In the past 6 months of my life I have moved to Louisville (I was living in Birmingham), transferred to a new school, started attending a new church and joined a new community group. Through my new community group and Church (sojourn community church) the Lord has taught me a lot about the confession of our sins. I have learned the importance of not only confessing my sin before God, but also confessing my sin to my brothers and sisters.
Why is confession of sin important?
We do not just confess sin for the heck of it, or even so we can know whats going on in another persons life. First and foremost we confess our sin because the Bible commands us to. ( I don't know about you, but if the Bible commands it, then I want to do it.) James 5:16 says “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (ESV). It is not merely a suggestion, but a command. We also see this in Proverbs 28:13 says “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,
but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy” (ESV).
Confession of sin is not easy. Vulnerability can be a terrifying thing. I know that I do not want people to know the worst part of me, the part of me that I hate, the part of me that I try so desperately to hide. I often dread confession time, but then I remember the promises that come along with confession... mercy and healing. Isn't that wonderful? James tells us that with confession comes healing, and Proverbs tells us that confession will bring mercy. I could be wrong, but I really think that the mercy talked about in proverbs is in fact the healing that is spoken of in James.
Challenge.
-Get together once a week (or every other week with a friend or a small group of friends and confess your sin to each other.
-Pray for each other. James 5:16 tells us to pray. Ask for the Lords mercy in your life and the life of your brothers and sisters. Pray that you and your brothers and sisters hate sin just as God hates sin.
-Once someone confesses (in your accountability time), do not simply say “I'll pray for you” and move on. Ask hard questions. Get to the root of their sin. If they confess that they are not reading their Bible then ask questions like “What is wrong in your heart that you are not desiring God?” Sin is often a lot deeper then we realize.
