CONFESSION

1 JOHN 1:9 “IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.” (KJV, NKJV, RSV)
     “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (NASB, NET)
     “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (NIV)

     OK, let’s get this handled right at the beginning. Everyone in Christendom understands that the Catholic Church has a formal sacrament referred to as confession. I have shown an individual in a photo above in a confessional box. My readers generally know that I am a Protestant and that this particular sacrament is not one practiced by Protestants.

     I will not spend any time here discussing the Catholic practice of formal confession with a priest. That discussion can be for another time. What I might find easier to comment on, however, is that as Protestants, not having the formal practice of confession, we might be honestly criticized for not doing very much confessing either. Do you know what I mean?

     Let’s be honest. We may claim that the need for a formal practice of confession, like Catholics practice, might not be necessary. We cannot claim that confessing our sins is not. This passage of Scripture would not say what it says if confession was not necessary.

     The church I attend teaches and practices what they call the “ABC’s of salvation.” Salvation is simple. When the Holy Spirit tugs at our heart, when we feel that conviction and moving of our spirit to recognize that we are lost without Jesus’ blood covering our sins, we need to ACKNOWLEDGE our sinfulness and our need for a Savior, we need to BELIEVE that the work that Jesus did on the cross was a sufficient sacrifice for our sins and that His substitution for us is what God sees as payment for our sins, and we need to CONFESS our sinful nature, repent and ask forgiveness for our sins and receive Him into our life.

     There is a lot more I could write to explain this, but you get the idea of the ABC’s of salvation. If you have never believed on Jesus and been saved, I encourage you to do that right now. I want you to be “born again” just like Jesus described it in John 3. Don’t let another moment pass in your life without giving your life to Him.

     Now, the topic for this chapter is confession. One would think that going through the ABC’s would once and for all take care of this issue. Oh, if only that was the case. Oh, if only giving my life to Jesus and accepting His free gift of my salvation would make me forever just like Him. Unfortunately, one or two of us, after having received Jesus as our Savior have sinned again.

     That last statement was meant to be a little sarcastic. Of course we have sinned again! But, you might say, I thought I was saved? Absolutely true, we are born again once. Jesus described to Nicodemus two thousand years ago that when we are “born again,” we are born of the Spirit. Another verse tells us that the “same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in you.” But as we previously stated, it seems like that old sin nature isn’t quite dead yet.

     I reckon that every one of us has felt that supreme delight that comes after being saved that convinces us that we have eternal life. The devil sees that too. Unfortunately, he has been watching you for a long time and he knows exactly where your weaknesses are. That is where he attacks you again.

     A good friend of mine said that after he was saved, he found it way too easy to go back to some of those habits and sins that he thought he had been freed from. He said that he felt like every week when he went back to church, he had to confess those sins, ask forgiveness for them and “be saved” again.

     My friend eventually discovered through some really good Bible study that it doesn’t work that way. We are born again once…not over and over again. We literally do not have to be born again, again. When we are born again we enter into a new life that grows, matures and hopefully conforms more every day to the “image of Christ.”

     Going back to our old sins is not conforming to the image of Christ. In the Bible, Paul even describes that kind of lifestyle, rather graphically, like a dog that vomits and then returns to eat it again. (See 2 Peter 2) That should turn your stomach. So, should your propensity to sin again after receiving the wonderful gift of salvation turn your stomach too!

     That is what 1 John 1:9 is all about. Read the entire chapter of 1 John 1. This is instructing us about the need for us to “abide in Christ.” 1 John 2:28 tells us, even as children to “abide in Him.” The next verse makes it very clear that, “if we know that He is righteous, every one of us that does righteousness is born of him.”

     Now that Jesus lives in us, we should want to live righteous lives. If we return to our sins, the Holy Spirit immediately sends conviction to our heart to tell us that isn’t right. Our action needs to be to, just as immediately, admit that sin is wrong, know that it has no place in our lives and turn away from it. This is where confession comes in. Remember, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” I want that!

     Here's the problem with confession…there are lots of reasons why our not-quite-yet-dead-to-sinfulness selves resist confession. First, it is an admission that we have done something wrong. Our natural tendency when we know we have done something wrong is to try to hide it. Just remember your childhood. I knew that if mom never found out what I had done, I would probably never be punished and I might just get away with what I had really wanted to do.

     Mom might not have known, but the Lord did. He always does. He wants you to become just like Him even more than you do. Jesus died for your sins. Do you really think He wants you to continue to live in them still? Do you recognize that His blood was shed, not just to pay the price for your sins but also to rescue you from the ultimate pain and punishment that comes from continuing to live that way?

     You might hide your sins from everyone else, but you can’t hide them from your Savior and Lord. That’s kind of what the title “Lord” means…now He is Lord of your life, not you. If you let sin back in, it’s time for confession. Confess it, repent of it, ask Him to give you the cleansing from all unrighteousness that 1 John 1:9 promises and He will.

      Second, confession might mean that we would have to turn away from something or give up something we really don’t want to give up. When Jesus told the disciples that “the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak,” He wasn’t just talking about their inability to stay awake for one hour while He prayed. He knows our flesh is weak!

