This week we are focusing on confession, forgiveness, and fasting and all that entails. Yesterday was our examination prep, so we should be ready for the test. Today I want to talk about confessing to God and tomorrow I’ll talk about confessing to others.
Confession—what is it? Ask a child and they might say Sorry! Well, that’s definitely part of confession, but not all of it. There needs to be more than just Sorry. Be specific. What are you sorry about? What did you do or say? What did you not do or say that you should have? The sin of omission is just as wrong as the sin of commission. The Israelites had been grumbling against the Lord and giving their leader Samuel a hard time. He told them in part (I Samuel 7:3), “If you really want to turn back to the Lord, then prove it…” Then they confessed their sin.
Confession—to whom? Our sins can affect many people, a few, or only one person. But before we confess to anyone else, we need to talk with God about it. All sin is against God first of all, so He is the One we need to start our confession with. You may need someone to talk it over with who can help you realize what you did and the extent of its effect on others, but ultimately our primary confession of sin is to God—not a clergy, counselor, or anyone else. God is the One who forgives sin and clears our record in the Book of Life.
So now confess your sin to the LORD,
the God of your ancestors,
and do what he demands.
Ezra 10:11, NLT
Why? Why not? He already knows anyway! Why wouldn’t you want to confess your sins to God? Would you rather carry them around like a heavy backpack, weighing you down? It hinders our relationship with God when there’s sin between us. By confessing our sins, we are telling God that we’ve done something wrong. When your child does something he’s not supposed to do, do you drag it out of them or let them come to you first? Depending on the person, it could work either way. The end result is confession, but it’s always better if it comes out willingly. God will not force us into confession and submission, but He will make it very uncomfortable in our conscience until we’ve ‘fessed up. I’d rather have a clear conscience than that niggling inside.
When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
Psalm 32:3, NASB
When? God has His ways of working on and in us. When He knows there is something wrong between us, He sends us messages through our conscience, friends, a message we hear, something we read, or any variety of means. If we really want to be honest, even the lost person on the street hears a bell go off in their brain like an alarm when they do something they shouldn’t. That should be the time for us to stop and confess our sins, but often we shove it aside, say we’ll deal with it later and later never comes. We should come to God and confess our sins as soon as we realize what we’ve done or said, whether it’s as soon as it happens or if it’s hours, days, weeks, months, or even years later. Just make sure you confess your sins so that you’re ready free and clear when Jesus calls you home or returns. Daniel’s answer came while he was still praying and confessing his sin.
“While I was speaking and praying,
confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel
and making my request to the LORD my God…”
Daniel 9:20, NIV
Results. The best result is that your relationship with God is immediately restored. There’s no acts of penance required, though sometimes restitution is needed with others, but we’ll get to that tomorrow. All God requires is that we are truly repentant and confess our sins to Him. He will take it from there. He clears your record and begins to orchestrate the confession needed to others—the time, the place, the conversation, and any restitution needed. If we pray and confess our sins to Him, He forgives immediately and gives us a clean heart to move forward.
If we confess our sins,
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1:9, KJV
Tomorrow we’ll look at confession to each other and why it’s necessary.
PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, You already know what I’ve done and said that is displeasing to You, but I hereby confess it and ask Your forgiveness. (Be specific!)
- Week 1– temptation
- Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
- Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
- Week 4 – God’s love for us
- Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
- Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
- Easter – resurrection and salvation