Confession - Repentance

Good Morning,

Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)
He who conceals his sins does not prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
1 John 1:9 (NIV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Matthew 4:17 (NIV)
From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Acts 3:19 (NIV)
Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.

The verse that came across my desk this morning is the one from Acts concerning repenting of our sins so that "times of refreshing may come from the Lord." After reading it and thinking about it for a while, it got me to thinking about repenting of my sins which led me to think about the act of confessing my sins.

There's a great deal of confusion, I think, among many Christians about these two actions (yes, they ARE actions that we DO, and not just ideas that are mentioned in the Bible) that we are told numerous times throughout the Bible we ought to do...that we NEED to do. There are some who feel that confessing is the action that leads to forgiveness of our sins and give little thought to the repenting of our sins. Then, of course, there are others who have the opinion that confession isn't necessary and it is the repenting that is all that is needed.

I guess the first thing that we need to know is that confessing, the act of telling God or another person of a sin or sins, isn't the same as repenting of our sins. Conversely, repenting, the turning away from our sin or sins, isn't the same as confessing our sins. These are two separate and distinct actions. One is the admission that we've done wrong...confessing...the other is the action we take in regard to our wrongdoing...repenting, the turning away.

Yes, we could go onto a long and detailed discussion of these actions, but I don't think that it is really necessary. We aren't, most of us, Biblical scholars or Christian doctrinal professors. We're, most of us, just normal, every day people who want to be obedient to God and what He has told us through the Bible. So, I'm not going to delve into all of the minutiae of either of these words and just stick to the "bigger" picture, so to speak.

Should we confess? My answer to that is, "Yes, I should," as it's the right thing, in my mind, for a sinner to do.

Should we repent? My answer to that, of course, is, "Yes, I must," as I ought not to be returning to my sin over and over.

So, I think that I need to do both...confess and repent...when it comes to how I handle sin in my life. You see, if I don't confess to someone (this someone MUST be a truly trusted and trustworthy person!) then the repentance part sort of gets a bit lost in what I'm to do next. The confessing, that outward admission of sin, brings my sin to the forefront and gives me a trusted brother or sister to whom I must then become accountable to in regard to my sin. That accountability makes the repenting of my sin just that much easier because I'm not having to go it alone, so to speak; I've got someone to help me STAY turned away from my sin.

Now, this is, I know, a pretty simplified way to look at confession and repentance, but it's a way that makes sense in my mind and brings me some peace about what I need to do in regard to sinning. We all need to make that peace in our lives about our sin, my friends, or we simply won't be very successful in staying away from whatever sin we have a problem with.

Is all of this...confessing and repenting...right for you in the way that I've explained it? I don't know. That's between you and God. Do more reading and research if you feel it's necessary about this. But, mostly, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and direct you, to give you a clear understanding of what YOU should be doing.

Someone once said, "Confession is good for the soul," and I know that is a true statement. Repentance is necessary and not an option, as the next step in dealing with sin. Must be done.

I hope that I've not stirred up a hornet's nest of argument about this subject. As I've said before, "I only hold the pen." I only write what I'm told to write. I pray that these words will help us in regard to dealing with the sin in our lives and help us to lead more righteous lives in service to God.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David