     Jesus knows exactly what your temptation feels like because He was tempted there too. Hebrews 4:15 tells us Jesus was tempted in all ways as we are, but was without sin. That is just what He wants for us too…tempted yes, but eventually, through the power of the Holy Spirit, victorious, not giving in, without sin. I’m not quite there yet. But confession is helping me get there.

     Many times, the problem with our “old” or maybe habitual sins is we just don’t want to give them up. Brothers, sisters don’t let your sins take you down. Press on! (See Philippians 3:12-14) “Lay aside the sins that seem to easily beset you.” (Hebrews 12:1, 1 Cor 9:24)

     Some sins of ours may seem easy to put away. Others will seem harder. The Lord wants you free from that bondage. Confess your need for His strength, ask Him for His help. But do your part as well. Turn away from those things you know are displeasing to Him.

     Don’t look at things you shouldn’t look at. Hold your tongue when you know you have something to say that needs to be said but you also know it isn’t what would please the Lord. When the next person cuts you off in traffic, stay calm, slow down and think about Jesus…not what you would like to tell that driver. Give those bad things up. But if you pick them up again, confess, repent and pick right back up on your Christian walk of faith where you left it.

     Third, confession is probably going to bring some struggles with some really hard things in our lives…we kind of prefer the easy way. We need to go on in the faith and do the work of good workmen, “working out your own salvation.” That phrase means that after we give our life to Jesus, there lies before us the rest of our lives learning to live and be just like Him.

     We used to have a saying when student pilots whined about how hard their learning was. We kind of sarcastically told them, “nobody said it was going to be easy.” True though that may have been, it was seldom useful.

     Christians who give their lives to Jesus and then turn around and find out how hard that work in life is going to be can often be discouraged. Living a life for Jesus can involve being rejected by others, finding out that because our influence and testimony has changed we might not be nearly as successful as we were before. Some old friends that might have led us in bad paths in life might have to be lost. Sometimes, we experience tests and trials that may take us down paths we didn’t expect and may even blame the Lord for…as consequences of following Him.

     Jesus once told His disciples that anyone who wasn’t willing to lose everything in life to follow Him was not worthy to be His disciple. You may need to confess that one thing you think is so important to hang onto and ask Him to take it away from you and make you willing to give it up. Yes, following Jesus turns out to be a very hard thing to do, not easy. But, after years of following Him, I can tell you it is definitely worth it.

     There is one other issue of confession that merits mentioning. Confession can be done any time. Beyond the other reasons mentioned above for why we tend to avoid confession, maybe the greatest reason is because our neglect, our ignorance of our need for it or even our laziness in practicing it can make us think it isn’t meaningful or necessary.

     Jesus told His disciples (and us) that He would never leave us nor forsake us. I especially remember frequently that first part…He is always with me! I adamantly disagree with the notion that, as followers of Jesus, we are also doomed to forever be “practicing sinners.” Having followed Jesus, our falling to our sin nature should be exceptional, not regular.

     Notice the Bible uses the word IF. If we sin, we have an advocate with the Father. It never used the word, WHEN. It seems like “when” sometimes and it seems like we struggle fiercely against sin’s attempt to reign in our lives. I believe in all cases of temptation we should never feel like we have no choice but to sin…to admit that we will always be sinners. 1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us we always have a “way to escape, that we may be able to bear it.” When we are tempted, we always have a way to NOT SIN, whether we choose to avail ourselves of it or not. You do not HAVE TO SIN! That is a lie and a misinterpretation of Scripture.

     Followers of Jesus should never be found to be “practicing sinners.” We should, however, be found to be “practicing confess-ers.” I have often said, “confession is good for the soul but bad for the reputation.” May be funny, but again, not helpful. In fact, the reputation the Lord wants us to have isn’t our reputation at all, but the expected reflection of Jesus in us.

     When people see me, I really want them to tell me that the reputation I have is of one who is faithful to the Lord. I always want people to see Jesus in me. That usually means they need to see less of me and more of Him. (Remember in a previous chapter when I confessed that others saw my reputation as one who was a “curmudgeon?”)

     Are we going to fail at that? Yes, we are. Will we ever achieve His perfection? I don’t expect I will see that this side of heaven. What can I do when I fail again and give into “my” temptation and fall in any sin…great or small? Confess it! NOW! Jesus is our advocate with the Father. IF we sin…and if we confess it to Him…He will be true to His word in this text. He will be faithful…He always is. He will forgive us of that sin…always. He will cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.

     He cleansed us from ALL unrighteousness when He saved us. He will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness when we confess our sins to Him. He longs to have us whole and continually growing into His likeness and grace. What a mighty tool He gave us with confession that makes us and keeps us in a perfect relationship with Him. Try it.

     Questions to consider: What are obstacles to confession you have experienced in your life? Why is the saying, “Confession is good for the soul” true? What type of confession to each other is good and profitable? (James 5:16) What should confessing our sins to Jesus sound like? What does the Bible mean when it uses the term, “cleanse me from all unrighteousness?” How does unconfessed sin affect our relationship with Jesus? With each other?

     Other Scriptures to Study: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected…” Phil 3:12; “For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:10; “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering…” Hebrews 10:23; “…we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens…” Heb 4:14; “…if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ…” Rom 10:9; “He who covers his sins will not prosper. But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” Proverbs 28:13 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.” Psalm 66:18