The Importance of Confession (Part One)

Acts 19:18 Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds.

I have never been to a church in which the majority of the members confess their sins to each other. The only person confessing is often the pastor, who admits minor shortcomings as anecdotes in the sermons (such as “once I got mad in traffic”). The rest of us, however, are simply not going to reveal our shortcomings—especially to our Christian brothers and sisters. When we have the opportunity to mention prayer requests we usually pick safe non-incriminating topics such as the health of a family member.

Admittedly, many churches encourage accountability groups or accountability partners. While these are very good, the purpose is often subtly different than that of confession. In accountability groups, we don’t typically confess our sins in order to experience freedom or even absolution. Instead we go so that our fellow Christians will ask tough questions that keep us in check. Accountability is more about prevention. Confession is more about repentance.

But even where accountability groups are encouraged, they are not considered essential. I am willing to bet that in most evangelical congregations most Christians do not talk about their sins to anyone but God. Confession to God is important—but so is confession to His body, the Church.

The first question likely to be asked is whether or not audible, interpersonal confession of sin is biblical. Confession is first recommended in Proverbs:

Proverbs 28:13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

The writer says not to conceal sin—but we cannot conceal our sins from God. Thus, this passage is directing us to confess our sins before other people. In Old Testament Judaism this public confession is also evident in the sin offering and sacrificial system.

Next, we know that Jesus repeatedly chastised the Pharisees and teachers of the Law for concealing their sinfulness and creating a false illusion of righteousness.

Luke11:39 Then the Lord said to him, “Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also?

In addition to this, Jesus told the Pharisees that he could not help them, because they would not admit that they too were sick—as were the Romans and the tax collectors and the prostitutes.

1 John 1:5-10 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Remember, 1 John is written to people who are already Christians, so the writer is not talking about an initial “Good Confession”. By continually concealing our sins, we implicitly claim that we do not sin, making God out to be a liar. In this passage, walking in the light is equated with confessing sin. Walking in the darkness is equated with concealing sin. Walking in the light (confessing sin) allows us to have fellowship with one another and with the blood of Jesus.

James 5:16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

In James, confession of sin to other Christians precedes healing. There are many more examples that make it clear that confession was one of the practices of the early Church.

So, why do we confess our sins to each other? And how does it work? I don’t think I can squeeze all I want to write into one post, so I’ll attempt to work though these questions in part two (and three?).

~ by kevinwlester on January 18, 2007.