The Importance of Confession

Grace to You.org ^ | 1997 | John Macarthur, Grace Community Church

[metmom]

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:10).

Confession is the first step toward defeating sin.

It is often true that the hardest part of dealing with a problem is admitting that you have one. Beginning with Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:11-13), people have denied responsibility for their sins, and our generation is no exception. To acknowledge that one is a sinner, guilty of breaking God’s holy law, is not popular. People call sin by a myriad of other names, futilely hoping to define it out of existence. They do so, motivated by their innate awareness that there is a moral law and that there are consequences for violating it (Rom. 1:32).

But God’s people have always recognized the necessity of confession. After committing the terrible sins of adultery and murder, David acknowledged to Nathan the prophet, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Sam. 12:13). Later he cried out to God, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, and done what is evil in Thy sight” (Ps. 51:3-4). Faced with a vision of the awesome majesty and holiness of God, Isaiah declared, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (Isa. 6:5). Daniel was a man of unparalleled integrity, yet part of his prayer life involved confessing his sin (Dan. 9:20). Peter, the acknowledged leader of the apostles, said to Jesus, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” (Luke 5:8). The apostle Paul, the godliest man who ever lived (except for Jesus Christ), wrote this about himself: “It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all” (1 Tim. 1:15).

The examples of those godly men illustrate a fundamental biblical truth: constant confession of sin characterizes true Christians (1 John 1:9). Those who claim to be believers but refuse to confess their sins deceive themselves (1 John 1:8) and make God a liar (1 John 1:10).

Suggestions for Prayer

Confess and forsake your sins today, and experience the blessedness of God’s forgiveness (Prov. 28:13).

For Further Study

Read and meditate on Nehemiah’s masterful prayer of confession in Nehemiah 1.

[dartuser]

This is a good one ...

[CharlesOConnell]

But what happens when a fallen brother or sister isn’t forgiven by the group, however well they are forgiven by Christ?

[metmom]

The group is wrong.

Time to find some Christians who are willing to obey God.

Someone other than the person doing the confessing needs tohold the group accountable.

[left that other site]

Indeed. I have been there and know what you are talking about.

[stylin19a]

My dad, WW2 combat vet, never graduated H.S.. A religious but mostly spiritual man. Simple guy, fair sense of right and wrong. A bricklayer who was a stone cold democrat, back when the democrats were the red party, who believed in "live and let live" and "different strokes for different folks", used to say:

“If I don't sin, He died in vain”.

which I thought, at the time, was blasphemous.
Knowing more about the man, I know that wasn't it at all.
Thanks for posting this.

[Manly Warrior]

You Dad sounds like a great guy. However, to say that Christ died in vain if one does not sin ( action verb here) then we are in dangerous territory. “What, shall we sin son ( active verb) so that grace may abound? God forbid!”

On the other hand, as sinners ( noun state of being) you Dad is correct. I take it he did not run around “sinning” per se, but recognized his nature and therefore his need of a Savior.