Confession, One to Another

It is surprising to realize that the majority of texts in the New Testament concerning confession are referring to confessing Christ and His truth, the gospel, or another word for witnessing, proclaiming. Only four passages talk directly about confessing sin. We will take a look at each.

1. Confessing to John the Baptist: In the story of John the Baptist found in both Matthew 3:6 and Mark 1:5, it says that “all the country” were going to be baptized by John in the Jordan River, “as they confessed their sins.” It does not say so, but there is the implication that people were telling John, possibly in the hearing of the crowd, what they regretted and wanted to change about their lives. Certainly the body of John’s preaching was about repenting—making a U-turn—making a straight path for the Messiah who was on the horizon, right behind John. Those who took what he said to heart knew he spoke nothing less than the truth. The “path to God” inside their hearts was very crooked indeed. So they repented, confessed, and were baptized. It seems unlikely that these repentant ones were going into detail, though we can’t know for sure. It would have taken a very long time to baptize many people if John first had to listen to the sins of each. Most likely, they were general confessions such as those we’ve seen in Nehemiah’s and Daniel’s prayers. “We haven’t been listening and following you, God. We have been blind and selfish, and now we see the glimmerings of the Light, promised by the prophets, now heralded by this man.”

Each individual, in their own heart, was likely more specific. Some probably confessed specific sins out loud. For instance, a tax collector might admit to having overcharged, or a soldier may have confessed to taking money by force, as is hinted at in Luke 3:10-14. These were public sins, and confessing them publicly not only made the guilty one feel freer, it began the long process of reassuring those sinned against that maybe this soldier or tax collector would become someone they could trust.

2. Confessing to the Apostles: Acts 19 tells a series of stories that happened in Ephesus. First, Paul found some disciples who had been baptized because of John’s preaching. He taught them of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. Then he taught generally, first in the synagogue, and when that venue became too divisive and unruly, in a school belonging to Tyrannus. Verse 10 says this went on for two years, and that both Jews and Greeks were becoming more and more interested.

Next, there is a story of true and false miracles and exorcisms, in which the seven sons of a Jewish exorcist named Sceva thought maybe the name of Jesus was a particularly powerful charm, and tried it, with painful results. Following this story is a report of magicians and occultists giving up their practices and burning their magic books. It is in between these two accounts that an intriguing sentence appears. “Many also of those who had believed kept coming, confessing and disclosing their practices.” (Verse 18)

Is it that they “had believed” in magic and now didn’t anymore? There was some of that, clearly. But usually when Acts talks of “believing,” it means believing the gospel of Jesus Christ. This passage looks as though those who have confessed before “kept coming” and confessing again. Each of us can certainly testify that one confession is never enough. It is that clause “and disclosing their practices” that catches the eye. No doubt it means, in part, admitting to magical practices. However, it also adds another angle to true confession.

Admitting that you stole a candy bar is one thing. Disclosing that you have an ongoing problem with the practice of stealing is another, and probably a good deal more useful. Someone who steals a candy bar must first go to God. God always comes first. His forgiveness, freely given and never running out, will give the guilty person strength and wisdom to do what else needs to be done. In this case, the one who stole needs only to go to the person from whom she stole and tell the truth, ask forgiveness, and pay for the candy bar, perhaps adding a little as a peace offering. Case closed. Until it happens again and again. Our dishonest person is now facing a bigger problem. Of course, sin is always larger than it looks. Outward actions are only the tiniest tip of a most deadly iceberg.

Let us say that our sticky-fingered one is feeling terrible about it, and trying to stop. Let us allow that she prays about it—speaking together with God. Let us even assume she has the strength to continue to ask forgiveness of each person she cheats, though this grows less and less likely as time goes on. Nothing seems to help! What now?

There is only one thing to do. The guilty person must find a godly person she can trust, perhaps her pastor, a teacher, a parent, a friend. She must disclose, uncover, “own up to” her practices. By this time she may even be labeling herself a thief. God never does this, by the way. Neither does her carefully chosen confidant. These two people, working together with God, now have an exponentially greater power than any one person, even with God. We were created in community. These two, working together with God, will be able to uncover some of the roots of this brokenness and begin the difficult process of making new choices that really stand. What we know is that Acts 19 says Jesus and His name were more and more greatly magnified in first

century Ephesus. And confession played a part.

3. Confess to One Another: James 5:16 is one of the more famous verses on confession. Here, we are specifically adjured to confess our sins “to one another,” and to pray for each other. Does it only mean to confess to the one you have wronged? It doesn’t look like it. It’s in the context of the prayer for the sick, in the previous verses. Of that sick one, healed by God because of the prayers of his faithful friends, it says that if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven. The clear implication is that these sins (again, not necessarily in detail) have been disclosed in the select company of the elders who have gathered to pray.

Must a sick one give his entire sorry autobiography of failures? No. He may, however, want to confess that he is aware his present illness is connected with some lifestyle choices he wishes he hadn’t made. And he is much less likely to do differently, once he’s well again, without the help and accountability of his trusted, praying friends.

4. God’s Promise about Confession: And so we come to the most famous confession passage of all. Many of us know it by heart: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) This is a picture of the infinite forgiveness of God. You may say He is the only one who can really forgive, out of His own righteousness or justice. When the rest of us think we are forgiving, all we are actually doing is recognizing we are just as sinful and might have done the same in similar circumstances, and sharing the forgiveness of the all-forgiving God. In fact, when we cannot yet bring ourselves to forgive, we can at least, and always, offer the forgiveness of God. We know He always forgives us, so we can know He’ll forgive the other, too. Even that unspeakable enemy who has hurt you

so badly you can’t imagine forgiving him.

But, 1 John 1:9 has more to offer. God’s forgiveness includes cleansing. “He who began a good work in you will perfect it.” (Phil 1:6) And yes, He may choose to use other people to do it. He will choose to use other people. And He’ll use you in the perfecting work He’s doing in others.