“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins, and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.”
1 John 1:9, 10 (NIV)
Why is confession so hard when know we have sinned? It should be a simple thing, right? We’ve done something wrong, and we should simply say we are sorry to God and the person(s) we have offended and everyone will be fine and relationships will be restored. Unfortunately, it’s just not that simple. When sin has entered into the equation, the enemy has been given a foothold. But, that foothold does not need to become a stronghold. (Eph 4:26, 27) (NIV). We can choose to turn from the sin, reject the lies of the enemy, confess and through the grace of Jesus Christ, move towards healing and reconciliation.
The truth is, sin makes it all so complicated. Perhaps the error resulted from trying to help? Beware of the root of this motive. Ask yourself, if this motive is coming from a place of true Christ-like love or fear, control or self-ambition. Striving in the flesh is not the same as submitting to the Spirit and the Lord’s divine help and guidance. It is in this situation, it can be very difficult to face our mistakes. Beware of motives that stem from fear, control or self- ambition, for they do not align with the fruits of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22) (NIV).
Perhaps, the sin committed was a choice for which you were fully aware of at the time the sin occurred? This is where the sin has become a STRONGHOLD in your soul. What do we do, when we have been warned by the whisperings of the Holy Spirit to RUN FROM SIN, and yet we still chose to sin? How do we come back from the dark prison cell of sin?
CALL ON THE NAME OF JESUS. Seek His face. Pray, study and meditate over the Word and journal out our pain so as to prevent the need to vent our anger on undeserving recipients. This way, we choose the path of peace as we work through our pain, and we surrender to Jesus our sinful hearts and deeds through our honest, open confession. In some cases we need to confess to another trusted person as well, when sin runs deep and has become destructive. Ultimately, sooner or later, God will break our hearts over our own sin if we don’t confess and repent. In the end, it is the unfathomable grace of Jesus and that rescues us from ourselves when we surrender to His authority, own our part and accept His forgiveness.
As a safeguard against sin, before we speak or act, we should always ask ourselves, “Is it LOVING? Is it HELPFUL? Is it KIND? If not, whatever we are thinking about saying or doing “in the name of love”, probably doesn’t need to happen. If we proceed after the Holy Spirit has issued a warning, we fall into sin, and people WILL get hurt. (Jos 7:24, 25) (NIV).This scenario can be difficult to navigate because the temptation to rationalize our actions can be so strong. This is when we MUST seek the LORD and ask for guidance, truth and clarity. The enemy will want to confuse and distort events leading to justification, rationalization, self- righteousness and ultimately a denial of our own sin, whether it be a small white lie, or a grave sin or a pattern of sinning. (Luke 6:41) (NIV). The critical point where change will or won’t take place hinges on whether or not we own our sin and confess.
“If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.”
Personally, I never want to do anything that would make God out to “be a liar” or in other words, mock His unfathomable grace! And yet, I have. I’ve been there. We all have. This is why we need to humbly confess our sins before God and whomever we have offended. Truth is, none of us are perfect and we never will be. And this is where it gets REALLY, REALLY HARD. Our willingness to suffer the consequences for a time or a season…. in an effort to make things right through restitution and reconciliation is a holy and sacred process honored by God. (Num 5:6, 7) (NIV). On the other hand, running away, deflecting, excusing and blaming (Gal 3:11-13) (NIV) are not examples of CONFESSION but are LIES from the enemy….and we all know….THE DEVIL IS A LIAR.
But here’s the beautiful part of it all… JESUS… the LOVER OF OUR SOULS, OUR BEST FRIEND, OUR DEFENDER AND DELIVERER and LORD says:
“IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST AND WILL FORGIVE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.”
Can I get a HALLELUJAH?!! Praise God that when we fall, Jesus doesn’t say to us, “Well, take a look at what a mess you’ve made. Good luck cleaning that up!” Instead, Jesus in his GREAT mercy and love gives us GRACE, GRACE AND MORE…GRACE! GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES WHEN OTHERS WON’T.
The beautiful lesson underneath it all is this: The only thing that really counts is LOVE. Jesus taught us to “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Which means, put aside your own agenda, fears, control and doubt and choose to love JESUS.
“THE ONLY THING THAT COUNTS IS FAITH EXPRESSING ITSELF THROUGH LOVE.”
Galatians 5:6
So, before you speak or act today, ask yourself these 3 simple questions:
“Is it LOVING? Is it HELPFUL? Is it KIND?
Asking yourself these 3 questions is a great safeguard against the onset of sin and a really good place to start when needing to walk away from sin. It sounds simple, but it is a powerful affirmation a reminder of our constant need to give and receive GRACE. In fact, I added these 3 questions to my daily calendar, so that they can “pop up” in front of me every single day…
At the end of the day, when we lay our head on the pillow we want to be right with God and right with our fellow man. We want HEALING. Confession is the path to healing. It can be as simple as saying, “I am sorry, please forgive me.” This is where healing begins….
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
James 5:16
CONFESSION PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, forgive me for I have sinned. I have chosen my way over YOUR perfect path of peace. I come before you in humble confession asking for your grace to heal the broken places of my heart and to heal the broken places of another’s heart, whom I have offended. Help me LORD, to resist any temptation to rationalize my own sin or minimize my part. Help me Lord to always choose love. I will choose peace. I will choose confession, I will choose to forgive myself and others and will trust you to take care of the rest. Thank you Lord, for loving me enough to send your son, JESUS to die for me on the cross that I might LIVE. Give me the strength Lord, to follow You and You ALONE and to listen to the Holy Spirit’s still small voice, that I may avoid sin and rest in your Holy Presence Lord, forgiven, loved and SET FREE!
In Jesus Name,
Amen
Additional Sources: For helpful advice for navigating through the process of confession and reconciliation, watch Andy Stanley’s message on “Confession” in the LIFE APPS series. To view this message, go to www.northpointonline.tv.