The Comfort of Confession

"con-fess 1: to tell or make known (as something wrong or damaging to oneself). . . to unburden one's sins or the state of one's conscience to God."1

There are two messages this post does not intend to convey:
1) Confessions should be painless and /or easy
2) People should confess for the sake of comfort or peace

What does it mean to confess something? Aside from the above dictionary definitions, and in the context of Christianity, to confess something is to take ownership of and/or admit to something (typically to a faith or belief or to a sin).

In this post, I would like to focus on the confession of sin. As stated above, to confess sin is to take ownership of one's rebellion against God and then give it over to Him (the unburdening of one's sin). the sin does not need to be "great" (i.e. murder, lust, lying, stealing, etc.) for there to be a need to confess it. Even something as small as not being focused on following God needs to be confessed, for if God is not the center and a part of everything done, something else is, which is idolatry or syncretism.  Implied in the "unburdening" is a sense of turning from the sin(s) or a longing to be free of it (them). This act of confession also implies a vulnerability, it is the admission of one's own failure or inadequacy; this can be very difficult and painful for those of us who are perfectionists and try to be and appear our best, especially when we have a sense of self-sufficiency. This brings us to the following on confession: Confession comes after conviction. In order for one to take ownership of and seek to turn from one's sin, one must first be made aware of that sin. Conviction by nature involves a painful heaviness that comes upon the offender, which reinforces that true confessions are not painless and easy.

Why should we confess? Isaiah 59 says in the first two verses,
      Behold, the LORD’S hand is not so short
      That it cannot save;
      Nor is His ear so dull
      That it cannot hear.
      But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
      And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.2


Our sins, both intentional and unintentional, inhibit our prayers and our ability to come before God. It is important to note that the above passage was written to God's unconditionally elect people, the descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Israel (Jacob). Yes, nothing can separate us from God's love (Rom 8) and no one (including ourselves) can take us from Meshshiah's (Christ's) hand (John 10:27-30), but does our rebellion against God not impede our journey through life to follow Him? However, just as Isaiah 59 was written to God's people, so was 1 John 1:9, which says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."3 In fact, the surrounding verses tell us that if we say we are without sin, we are still unsaved (see verses 8 and 10). therefore, we confess our sins, proving that we are God's children, in order to be able to fellowship with our Holiest Father in Heaven who cares for us. Consequently, the guilt is lifted, our broken relationship is restored, and God's will and Spirit can work freely through us, and that is very great comfort. Note that confessions preceded some of the greatest events in the Bible; Josiah confesses his sins as well as that of the nation leading to the delay of the exile and a great revival in Judah (2 Kings 22-23), Daniel's confession in Daniel 9 immediately precedes the vision of the seventy weeks, and Nehemiah's confession precedes his return to Jerusalem and the restoration of that city as well as a revival (Nehemiah 1ff).  However, one ought not confess merely to be free of guilt or merely to receive God's power in his/her life. To confess for any reason other than to restore the relationship is comparable to a boy telling his mother he loves her to get the freshly baked cookies or to get that gift he has always wanted for his birthday, or even saying "I'm sorry" just to get out of being disciplined. Is such a confession really a confession? I would say no, but call it an attempt at manipulating God (see Gal. 6:7-8).

Confess so that you may live life with God unhindered, which is a blessing and comfort in itself, and not for the comforts and you will find the comfort of confession.



I would like to hear your thoughts, even if you disagree. Please comment below if you have any input.


 
1Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam Co., 1980), "confess"
2New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995), Is 59:1–2. 
3Ibid, 1 Jn 1:9.


Bibliography:

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995)

Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary (Springfield, MA: G. & C. Merriam Co., 1980)