Fess Up!
Prov.28:13: “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
James 5:16: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
I John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
RECENTLY, THE NEWS MEDIA FOCUSED ON A STORY INVOLVING CONFESSION. Two men had been convicted of murder and spent 13 years in prison, even though another man had confessed to the police that he had committed the crime. The confessor died and then a Catholic priest told the media that he had heard the same confession. Upon learning of this revelation, the authorities released the two prisoners. The priest reported that when he initially heard the confession, he told the confessor to tell the police his story, which he did, but the authorities decided to ignore it because they had an eye-witness to the murder—the victim’s wife.
This story grabbed the media’s attention due to the issue of confidentiality—that protection which is legally (if not morally) the right of those who confide in doctors, lawyers, and clergymen.
However, without getting into that whole subject, I do want to address the issue of confession. Fess Up!
Prov.28:13: “He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
James 5:16: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.”
I John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
RECENTLY, THE NEWS MEDIA FOCUSED ON A STORY INVOLVING CONFESSION. Two men had been convicted of murder and spent 13 years in prison, even though another man had confessed to the police that he had committed the crime. The confessor died and then a Catholic priest told the media that he had heard the same confession. Upon learning of this revelation, the authorities released the two prisoners. The priest reported that when he initially heard the confession, he told the confessor to tell the police his story, which he did, but the authorities decided to ignore it because they had an eye-witness to the murder—the victim’s wife.
This story grabbed the media’s attention due to the issue of confidentiality—that protection which is legally (if not morally) the right of those who confide in doctors, lawyers, and clergymen.
However, without getting into that whole subject, I do want to address the issue of confession. Confession is good for the soul but murder on the ego. Joe sat at his dying wife’s bedside. Her voice was little more than a whisper. “Joe, darling,” she breathed, “I’ve got a confession to make before I go—I’m the one who took the $10,000 from your safe. I spent it on a fling with your best friend, Charles. And it was I who forced your mistress to leave the city. And I am the one who reported your income tax evasion to the government.” “Oh, that’s all right,” said Joe. “Don’t give it a second thought. I’m the one who poisoned you!”
Illus.: Four Preachers Confess
Four preachers met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said, “Our people come to us and pour out their hears, confess certain sins and needs. Let’s do the same. Confession is good for the soul.” In due time all agree. One of them said that he had a problem with losing his temper on occasion. The second confessed to liking to smoke cigars and the third one confessed to liking golf so much that he would fake being sick so he could play on weekends.. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn’t confess. The others pressed him saying, “Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?” Finally he answered, “It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here.”
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CONFESSION? It seems clear that the Scriptures teach that there are three categories of confession: secret, private, and public.
Secret sins should only be confessed to God.
Private sins should be confessed to the person sinned against
Public sins are those that are committed by public figures
UNCONFESSED SIN
David testified to the awful burden that unconfessed sin causes. In Psalm 32:3,4, we read, “There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. And day and all night You hand was heavy upon me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day” (LB).
Unconfessed sin keeps us ensnared in guilt. And guilt saps us of all our strength physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
But this is not the end of David’s testimony. He did not settle down to a life of guilt. Instead, he confessed: “Finally, I admitted all my sin to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, ‘I will confess them to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone!”
Importance of Confession
1. We don’t get into God’s family without it. A granddaughter of Aaron Burr gave her heart to Christ at an evangelistic meeting. That evening she said to her grandfather, “I wish you were a Christian, too.” He replied, When I was a young man I went to a meeting like the one you attended. I felt the call of God on my life but did not respond. I stood under the stars later that night and looked up toward heaven and said, “God, if You don’t bother me any more, I’ll never bother You.” He looked at his granddaughter and said, “Honey, God has kept His part of that bargain. He has never bothered me. Now its too late for me to bother Him.” He went on later to commit treason against the United States.
2. We can’t live as healthy members of God’s family if we don’t confess when we sin.
3. Our prayer life is greatly affected. Isaiah 59:2: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
4. The sin of presumption is a serious matter. To live in a state of continual rebellion, hoping that some day you will confess is playing with fire. See Deut. 29:19,20
5. The family is affected. Remember Achin’s sin in Joshua 7:19.
The word “confess” means to agree with or to open up or lay bare—to see sin as God sees it and to say the same thing that God says about it. It is just the opposite of rationalizing, justifying.
Out confession of sin must always be specific—whether it is to God alone, to an injured person, or to an offended group of people. Let’s look a little more carefully at these three categories of confession.
1. Secret Confession
Its true that all sinning is sinning against God. That’s what David said when he confessed his sin of adultery, murder and cover-up. “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4).
But there are also certain secret sins that we commit against God that are not committed against man. These are sins that issue from our thought-life, such as mental images, anger, envy, etc. The Psalmist testified to this when he said, “Lord, You spread out our sins before You, our secret sins—and You see them all” (Psalm 90:8, LB).
