The Weapon of Confession Opening Thought It thrills my heart when the Holy Spirit works within people to bring a greater revelation and understanding of the awesome salvation that we have in Jesus Christ. It breaks my heart when we, as followers of Jesus, do not live in the freedom that Jesus makes available to us. It grieves me when God s redeemed children are bound by the chains of guilt, shame, and regret and do not abide in the joy of God s salvation. I have battled each of these areas in my own life. Do you? Do you ever struggle with guilt? Do you battle shame? Do you experience regret? If so, Jesus longs to set you free. And He wants to give you something in return: the joy of His salvation and the knowledge that you are forgiven and cleansed. So Great A Salvation The author of the book of Hebrews uses the phrase so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3, NASB) to describe the unbelievable gift God wants the entire world to experience. The scope of this great salvation and what God has done, is doing, and will do for His children cannot be limited to just one or two words. God has filled the Scriptures with a variety of terms that help describe the multitude of blessings of being saved. Here are a few of them: [NOTE: This is the truth of God concerning you and your salvation in Jesus.] 1. REGENERATION He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5) Regeneration is the process of being born again by the Holy Spirit as Jesus taught Nicodemus (John 3:5-6). We could think of this aspect of salvation taking place in the maternity ward of a hospital. In Christ, we are born a second time by the Spirit as a new creation. Regeneration is a change in our nature whereby our spiritual condition is transformed from a disposition of sin to one of a new relationship with God.
2. REDEMPTION He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13 14) The term redemption means to ransom, liberate, deliver, and to set free someone from bondage. This scene takes place in the local slave market. Jesus is our redeemer. He paid the price for us so that we would no longer be slaves to sin and the domain of Satan. Jesus sets us free! 3. JUSTIFICATION For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23 24) To justify is to declare righteous and to make one right with God. This scene takes place in a court of law. Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which He declares the person, Not guilty! We are completely forgiven by God of all our sins (past, present, and future), when we put our faith and confidence in Jesus to save us and repent of our sin. But our justification is more than just a pardon. Justification also involves the instantaneous legal act of God in which He declares the person, Completely righteous! because Jesus righteousness is credited to us. He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB95) Justification is God declaring those who receive Christ to being innocent of all sin and to be righteous, based on the imputation of Christ s righteousness in their lives. 4. ADOPTION In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4 6) Adoption means to place as a son. Sonship is not a gender specific term in the Bible but a legal term focusing on inheritance. This aspect of salvation takes place in a family court. Adoption refers to God bringing many sons and daughters into His eternal family and graciously granting them all the privileges and promises of being His children. God is our Abba, our Heavenly Father, and we are His beloved children.
5. SANCTIFICATION But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13) Sanctification means to be set apart for a special use. This reality of our salvation takes place in a workshop. Sanctification is the continual process by which the Holy Spirit works in us to make us more like Christ in all that we think, do, and desire. We are being conformed into the image of Jesus. 6. GLORIFICATION And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:30) The scene for glorification takes place at the return of Jesus. Glorification is the future and final work of God in the lives of His children whereby He removes all traces of sin and brings about the ultimate perfection of believers. Also, God transforms our mortal physical bodies to the eternal physical bodies in which we will dwell forever. Three Fiery Darts of Satan Although our enemy, the devil, can not destroy any of these workings of God in our lives, Satan does want to rob us of the joy of our salvation. So rather than living in the hope, peace, and astonishment of the great salvation God bestows on us, Satan wants us to overwhelm us with false guilt, shame, and regret. Scripture warns us in Ephesians 6:16 of the flaming darts of the evil one. Satan has countless different types of darts that he seeks to plunge into our souls. I believe three of the most potent darts he longs to strike our hearts with are ignited by guilt, shame, and regret. 1. Guilt is an emotion we experience as a result of personal sin. Satan wants us to feel condemned about our sin. Even after we confess our sins, the devil wants us to continue to experience false guilt over our past actions. The goal of Satan is to make us feel hopeless, worthless, and undeserving of God s love, forgiveness, acceptance, and delight. 2. Shame is an internal emotional state where we believe and see ourselves as damaged, rejected, inadequate, and unworthy. Shame is not just the guilt of bad behavior, but that belief that we ourselves are bad. We did not just commit a wrong action; rather something is wrong with us. Guilt is looking at the sin; shame is looking at yourself as sinful. Shame makes us run and hide from others because if we are found out, people will reject us. Shame also keeps us from coming boldly into the presence of God.
