Daily confession is an essential part of a Christian’s prayer-life:
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9)
Sadly, however, I’ve discovered that I can sin even when I’m confessing to God! How?
One way is the semi-confession, the “yeah, but” tactic. This goes back to the Garden of Eden, when our ancestors, Adam and Eve, blamed each other and the serpent for their sin (Genesis 3:12-13). We do the same thing today: “It’s Ned’s/the internet’s/Satan’s fault.” Or we tell God that we can’t help sinning this way, since it’s a bad habit, or we were born that way. Or we might blame it on our current situation: “If I wasn’t so stressed, this wouldn’t happen.”
That’s not confession; that’s making excuses. True confession is an honest grieving for our sins, an admission of total guilt. “But what if the excuse is true?” So what? “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) Sin is always damnable, not something for which we can offer an excuse! Jesus’ blood (not excuses) covers our sins.
Another sin which creeps into confession is the double-barrelled sin of comparison. The first barrel is pretty common, saying, “Yes, I sinned; but it wasn’t as bad as Ned’s sin.” Confession is about you and a just God who wants to forgive; it isn’t about some other sinner. Given that every sin is damnable, to say something Hell-worthy “wasn’t that bad” is unspeakably ridiculous!
The other barrel is more subtle. I might confess my sins when I realize that something with which I used to struggle is no longer present: “My walk with God is so much better than it was!” But confession confesses sin, not goodness! Certainly, we should thank God for being freed from past sins; but confession admits we still need a saviour from our present sins! Don’t look for evidence that our sin isn’t as bad as it used to be; look to the cross!
The last sin is pretty much the direct opposite of the first two:
We might offer no excuses or comparisons; we might recognize how terrible our guilt really is. So far, so good. But we might dwell on our sinfulness, rather than focussing on the goodness of God. 1 John 4:1-8 says, “God is love”, and he is glorified through the love shown in Jesus’ sacrificial death. “Our sins they are many, His mercy is more.” Staying focussed on our sins rather than on God’s precious means of forgiveness brings no glory to him. That’s the mistake Judas made after his betrayal of Jesus. The purpose of true confession is to see our sins wiped out, and replaced with praise for God’s glorious grace. As Jesus said,
“There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:7)
Rejoice with God for his forgiveness today!
Amen.
-Andrew MacLeod
Prepare your heart for Sunday by reading the passage and listening to the songs we’ll sing.