By Tyson Thorne

October 10, 2017
 
 

Not long ago we did a series on spiritual disciplines, and it has been brought to my attention that we overlooked one of great importance: confession. In the series we divided the disciplines into two groups, those that are performed corporately and those that are private. Confession straddles these divisions. On the one hand, we confess to God in private and on the other hand we confess to others publicly. Yet for this discipline to have the intended effect, we need to understand why this is so, and how to go about it in a way that honors those we’ve hurt.

All too often we have a negative reaction to the word “confession”, but this need not be. The Bible uses confession in two ways; there is the confession of sin (the one most of think about when we hear the word) and the confession of faith. Not only is the same English word used in these two very different situations, the same Greek word is used also. So how are these two confessions linked?

By looking at where this word occurs in the New Testament we can harmonize a definition that works in every case. “Confession”, then, is an inner impulse revealing the conviction of the heart. This working definition is applicable to both types of confession. In the case of confessing our sins, we are troubled by our wrong behavior (an inner impulse) which leads us to go to the offended (either God or another person) and confess what we have done. Informing the offended of our wrong behavior is evidence of a good heart, a changed life that will not seek to repeat the same offense. If one asks for forgiveness in such a manner, who would not forgive? In the case of confessing our faith, we are so convinced of the truth of the gospel message (an inner impulse) we are compelled to tell others that they might be persuaded too.

Why are we commanded to confess our sins? Won’t this only re-opening old wounds, possibly making the situation worse? It certainly doesn’t do wonders for personal self-esteem either. So why do it? Because we serve the Lord of Reconciliation:

For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into one and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility, when he nullified in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new man out of two, thus making peace, and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed. – Ephesians 2.14-16

When we humble ourselves before another, and when that other see’s our brokenness, two important strengths are developed. First, since no one enjoys being humbled and submitting to someone else for forgiveness we are strengthened in our resolve to avoid such behavior in the future – even if only to avoid the discomfort of confession. Second, the one sinned against is in a position to practice forgiveness. Both these actions, humbling oneself and forgiving another, lead to many kinds of positive results. These actions reconcile us to each other, establish a healthy body of Christ, and lead us all toward spiritual maturity.

Like many of the other disciplines, the practice of confession changes us in a deep place, for our very spirit is altered more greatly aligned with the holiness of God’s own Spirit.

 
 
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