3. Regret is often connected to the words, I wish. Regret keeps us in bondage because we get stuck in the cycle of wishing we had done something different. We regret certain decisions we have made, however regret often focuses more on the desire that we would have done something when we didn t. The devil is determined to bind us in the chains of guilt, shame, and regret so that we will feel like condemned failures and losers. When we see ourselves in this light, it prevents us from enjoying fellowship with the Trinity. Satan is stealing, killing, and destroying our intimacy with God. But these are not the way of the Kingdom! That is not our destiny in Christ! God wants to set us free from the bondage of false guilt, shame, and regret. Our Father longs for us to live with joy in the confidence of our great salvation. Therefore, He gives us a powerful weapon to destroy the chains of guilt, shame, and regret: the divine weapon of confession. The Weapon of Confession If we confess our sins... (1 John 1:9) Confession. When we hear or think about the word confession, we might have a negative reaction. Perhaps adverse emotions begin to permeate your body. Maybe you start to picture yourself sharing your dirty laundry with a priest or someone else. For some of you the thought, Darn it, I blew it again bombards your mind. Confession is not a negative word, a horrible experience, or meant to be a reminder of our failures. Confession is beautiful. It is through confession that we are saved and enter into adoption as God s sons and daughters (Romans 10:9). Every tongue ever created will one day simultaneously confess the Kingship of God (Philippians 2:11). On one glorious day Jesus Himself will confess our names before the Father and the Heavenly host (Revelation 3:5) It sounds like confession is a really beneficial thing! In fact, confession is a powerful weapon in the arsenal of Jesus warriors. As children of God, we need to learn the power of confession and to utilize it often.
JESUS TEACHES US THE NEED TO CONFESS One day the disciples of Jesus came to Him and asked Him to teach them something. They asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. What is interesting about their request, is that they would have already received hours and hours of instruction from the synagogues on how to pray from their childhood. So it is not that they did not know what prayer was. They would have learned and memorized certain prayers as young children. So what were they asking Jesus to teach them? The disciples would have spent a lot of time with Jesus, both in public ministry settings and also in private settings. Over time, they would have witnessed the way Jesus prayed. I believe what they were asking Jesus was to teach them how to pray as He prayed - not the rehearsed prayers they learn in the synagogues, but to talk to God like Jesus did full of life and joy. Jesus honored their request and instructed them how to pray. Jesus taught His followers that when we pray a portion of our time should be devoted to the confession of sin, Forgive us our debts as we forgive others (Matt. 6:12). The disciple John also instructs us as God s children to engage in the practice of confession, If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1John 1:9). SOME GREAT QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEED TO CONFESS When it comes to the subject of confession in the life of a believer, many people have some questions. One common question that people ask is, If God has already forgiven us of all our sins, why do we need to confess them? Aren t we asking God for something that we already have? This question comes from the truth that in Christ, we are justified. All of our sins (past, present, and future) are completely forgiven, and there is nothing that condemns us anymore in Christ. 1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13 14) 1 I acknowledge that some Christians and theological systems have different beliefs about the role of confession and forgiveness. For example, some people believe that God s children are only forgiven for their past sins and that the reason we are to confess our sins is so that we can remain forgiven. Others, believe that because God has already completely forgiven us of all our sins, to confess is a sign of unbelief. I am not here to debate or try to change anyone s conviction about their theological views on confession.