True confession is deeply felt. Paul calls it “godly sorrow” which leads to repentance (II Cor.7:10). Worldly sorrow leads to death. Godly sorrow is sorrow for the sin committed, whereas worldly sorrow is sorrow over the consequences of sin.
The Bible is full of references to men of God who wept over their own sin, the sins of Israel, and the sins of the whole world. The ultimate hardness of heart is the inability to blush over sins committed. Sin has lost all of its impact, all of its shame.
2. Private Confession
If we commit a sin against another, the Bible is very clear that we must go to that person and confess the sins to him or her and ask for forgiveness (Matt.5:23,24). If we lose our temper with someone or slander them or lie to them or cheat them, confession is a necessity.
Restitution may also be involved. Zacchaeus is an example. The law required him to return 1/5 of all he had stolen in overcharged taxes. But he insisted on giving back fourfold. This is costly confession!
Five Bottles of Wine
A lady in the north of England said that every time she got down before God to pray, five bottles of wine came up before her mind. She had taken them wrongfully one time when she was a housekeeper, and had not been able to pray since. She was advised to make restitution. “But the person is dead,” she said. “Are not some of the heirs living?” “Yes, a son.” “Then go to that son and pay him back.” “Well,” she said, “I want to see the face of God, but I could not think of doing a thing like that. My reputation is at stake.” She went away, and came back the next day to ask if it would not do just as well to put that money in the treasury of the Lord. “No,” she was told, “God doesn’t want any stolen money. The only thing is to make restitution.” She carried that burden for several days, but finally went into the country, saw that son, made a full confession and offered him a five-pound note. He said he didn’t want the money, but she finally persuaded him to take it, and came back with a joy and peace that made her face radiant. She became a magnificent worker for souls, and led many into the light.
My dear friends, get these stumbling stones out of the way. God does not want a man to shout “Hallelujah” who doesn’t pay his debts. Many of our prayer meetings are killed by men trying to pray who cannot pray because their lives are not right. Sin builds up a great wall between us and God. A man may stand high in the community and may be a member of some church “in good standing,” but the question is, how does he stand in the sight of God? If there is anything wrong in you life, make it right.
Moody’s Anecdotes, pp. 49-50
3. Public Confession
If someone deceives a certain group of people then he should openly confess that sin to the group.
Illus.: “Moody Loses His Temper”
One time D. L. Moody was lecturing and a theological student asked a question. Moody snapped back at him. At the end of his talk he paused and confessed, “Friends, I want to confess before you that I made a great mistake at the beginning of this meeting. I answered my young brother down there foolishly. I ask God to forgive me. I ask him to forgive me.” Then Moody quickly left the platform and went to the young man and shook his hand. Someone who witnessed this called it, “the greatest thing I ever saw Moody do.”
Illus.: The song-leader who had to confess his sin to the congregation before he could be fully restored because his sin affected the whole assembly.
Guidelines
1. Be detailed with God, but general with others.
2. Be careful not to use confession as a means of getting sympathy and support.
3. Don’t try to outdo each other in dredging up sensational sins. As Paul says, there are some things that are too shameful to talk about.
Conclusion
As a people of God who believe in the full authority of the Bible, let us be careful that we don’t become guilty of cheap grace—cheap confession. Let’s not presume upon God’s forgiveness by treating it lightly. Our depth of confession is the barometer of our understanding and appreciation for His forgiveness.
Illus.: Four Preachers Confess
Four preachers met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one preacher said, “Our people come to us and pour out their hears, confess certain sins and needs. Let’s do the same. Confession is good for the soul.” In due time all agree. One of them said that he had a problem with losing his temper on occasion. The second confessed to liking to smoke cigars and the third one confessed to liking golf so much that he would fake being sick so he could play on weekends.. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn’t confess. The others pressed him saying, “Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?” Finally he answered, “It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here.”
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE HAVE TO SAY ABOUT CONFESSION? It seems clear that the Scriptures teach that there are three categories of confession: secret, private, and public.
Secret sins should only be confessed to God.
Private sins should be confessed to the person sinned against
Public sins are those that are committed by public figures
UNCONFESSED SIN
David testified to the awful burden that unconfessed sin causes. In Psalm 32:3,4, we read, “There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. And day and all night You hand was heavy upon me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day” (LB).
Unconfessed sin keeps us ensnared in guilt. And guilt saps us of all our strength physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
But this is not the end of David’s testimony. He did not settle down to a life of guilt. Instead, he confessed: “Finally, I admitted all my sin to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, ‘I will confess them to the Lord.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone!”
