The Truth About Confession Of Sin
facilitated by Dox
We really need to know the wonderful truth behind this very controversial verse:
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9
**My initial thoughts: Context of Chapter 1, Audience of Chapter 1 (Dox referred to the Gnostics), Fallacy of the human, mainstream interpretation (so wait till you die then – Mentioned later on in the slides), Audience of Chapter 2. Christ in us, God with us before, during, and after anything, be it sin or righteousness.
I wish Ma’am Suzette was here.
Jopet: The verse was a ‘bar of soap’, shades of Andrew Farley. He confessed before drumming.
Ampoi: It’s what we had before, but I’m aware it’s different now.
Have you ever felt relief in confiding with anyone, getting it off of your chest?
Me: Definitely. Lots of times. And in the light of the verse in question, I never thought of it that way. Not really ‘sorry’ but getting it out of your chest.
UNDERSTANDING THE WORD “SINS”
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9 NKJV
‘Sins’ here is in the GREEK: HAMARTIA – “a missing of the mark”
- Our inherited sinful state, from Adam’s sin. John was not talking about the individual acts (Hamartano), but he was referring to our sinful nature.
- John was referring to the entire sinful nature, meaning that we only confess this only once.
WHAT ABOUT BELIEVERS WHO STILL SIN?
1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.1 John 2:1 NKJV
‘Sin’ here is the GREEK: HAMARTANO – “The acts of sin” believers (my little children) commit
We are to remember who we are in Christ and who represents us before God – Jesus Christ.
- Isn’t that timely, considering what we discussed last Sunday: New Covenant, New Creation, New Heart, New Mind (New Desires, New likes and dislikes, etc.)
The Bible’s Answer To Overcoming Sin
The heart of true repentance is turning back to the cross and embracing grace, consequently rejecting sin and death.
Because of the Lord Jesus and what He has accomplished on the cross, I am forgiven, and I remain righteous before God even when I fail. I choose to turn to the cross and receive afresh His forgiveness and unmerited favor to reign over every sin.
Living Life With Greater Boldness & Confidence
19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
Hebrews 10:19-22
Our living in righteousness is NOT dependent on our confessing our sins every moment (what a tragedy to have our focus on our sins!)
QUESTION:
ARE WE AGAINST CONFESSING SINS?
ANSWER:
We absolutely believe in the confession of sins, and we still do confess them. But there’s a crucial difference now—
We confess our sins knowing that all our sins have already been forgiven through Jesus. We don’t confess to be forgiven.
Just as I learned today – we’re confiding in our High Priest. We’re not confessing to be forgiven. We’re confessing BECAUSE we’re forgiven if that makes any sense.
The focus is on the grace and our righteousness, and NOT sin and avoiding death.
47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little. Luke 7:47 NKJV
And there we go. We love out of everlasting love. We forgive out of overwhelming forgiveness. Wonderful!
Because my conscience is cleansed from guilt and condemnation by the blood of Jesus, I can approach God’s presence with boldness and full trust in Him.
DECLARE:
Father, thank You that my forgiveness is not dependent on how perfectly I confess every sin, but on my faith in the sinless blood of Jesus shed at the cross.
Thank You for the peace of mind and joy this truth gives me — my conscience is clean by the blood of Jesus.
I am grateful that, because of what He has done for me,
I can always enter Your presence with boldness and
confidence, fully trusting that You are always for me.
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,Ephesians 1:7
According to the riches of His grace as seen in His finished work, and NOT dependent on our consistency.
Our being “right with God” is not based on the imperfect confession of sins by imperfect man, but on the riches of God’s grace and the perfect sacrifice of His Son.
God designed humans to be intolerant of sin. We may enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time, but sin is always followed by guilt and other unpleasant reactions. Guilt is a sign that something is wrong, that something needs to be addressed, and confession is a good way to address it.
Apostle Paul, who wrote two-thirds of the epistles to the
churches, never once taught on confession of sins. In fact,
in his letter to the Corinthian Christians, many of whom
were committing sins like visiting temple prostitutes, he
didn’t tell them to go and confess their sins to get right
with God. Rather he reminded them of who they were in
Christ—“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Cor. 3:16 KJV)
The word “confess” in 1 John 1:9 is the Greek homologeo,
which means “to say the same thing as” or “to agree with.”
To confess our sins, therefore, is to say the same things
about our sins as God does: that it is sin, and that our sins
have been forgiven and washed away by the blood of our
Lord Jesus Christ (see Rev. 1:5). When you have sinned and
realize you have sinned, true confession is agreeing with
God’s Word and expressing your gratefulness to Him for the
reality of your forgiveness in Christ.
QUESTION:
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO CONFESS?
ANSWER:
AGREE WITH GOD’S WORD ABOUT YOUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST AND EXPRESS YOUR GRATEFULNESS TO HIM FOR THE REALITY OF YOUR FORGIVENESS IN CHRIST.
Not according to what we say, but what HE said.
Why confess at all?
- Confession helps us receive grace
- Confession helps us receive grace vs helping us ‘erase’ sin
- We acknowledge our need for grace in confession.
- Reminds us, again, of God’s greatness and goodness: Christ in us, God with us before, during, and after anything, be it sin or righteousness.
- Confession breaks the power of sin
- Guilt is a sign that something is wrong… and also a reminder of our being a new creation.
- 3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah 5 I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. SelahPsalms 32:3-5
- The power of sin is broken at the remembrance of our forgiveness.
1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:1-2
Remembering Christ’s own struggle with temptation (it is written) BEFORE the cross, and our confession AFTER His finished work (it is finished)
16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.James 5:16 NKJV
Sin + Confession = Healing
It’s not unconditional love if we aren’t keeping it real
Remembering Zephaniah’s rebuke to GNA, ‘love love love’
6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” James 4:6 NKJV
TO RECAP:
Confession does NOT compel God to forgive. He already has.
Confession doesn’t restore fellowship with an “offended” Father. He promised never to leave us.
Confession is acknowledging our need for grace- openly and honestly.
Final Thoughts:
Faye: Not like it was when I was a Catholic. Confession is more for healing. It’s a good thing.
Dox: I used to refuse this. But it really is a good thing. In the reality of our existence in this fallen world, confession is an asset, not a burden.
Ampoi: Confession is an acknowledgement of how we need Christ. It’s also a declaration of Christ in me, and ALSO Christ as our Advocate.
Jopet: The root of our confession is our identity. Remember who you are, and confess from such. Or, actually, confess, and remember who you are.
Inigo: It just sticks with me. It’s more natural to me.
Confession is no longer transactional because it’s from our new heart. It’s keeping it real. It’s not with us in a booth, it’s us opening up to a Friend. A Father.
Confession FOR His love and forgiveness has us focusing on our sin. Confession FROM His forgiveness eventually leads us to praising and worshiping Him, as we are reminded of our being a New Creation, living according to the Spirit and no longer according to the flesh; Understanding Christ in us, God with us before, during, and after anything, be it sin or righteousness.
You see how it extends more than being a ‘weapon’ against sin? Confession is an asset and opportunity, not a burden and obligation. It’s more natural than it is an SOP. Confession is our aligning our being with the Truth.
Amen, and amen!
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