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. (Ephesians 1:7) For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more. (Hebrews 8:12) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) As I stated above, as those justified by faith in Christ, God has pronounced over our lives, Not Guilty and has brought us into His family as His sons and daughters. He has dealt with our sin and guilt through the atonement of Jesus. As the lamb of God, Jesus became our sin, and through His sacrificial death takes away our sins. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13 14) So why, as believers of Jesus who have been forgiven of all our sins, declared not guilty, and been made completely righteous, do we need to confess our sins? THE BIBLICAL REASON TO CONFESS The Bible emphasizes the importance of confessing our sins to God: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8 9, ESV) The Greek word for confess means to acknowledge, admit, and declare. In confessing, we recognize that our actions or attitudes were wrong and we declare that God s way is the true and righteous way. The Greek word is a compound term from to speak and the same. Therefore, confessing is agreeing with God that we sinned against Him (and perhaps others). Confessing also allows us to take ownership of our sinful actions and attitudes. So how do we reconcile the truth that in Christ we are completely forgiven of all of our sins and declared to be holy, yet we still need to confess our sins? Even though God has forgiven us, our daily sins still affect our lives in at least two ways: 1. Daily sin creates a strain on our relationship with God. 2. Daily sin leaves behind a residue of guilt, shame, and regret.
It is important that we understand that when Jesus instructed us to confess our sins, it is in the relationship of dealing with these consequences of sin. One commentator stated it this way: The issue is not one of entrance into God s people, i.e. salvation, but the regular cleansing from sin that each believer needs. The scene is not a courtroom where the final judgment is being pronounced but a family setting in which a son or daughter confesses his or her sins not to become or remain part of the family but in order that nothing should spoil the relationship. 2 As a believer of Jesus, I am not confessing my sin for forgiveness for salvation again. We do not need to get saved over and over again whenever we sin. Jesus has brought us into His kingdom, and we are now under the reign of grace. Rather, the confession of a believer is for the forgiveness and restoration that takes place in a family. Many Bible teachers distinguish between Judicial Forgiveness vs. Parental Forgiveness in explaining the role of confession in the life of a Christian. Here are some quotes from some Bible teachers to help us better understand this distinction of forgiveness: When God withholds His parental forgiveness, He does not put us back under condemnation. Our sins can never count against us again because God has totally forgiven and forgotten them. He cancelled our debt and credited us with the righteousness of Christ. We received this judicial forgiveness once and for all by faith in the blood of Jesus. God, the righteous judge, judged all our sins on the cross and removed condemnation from our lives forever! (Colin Dye, Should We Confess Our Sins). The issue before us is not one of being saved one day and lost the next, struggling to confess every last one of our sins before we fall asleep lest we die in our sleep and go to hell, always wondering if we might have missed one sin. No, this forgiveness is relational, not judicial, having to do with our fellowship with God and our experience of being cleansed and forgiven as opposed to our overall standing with God. (Michael Brown, Hyper-Grace). As Charles Spurgeon explained: It is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in His precious blood need not make a confession of sin, as culprits or criminals, before God the Judge, for Christ has for ever taken away all their sins in a legal sense, so that they no longer stand where they can be condemned... but having become children, and offending as children, ought they not every day to go before their heavenly Father and confess their sin, and acknowledge their iniquity? Nature teaches that it is the duty of erring children to make a confession to their earthly father, and the grace of God in the heart teaches us that we, as Christians, owe the same duty to our heavenly Father. 2 Robert A. Stein. Luke: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture.
