Confession

Two of the greatest promises in God’s Word are:

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty! When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night Your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to You and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, "I will confess my rebellion to the LORD." And You forgave me! All my guilt is gone. (Psalms 32:1-5 NLT)

If we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. (1 John 1:9 NLT)

There is nothing in this world or the next greater than the forgiveness that is promised and given because of Jesus’ death on the Cross! That forgiveness is worked in our spirit and soul through confession.

Confession requires, though, an embracing of guilt and shame. If I am not guilty, if I don’t feel shame, why would I need to confess? What would there be to confess? Guilt, shame and confession are forever connected. Without guilt and shame, there is no confession. Without confession, guilt and shame remain.

How often do you ‘confess’ a wrong to God? Are you in the habit of, or the practice of, confession?

It is possible to sin against God and not against people but it is never possible to sin against people without also sinning against God. In David’s processing of his guilt and shame over his sin with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, David declared: Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. (Psalms 51:4 NIV)

I want to encourage you to make confession of specific sin a part of your daily walk with God. It is one of the means by which the Holy Spirit forms ‘Christ in you.’ Confession is a lost art. I want to challenge you to rediscover the art of Confession. Confession is good for the soul!

“Father, forgive me and forgive your people for our neglect of the practice and the habit of confessing our sins. Make us sensitive to our conscience and teach us how to be quick to confess our sin. Amen!”