Confession. Just been thinking a lot lately about how important confession is and that it might be one of the most needed spiritual practices in our day. James 5:16
Confession of sin. Confession of fear. Confession of what we don’t know. Confession of our need for the Savior. Also confession of our need for each other.
And I think confession is an integral ingredient of humility (1Peter 5:6-7), and I need humbling. And sometimes, confession of a rejection of our cultural norms, because sometimes they need rejecting.
I believe it is also an integral ingredient to our growing with God and with others. Intimacy doesn’t really happen without it. It lays a foundation for truth and trust. And it is actually a key to freedom and growth, freedom from isolation. Freedom and growth from our bondages and failures.
It’s good.
The passage I cited above in James certainly has in mind the confession of sin in particular. The context adds to it. You ever notice that v. 15 is directly connected to the verses before it? Picking up in v.14 to 16.
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. THEREFORE (emphasis mine), confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (ESV)
This actually isn’t the only time we read in the New Testament that sickness can be related to sin. Paul also hits on this in relation to the way the Corinthians were taking the Lord’s Supper. In 1 Cor. 11:17-34 Paul takes the Corinthians to task over the way they come “together” with divisions, factions, and not waiting for one another in order to eat together. Verses 27-30 address specifically the fact that because some of them eating the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner, without “discerning the body,” that “many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.” And from v.32 it would seem to be in our holy God’s mercy and love that He would discipline them in this way. But, Paul also says in v.31 that if “we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.”
The sparing of our health is good, but I believe there’s an even better motivation for confessing our sins. I think it glorifies God that we in humility agree with Him that we are sinful, inadequate to wash ourselves clean, and in need of His saving. Good news is if we are in Christ, we are washed clean and have a Savior already (Colossians 2:11-15; 1John 1:9). We can hope in him. And when we confess our sins, we are able to celebrate His washing blood over us (Psalm 32; 103:1-5).
God, may I never stray far from the posture of a confessor! Pray I do not.
If may add my testimony about confessing my sin–It is so good! I pray you experience it daily, too.