Confession

Good Morning,

James 5:16 (New International Version)
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
James 5:16 (Amplified Bible)
Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

The Book of James is, to me, some of the best instruction to be read other that what came from Jesus' own mouth. There is much instruction that was given to James, and therefore to all who would read his words, that ought to be put into everyday practice by everyone. It would be a good idea for all of us to read once again the wisdom contained in this marvelous book.

Today we read a verse that we all know well, I'm sure. However, it occurs to me that not enough of us follow what it tells us to do so that we might achieve the outcome it says we can have. That outcome, of course, is that we be healed...both physically and spiritually as is needed at any particular time. What we are to do is pretty clear...to confess to each other (to one another) our sins, slips, false steps, offenses, and faults. The problem, as I see it, is that we simply do NOT do the confessing part and therefore cannot achieve the healing we need.

So I ask today: How many of us really take this seriously, this confession of sins to another brother or sister in Christ? I ask of you...and also myself: When was the last time you went to a trusted friend in the Lord to confess wrongdoing of some kind; some sin that bothers and pervades in your life?

You see, when we have this unconfessed sin in our lives it just festers and boils inside and keeps us from the fellowship with God that we all need. It also can keep us from the fellowship with one another that is necessary for a full and complete Christian life. And it can...it will eventually...bring us down and keep us from being effective for the work of God.

Yes, I know, there are many who say that confession is only needed directly to God and that there is no necessity to confess to another human being. That's only for the Catholics. Well, I beg to differ with that point of view. Rather strongly in fact. As has been my personal experience and the experience of many with whom I've discussed this with, confession ONLY to God is simply NOT effective. I'm afraid that's just the truth. When we "confess" to God, too often it isn't really a heartfelt confession and it eventually becomes too easy. You know, "Oh, Lord! Please forgive me for (fill in the blank) that I did today. Help me to turn from my sin. I am so very sorry. Thank you for your mercy and forgiveness. Amen." It almost becomes a rote prayer after anything we've done that we consider sinful. And it gets easier and easier as time goes on. It also becomes less sincere the more often we do it.

Okay, then what about when we openly confess verbally to another person? Oh, that's an entirely different story there! That's when we have to looks someone in the eye and admit that we've done whatever it is we need to confess to. It also gives us a real, human person with whom we then become accountable to in order to show that we've really turned from our sinful ways...or are at least making a true attempt. This confessing with our mouth to someone who is looking us in the eye isn't easy. As a matter of fact it is extremely difficult. Now, I'm not talking about that man behind the dark curtain in a confessional at a church building. I'm talking about someone you know and trust; a person you care about and that cares about you; a person who will actively help you to truly repent of your sin, to really turn away from that sin.

Now, I hope that this doesn't open some "can of worms" so to speak in the confession argument. Yes, we first need to confess: To our self and admit we've been wrong; To God, and ask His forgiveness; Then to another person so that our sin is out in the open. I believe we need to do all of that in order to be obedient to what we read in this verse of Scripture.

Love, peace, and blessings,

David