While in Saskatchewan on our mission trip we had the opportunity to visit the Saint Peter’s Catholic Church in Muenster, Saskatchewan which is about eight kilometers from Humboldt. The entire church cathedral is decorated with several murals on the ceiling and the walls. As we walked through the church I noticed the confessional booths located in the back and one person asked when do you people come for confession. Catholics believe they must confess their sins to the priest who in turns tells them what needs to be done to be absolved of those sins.
I am so glad that I do not have to go to a priest or any other person to confess my sin other than to Jesus Himself who is our great High Priest. [Heb 3:1] What does it mean to confess our sin? Is it really necessary? Are there times to confess sins in private and are there times to confess sins publicly?
Let us turn our attentions to [I Jn 1:9]. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is a very powerful verse about the need to confess our sins. First, notice the word “if”. This is a conditional verse. There are conditions that must be met on our end before the Lord will uphold His end of this agreement. Our part is to confess our sins. The word “confess” means to “speak the same thing, to declare, to admit, or to agree with.” Whom are we speaking the same with or agreeing with and to who do we declare or admit our sin to? To Jesus. He is the faithful and righteous one alone who has the ability to cleanse and to forgive.
The word “faithful” in this verse can also be translated as reliable. Jesus is reliable and to be counted on to not only forgive but to also cleanse. In this day and age there seem to be fewer and fewer people who are reliable. People do not keep their word. There was a time with a person’s word was their bond. Now we have all sorts of legal and binding contracts because people are not reliable. Jesus is reliable. He can be trusted even with our confession of sin.
The condition on our part is that we must admit and declare that what He calls sin we also call sin. That means we cannot try to maneuver our way out of it or try to use semantics to justify our actions. Sin is sin and before we can move through the process of forgiveness and restoration there must be the admission of guilt. Our society wants to justify the actions of people. People are made out to be helpless victims instead of each person taking personal responsibilities for their actions. We choose to sin.
Paul puts it this way, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not all you to be tempted beyond what you are able but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”[I Cor 10:13] We lust and we are envious and we choose to sin. We give into to our fleshly desire to sin and trade the glory of God for broken cisterns that do not hold water. [Jer 2:13] [James 4:1-2] Looking in the mirror and declaring yourself guilty of breaking the laws of God is not a fun way to spend an early morning, afternoon, or late night. It can be painful, shameful, and humiliating. But it is necessary to maintain communion Christ.
David confessed his sin with Bathsheba and poured his soul out before the Lord like water from a glass in Psalms 51. He agreed with God about his sin and admitted his guilt. Read what he prayed. “For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned.” [Ps 51:3-4]”Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.” [Ps 51:9] “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” [Ps 51:17]
If we take care of our part in confessing our sin then Jesus will be faithful to forgive. That means He will send away our sin debt and remit it. What a glorious truth. Our sins, which are very real and destructive, will not be counted against us if we confess them to the Lord. Big sins. Little sins. Sins of both omission and commission. Sins of thoughts and actions. There is no distinction with the Lord. If we confess those sins to Christ He is faithful to forgive. He forgives them when we confess them the first time and trust Him for salvation. [II Cor 5:21] [Rom 5:6-9] He forgives when we stumble and trip over the same sin time and time again. His grace is sufficient to cleanse us from our sins.
He doesn’t just forgive our sins but He also cleanses us from unrighteousness. He frees us from the defilement of sin and purges us from our acts of wickedness. He removes the stains from our sin that pollute our hearts. No earthly priest can do that. No human being has the power to do that. What a liberating truth. We can be cleansed from the inside out. Human beings try to cleanse from the outside in and it never works. We say we will change our behavior externally with out being transformed internally. Jesus is the only one who can change us from the inside out. He is the only way to true forgiveness and salvation. [Jn 14:6]
Confession does good for the soul. We need it. God‘s word commands it. It doesn’t matter the type or the magnitude of the sin. Admitting it and declaring to God is good medicine for the soul. Are we supposed to do this privately between us and the Lord or with others in a public setting? A good rule of thumb is when the sin is done in private you confess it in private and if it is done in public you confess it in public.
Before ending there will be some who will believe they have done things so horrible and offensive to God that there is no forgiveness. I would have to pay attention to a little three letter word in [I Jn 1:9]. “All.” Jesus is faithful to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. You name it and His grace and forgiveness is able to not only cover it but to also forgive and to cleanse it as well.