Importance of Confession
1. We don’t get into God’s family without it. A granddaughter of Aaron Burr gave her heart to Christ at an evangelistic meeting. That evening she said to her grandfather, “I wish you were a Christian, too.” He replied, When I was a young man I went to a meeting like the one you attended. I felt the call of God on my life but did not respond. I stood under the stars later that night and looked up toward heaven and said, “God, if You don’t bother me any more, I’ll never bother You.” He looked at his granddaughter and said, “Honey, God has kept His part of that bargain. He has never bothered me. Now its too late for me to bother Him.” He went on later to commit treason against the United States.
2. We can’t live as healthy members of God’s family if we don’t confess when we sin.
3. Our prayer life is greatly affected. Isaiah 59:2: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
4. The sin of presumption is a serious matter. To live in a state of continual rebellion, hoping that some day you will confess is playing with fire. See Deut. 29:19,20
5. The family is affected. Remember Achin’s sin in Joshua 7:19.
The word “confess” means to agree with or to open up or lay bare—to see sin as God sees it and to say the same thing that God says about it. It is just the opposite of rationalizing, justifying.
Out confession of sin must always be specific—whether it is to God alone, to an injured person, or to an offended group of people. Let’s look a little more carefully at these three categories of confession.
1. Secret Confession
Its true that all sinning is sinning against God. That’s what David said when he confessed his sin of adultery, murder and cover-up. “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight” (Psalm 51:4).
But there are also certain secret sins that we commit against God that are not committed against man. These are sins that issue from our thought-life, such as mental images, anger, envy, etc. The Psalmist testified to this when he said, “Lord, You spread out our sins before You, our secret sins—and You see them all” (Psalm 90:8, LB).
True confession is deeply felt. Paul calls it “godly sorrow” which leads to repentance (II Cor.7:10). Worldly sorrow leads to death. Godly sorrow is sorrow for the sin committed, whereas worldly sorrow is sorrow over the consequences of sin.
The Bible is full of references to men of God who wept over their own sin, the sins of Israel, and the sins of the whole world. The ultimate hardness of heart is the inability to blush over sins committed. Sin has lost all of its impact, all of its shame.
2. Private Confession
If we commit a sin against another, the Bible is very clear that we must go to that person and confess the sins to him or her and ask for forgiveness (Matt.5:23,24). If we lose our temper with someone or slander them or lie to them or cheat them, confession is a necessity.
Restitution may also be involved. Zacchaeus is an example. The law required him to return 1/5 of all he had stolen in overcharged taxes. But he insisted on giving back fourfold. This is costly confession!
Five Bottles of Wine
A lady in the north of England said that every time she got down before God to pray, five bottles of wine came up before her mind. She had taken them wrongfully one time when she was a housekeeper, and had not been able to pray since. She was advised to make restitution. “But the person is dead,” she said. “Are not some of the heirs living?” “Yes, a son.” “Then go to that son and pay him back.” “Well,” she said, “I want to see the face of God, but I could not think of doing a thing like that. My reputation is at stake.” She went away, and came back the next day to ask if it would not do just as well to put that money in the treasury of the Lord. “No,” she was told, “God doesn’t want any stolen money. The only thing is to make restitution.” She carried that burden for several days, but finally went into the country, saw that son, made a full confession and offered him a five-pound note. He said he didn’t want the money, but she finally persuaded him to take it, and came back with a joy and peace that made her face radiant. She became a magnificent worker for souls, and led many into the light.
My dear friends, get these stumbling stones out of the way. God does not want a man to shout “Hallelujah” who doesn’t pay his debts. Many of our prayer meetings are killed by men trying to pray who cannot pray because their lives are not right. Sin builds up a great wall between us and God. A man may stand high in the community and may be a member of some church “in good standing,” but the question is, how does he stand in the sight of God? If there is anything wrong in you life, make it right.
Moody’s Anecdotes, pp. 49-50
3. Public Confession
If someone deceives a certain group of people then he should openly confess that sin to the group.
Illus.: “Moody Loses His Temper”
One time D. L. Moody was lecturing and a theological student asked a question. Moody snapped back at him. At the end of his talk he paused and confessed, “Friends, I want to confess before you that I made a great mistake at the beginning of this meeting. I answered my young brother down there foolishly. I ask God to forgive me. I ask him to forgive me.” Then Moody quickly left the platform and went to the young man and shook his hand. Someone who witnessed this called it, “the greatest thing I ever saw Moody do.”
Illus.: The song-leader who had to confess his sin to the congregation before he could be fully restored because his sin affected the whole assembly.
Guidelines
1. Be detailed with God, but general with others.
2. Be careful not to use confession as a means of getting sympathy and support.
3. Don’t try to outdo each other in dredging up sensational sins. As Paul says, there are some things that are too shameful to talk about.
Conclusion
As a people of God who believe in the full authority of the Bible, let us be careful that we don’t become guilty of cheap grace—cheap confession. Let’s not presume upon God’s forgiveness by treating it lightly. Our depth of confession is the barometer of our understanding and appreciation for His forgiveness.
