--- title: "4 Confession Quotes By Richard J. Foster" description: "4 Confession quotes by Richard J. Foster. Plus more from Richard J. Foster and more Confession sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/richard-j-foster-1460_barnacles_but-if-we-know-that-the-people-of-god-ar_925475.jpg" --- > [But if we know that the people of God are first a fellowship of sinners, we are freed to hear the unconditional…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/but-if-we-know-that-the-people-of-god-are-first-a-fellowship-of/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/393/richard-j-foster-1460_barnacles_but-if-we-know-that-the-people-of-god-ar_925475.jpg) > [“Confession is a difficult Discipline for us because we all too often view the believing community as a fellowship of saints before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/confession-is-a-difficult-discipline-for-us-because-we-all-too-often/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/de9/richard-j-foster-1460_brothers-and-sisters_confession-is-a-difficult-discipline-for_2344237.jpg) > [Without the cross the Discipline of Confession would be merely therapeutic. But it is so much more. It involves an objective \[a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/without-the-cross-the-discipline-of-confession-would-be-merely/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/richard-j-foster-1460_change_without-the-cross-the-discipline-of-conf_2426298.png) > [“At the heart of God is the desire to give and to forgive. Because of this, he set into motion the entire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/at-the-heart-of-god-is-the-desire-to-give-and-to-forgive-because-of/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b6/richard-j-foster-1460_anger-and-fear_at-the-heart-of-god-is-the-desire-to-giv_2715248.jpg) ## Other authors on Confession - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b008/author-dietrich-bonhoeffer-29418.jpg) Dietrich Bonhoeffer 13 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b019/author-pope-francis-75890.jpg) Pope Francis 11 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/pope-francis/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b019/author-oscar-wilde-72846.jpg) Oscar Wilde 10 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/oscar-wilde/) - [Ralph Waldo Emerson 9 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/ralph-waldo-emerson/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b016/author-mahatma-gandhi-62675.jpg) Mahatma Gandhi 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/mahatma-gandhi/) - [Lailah Gifty Akita 7 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/lailah-gifty-akita/) - [Oliver D. Crisp 6 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/oliver-d-crisp/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b001/author-mahmoud-el-hallab-3909.jpg) Mahmoud El Hallab 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/mahmoud-el-hallab/) ## More by Richard J. Foster > [Prayer is - listening for the still small voice of God. Listening with the "ear of our hearts."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-listening-for-the-still-small-voice-of-god-listening-with/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Over-consumption is a cancer eating away at our spiritual vitals. It distances us from the great masses of broken bleeding humanity. It converts us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/over-consumption-is-a-cancer-eating-away-at-our-spiritual-vitals-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“To believe that God can reach us and bless us in the ordinary junctures of daily life is the stuff of prayer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/to-believe-that-god-can-reach-us-and-bless-us-in-the-ordinary/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Prayer is simply saying "thank you, bless you, praise you."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/prayer-is-simply-saying-thank-you-bless-you-praise-you/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [There is an old proverb to the effect that 'all those who open their mouths, close their eyes!' The purpose of silence and solitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/there-is-an-old-proverb-to-the-effect-that-all-those-who-open-their/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [It is an occupational hazard of devout folk to become stuffy bores. This should not be. Of all people, we should be the most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-an-occupational-hazard-of-devout-folk-to-become-stuffy-bores/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Lord God, you deserve my best. Forgive me for the times I have offered you only the dregs, whether it be half-heartedly muttered prayers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/lord-god-you-deserve-my-best-forgive-me-for-the-times-i-have-offered/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Superficiality is the curse of our age. The doctrine of instant satisfaction is a primary spiritual problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/superficiality-is-the-curse-of-our-age-the-doctrine-of-instant/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [If worship does not change us it has not been worship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/if-worship-does-not-change-us-it-has-not-been-worship/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“I want to mention one other reason why we shy away from commitment. It is, very simply, the fear that we will not be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/i-want-to-mention-one-other-reason-why-we-shy-away-from-commitment-it/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“It is one thing to act like a servant; it is quite another to be a servant.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/it-is-one-thing-to-act-like-a-servant-it-is-quite-another-to-be-a/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“we hold on so tightly to the good that we do know that we cannot receive the greater good that we do not know.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/we-hold-on-so-tightly-to-the-good-that-we-do-know-that-we-cannot/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“Once we have made generous latitude for individual differences and schedules, we must firmly discipline ourselves to a regular pattern of prayer. We cannot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/once-we-have-made-generous-latitude-for-individual-differences-and/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [Freedom in the Gospel does not mean license. It means opportunity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/freedom-in-the-gospel-does-not-mean-license-it-means-opportunity/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) > [“The tongue is our most powerful weapon of manipulation. A frantic stream of words flows from us because we are in a constant process…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/the-tongue-is-our-most-powerful-weapon-of-manipulation-a-frantic/) [Richard J. Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-foster/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/confession/richard-j-foster/#itemlist", "name": "4 Confession Quotes By Richard J. Foster", "numberOfItems": 4, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But if we know that the people of God are first a fellowship of sinners, we are freed to hear the unconditional call of God's love and to confess our needs openly before our brothers and sisters. The fear and pride that clings to us like barnacles cling to others also. 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The fear and pride that cling to us like barnacles cling to others also. We are sinners together. In acts of mutual confession we release the power that heals. Our humanity is no longer denied, but transformed.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Richard J. 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Foster" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-foster/without-the-cross-the-discipline-of-confession-would-be-merely/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/richard-j-foster-1460_change_without-the-cross-the-discipline-of-conf_2426298.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/richard-j-foster-1460_change_without-the-cross-the-discipline-of-conf_2426298.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/250/richard-j-foster-1460_change_without-the-cross-the-discipline-of-conf_2426298.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Without the cross the Discipline of Confession would be merely therapeutic. But it is so much more. It…” — Richard J. Foster", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“At the heart of God is the desire to give and to forgive. Because of this, he set into motion the entire redemptive process that culminated in the cross and was confirmed in the resurrection. The usual notion of what Jesus did on the cross was something like this: people were so bad and so mean and God was so angry with them that he could not forgive them unless somebody big enough took the rap for the whole lot of them. Nothing could be further from the truth. Love, not anger, brought Jesus to the cross. Golgotha came as a result of God’s great desire to forgive, not his reluctance. Jesus knew that by his vicarious suffering he could actually absorb all the evil of humanity and so heal it, forgive it, redeem it. This is why Jesus refused the customary painkiller when it was offered him. He wanted to be completely alert for this greatest work of redemption. In a deep and mysterious way he was preparing to take on the collective sin of the human race. Since Jesus lives in the eternal now, this work was not just for those around him, but he took in all the violence, all the fear, all the sin of all the past, all the present, and all the future. This was his highest and most holy work, the work that makes confession and the forgiveness of sins possible…Some seem to think that when Jesus shouted “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” it was a moment of weakness (Mark 15:34). Not at all. This was his moment of greatest triumph. Jesus, who had walked in constant communion with the Father, now became so totally identified with humankind that he was the actual embodiment of sin. As Paul writes, “he made him to be sin who knew no sin (2 Cor. 5:21). Jesus succeeded in taking into himself all of the dark powers of this present evil age and defeated every one of them by the light of his presence. He accomplished such a total identification with the sin of the race that he experienced the abandonment of God. 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