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Confession

I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.

Luke 18:14
Confession Book Cover

C. S. Lewis said, “We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road.”1 To make progress in our sanctification, we have to acknowledge that we have turned off God’s path. In confession, we can do no good apart from God.

We all like to think that we know where we are and where we are headed. To admit to ourselves or to others that we’ve made a wrong turn means to admit to weakness and vulnerability. But to ignore our sin is to live in lies. It distances us from God, from others, and even from ourselves. It distances us from what God has for us. Only through confession can we get back on God’s path of life.

Confession: Recognizing the Truth

In Luke 18, two men stand before God. The first man polishes his goody-two-shoes badge, smirking at the dismal man before him. He hides the depth of his own sin from God and from himself, trapping himself in a prison of his own making, like the witch who locks herself up in her own tower at the end of Rapunzel.

The second man confesses to God that he is a sinner. He recognizes the truth about himself, and this truth sets him free. No longer does he have to pretend to God, to others, or to himself. No longer does he need to keep up some false image. No longer does he need to plod forward on an increasingly thorny and ominous path. “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” he cries, and in this confession, he discovers freedom (Luke 8:13). He recognizes who he is, and he recognizes his need for God’s mercy. And God exalts him.

Reconciliation

We must also confess our sins to those we have hurt. To love one’s neighbor includes healing wounds we’ve inflicted. When we’ve sinned against a brother or sister in Christ, these wounds tear at the very body of Christ, which hinders our worship of God. Jesus tells us, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23–24). Our humbleness—our recognition of who we truly are—is not only before God but before others too, just as our sanctification is not just our growth in Jesus; but our growth in the body of Christ.

 

1C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Macmillan, 1952), 36.

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The Power to Change

Watch Week Three

Confess Sin

Daily Question

Consider now what specific sins you keep hidden from God and from others. What would happen if you confessed them? What about that threatens you? How does it offer freedom?

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Comments (11)

We get freedom when we confess our sins one to another. Then we must act on it. Stop the sin! Do whatever it takes to get out of the sin. Then we will have true freedom to change. ❤️

Yes I agree and know that there is a secure intimacy in confession to God and it’s a very personal experience and place with him I’m so Thankful I learned as a child to really love God how to cry out to our Lord also when in need and to be Thankful for all his goodness
I’ve never felt threaten about confessions with God not one time because I learned that’s what we are suppose to do
Thankfully I’ve found that freedom so long ago and confess when I’m aware of sinning
I’ve also learned my sins are not the same as many others
Many times I have stepped into the unknowing and did sin but I did confess and asked that God could see my heart and truth involving these things because it was still sin I wasn’t looking for I hope you can understand me

Holding on to hidden sin weighs us down and hinders our relationships with God and others. If we confess them, it breaks down walls and allows our relationships with God and others to grow and flourish. It’s hard for me to be vulnerable and open with people. I’m not very good at it. I was raised in a home where I was encouraged to keep things to myself. The times when I have tried to be open with people haven’t ended well, so I wind up feeling worse than before. I feel like it should open the lines of communication and the relationship should grow and become stronger as a result, but that hasn’t been my experience.

I can identify with the trouble of being vulnerable with someone and it going badly. I am careful now. It’s not that I hold out, but I’m selective with people and the situations in which I reveal certain things. Not everyone is meant to be have the same level of relationship.

There are no specific sins that are secret from God. He knows all of my sins and He still loves me anyway. One sin that I tried to confess to others is that I have never read through the entire Bible. When I mentioned it in a Bible Study some well meaning people said you’ve read the whole thing, just not straight through. I am thankful to say I’ve started on a 3 year journey of about one chapter per day so there is understanding versus just checking the box. The Holy Spirit has been teaching me about sins I wasn’t even aware of. Now with awareness can come confession and change. Although I grew up as a "Christian", or so I thought, I really didn’t have a relationship with Jesus until I was an adult and after getting into the a relationship with Him I let worldly success and the opinions of others and how they viewed me get in the way. God is so good that He showed me the bondage I had with my job which had become an idol and began to take me down a few notches with a demotion to put me in a better relationship with Him. While I still struggle with PRIDE the Holy Spirit convicts me and guides me back on track. A few people know about the demotion which allows me to be more empathetic with others who may let their job get out of order. I ask the Holy Spirit to open my eyes so I can see areas of disobedience, confess it and get back on track. Thank you study friends for allowing me to confess again and enjoy the freedom.

I try to control EVERYTHING! It’s not something I really hide from God; although, I do not ask Him for help with it often enough. I will have a moment where I can "let go and let God," but the very next moment, I’m taking it back.

I am a liar….tho I prefer to think of it as fibbing. Not always….but periodically when I am embarrassed for something I have said, when I’m hurting from something that has been done to me by another person….I will create a lie. It doesn’t even matter what it is…the reality is I’m lying to hide my own pain and shame. I’m afraid to address that with the other party involved, or maybe I’m looking for attention that I’m not getting so I make up a lie to see if that person might notice me. Forgive me, Father. HELP ME to lean on you and seek the truth in your love. I’m so sorry…my lying never helps me feel any better, in fact, in makes me feel worse. Forgive me. Help me.

Not really sure, I would say a thought, or a response to my husband or one of my children. When I think the reality of knowing God is watching me at all moments and even if I do not know it, others are watching me as well. I want to set a positive testimony and not a poor one.

There are big sins that I have committed and have confessed to God and to others. It was very freeing and made me feel even more loved that I was still accepted.

However, I need to remember to pray more thoughtfully, that the Holy Spirit will call out the sins that I do not recognize in myself. The sins of anger or greed or jealousy, the small moments or thoughts that pass by without me giving it a second thought.

I did confess them. I was afraid, afraid people would hate me and not want anything to do with me, and afraid of the response after I spoke it out. It offered freedom by bringing the sin into the light! It didn’t have power over me anymore.

I have heard nearly felt tons of shame when I confessed my sins at one time. It was only till recently that I have began to accept the person I am and learn to over come certain things that kept me in guilt and shame from confession. Learning I’m born again in Christ allowed to walk with my head high knowing I’m a child of god and I’m accepted I may not be perfect but I am perfectly made to n his eyes. Perfectly imperfect a work of progression not perfection.

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