Why not take some time today to sit at His feet and confess your sin before Him one by one. I promise it will be a freeing and reconciliatory experience with Him. You do not have to go to a priest, a pastor, an elder or deacon to do this. You simply need to go to your Great High Priest and confess it to Him. It will be good for your soul.
I am so glad that I do not have to go to a priest or any other person to confess my sin other than to Jesus Himself who is our great High Priest. [Heb 3:1] What does it mean to confess our sin? Is it really necessary? Are there times to confess sins in private and are there times to confess sins publicly?
Let us turn our attentions to [I Jn 1:9]. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This is a very powerful verse about the need to confess our sins. First, notice the word “if”. This is a conditional verse. There are conditions that must be met on our end before the Lord will uphold His end of this agreement. Our part is to confess our sins. The word “confess” means to “speak the same thing, to declare, to admit, or to agree with.” Whom are we speaking the same with or agreeing with and to who do we declare or admit our sin to? To Jesus. He is the faithful and righteous one alone who has the ability to cleanse and to forgive.
The word “faithful” in this verse can also be translated as reliable. Jesus is reliable and to be counted on to not only forgive but to also cleanse. In this day and age there seem to be fewer and fewer people who are reliable. People do not keep their word. There was a time with a person’s word was their bond. Now we have all sorts of legal and binding contracts because people are not reliable. Jesus is reliable. He can be trusted even with our confession of sin.
The condition on our part is that we must admit and declare that what He calls sin we also call sin. That means we cannot try to maneuver our way out of it or try to use semantics to justify our actions. Sin is sin and before we can move through the process of forgiveness and restoration there must be the admission of guilt. Our society wants to justify the actions of people. People are made out to be helpless victims instead of each person taking personal responsibilities for their actions. We choose to sin.
Paul puts it this way, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not all you to be tempted beyond what you are able but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”[I Cor 10:13] We lust and we are envious and we choose to sin. We give into to our fleshly desire to sin and trade the glory of God for broken cisterns that do not hold water. [Jer 2:13] [James 4:1-2] Looking in the mirror and declaring yourself guilty of breaking the laws of God is not a fun way to spend an early morning, afternoon, or late night. It can be painful, shameful, and humiliating. But it is necessary to maintain communion Christ.
David confessed his sin with Bathsheba and poured his soul out before the Lord like water from a glass in Psalms 51. He agreed with God about his sin and admitted his guilt. Read what he prayed. “For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned.” [Ps 51:3-4]”Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.” [Ps 51:9] “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” [Ps 51:17]
If we take care of our part in confessing our sin then Jesus will be faithful to forgive. That means He will send away our sin debt and remit it. What a glorious truth. Our sins, which are very real and destructive, will not be counted against us if we confess them to the Lord. Big sins. Little sins. Sins of both omission and commission. Sins of thoughts and actions. There is no distinction with the Lord. If we confess those sins to Christ He is faithful to forgive. He forgives them when we confess them the first time and trust Him for salvation. [II Cor 5:21] [Rom 5:6-9] He forgives when we stumble and trip over the same sin time and time again. His grace is sufficient to cleanse us from our sins.
He doesn’t just forgive our sins but He also cleanses us from unrighteousness. He frees us from the defilement of sin and purges us from our acts of wickedness. He removes the stains from our sin that pollute our hearts. No earthly priest can do that. No human being has the power to do that. What a liberating truth. We can be cleansed from the inside out. Human beings try to cleanse from the outside in and it never works. We say we will change our behavior externally with out being transformed internally. Jesus is the only one who can change us from the inside out. He is the only way to true forgiveness and salvation. [Jn 14:6]
Confession does good for the soul. We need it. God‘s word commands it. It doesn’t matter the type or the magnitude of the sin. Admitting it and declaring to God is good medicine for the soul. Are we supposed to do this privately between us and the Lord or with others in a public setting? A good rule of thumb is when the sin is done in private you confess it in private and if it is done in public you confess it in public.
Before ending there will be some who will believe they have done things so horrible and offensive to God that there is no forgiveness. I would have to pay attention to a little three letter word in [I Jn 1:9]. “All.” Jesus is faithful to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness. You name it and His grace and forgiveness is able to not only cover it but to also forgive and to cleanse it as well.
Why not take some time today to sit at His feet and confess your sin before Him one by one. I promise it will be a freeing and reconciliatory experience with Him. You do not have to go to a priest, a pastor, an elder or deacon to do this. You simply need to go to your Great High Priest and confess it to Him. It will be good for your soul.
No comments:
Post a Comment