazarus, Come forth?” Now what is to “come forth,” but to bring forth what was hidden? He then who confesses “comes forth.” “Come forth” he could not were he not alive; he could not be alive, had he not been raised again. And therefore in confession the accusing of one's self, is the praise of God.