And this is what Jesus had in mind when He taught us to pray, even daily, Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors, explaining, For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matt. 6:12, 14 15). He is not here talking about being saved one day if we forgive others and lost the next day if we don t forgive them. He is talking about being in harmony with the Father and in right relationship with Him. (Michael Brown, Hyper-Grace) JUDICIAL FORGIVENESS The Good News is that the Lord has laid on him [Jesus] the iniquity of us all and he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace (Isaiah 53:6,5). When we put our faith in Jesus we are born again by the Holy Spirit and justified by God. Before the righteous throne of God, your sins have been forgiven - even before you commit them and even if you never confess it. When we commit daily sins, God does not disown us. We are His eternal sons and daughters. God can no more change our spiritual status as sons and daughters than I can change the biological fact Caleb, Alyssa, and Abby are my offsprings. The good news is that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38 39) PARENTAL FORGIVENESS However, if we think, as justified children of God, that we can sin and completely ignore it, then we deny the truth of Scripture. Again, our daily sins can create a strain on our relationship with God, and it can leave a residue or guilt, shame, and regret in us. That is why we need God to continually cleanse us from our unrighteousness. When family members offend or sin against one another, their relationship can be damaged and suffer greatly. It is so important to restore family relationships through confessing and seeking forgiveness from one another. Likewise, God never wants our relationship with Him strained; He desires our fellowship to be fresh and renewed daily. Both aspects of confession and forgiveness are true. Both are taught in Scripture. A POWERFUL PICTURE Jesus communicated this principle of confession and continual cleansing through a compelling picture. The story of comes from John 13:3-10. In the culture of the day, as people traveled on the dirt roads from place to place, their feet would become very dirty and unclean. Whenever a person entered a house, a servant would bring a bowl of water and towel to wash the traveler s feet. In John 13, apparently, no servant was
available to wash the feet of the disciples when they entered the upper room to observe Passover with Jesus. Nor did any of the disciples humble themselves and take on the role of a servant on behalf of the others to wash their dirty feet. Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord, do you wash my feet? Jesus answered him, What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand. Peter said to him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no share with me. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head! Jesus said to him, The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you. (John 13:3 10) When we are born again, we get a big bath [i.e. cleansing] from the Holy Spirit from head to toe [i.e. a complete washing] that purifies us from sin. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11) He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5) 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 10:22) Michael Brown states, There s only one problem: we still live in this world. We still have to walk along dusty, dirty roads, and sometimes our feet get dirty, even though we have been washed and bathed. As we journey through our day, we all get a little dirty. Daily sin leaves behind its marks. But we only need to let the Lord wash off that residue not to be entirely washed again! Therefore, we need to confess and repent of our daily sins. Remember, we are not confessing before a judge who is quick to condemn us to Hell, but before our Father to remove the residue of guilt, shame, and regret. As we confess, the Father forgives and cleanses us. We may still struggle with areas of obedience and in moments choose evil and rebel against the ways of God; however, that doesn t mean lose our salvation the moment we sin. We do not need to get saved again every time we sin.
Conviction vs. Condemnation As believers, we need to understand the difference between the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the condemnation of guilt from Satan. Jesus taught that one of the primary roles of the Holy Spirit is to convict people of sin (John 16:8). When we plan on doing wrong or commit wrong, the Holy Spirit prompts us to repent and forsake our sin. The goal of conviction is for the Holy Spirit to reveal to us how our lives are not in alignment with who we are as God s children, for us to choose obedience, and to shape us into the image of Jesus. The Holy Spirit does not merely highlight our sin to us; He also leads us to walk in righteousness. Conviction from God is a wonderful blessing to our lives. Conviction brings assurance to us that we belong to Jesus: Conviction is evidence of God s love for us. Jesus stated, Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent (Revelation 3:19). Because God loves us, He uses conviction to bring about humility and repentance in our lives. God wants His children to turn away from sin and to turn back to Him. Conviction is also a sign that we are God s children. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. (Hebrews 12:6 8) Our enemy wants us to feel condemned over our evil choices and attitudes. Satan purposes to drown us in guilt, shame, and regret. As we have already seen though, in Christ we are no longer condemned (Romans 8:1). Conviction from the Holy Spirit says to us, You have sinned, so come to Me and let me cleanse you. Condemnation from the devil says, You blew it again, you are not worthy to come to God. You need to clean yourself up and then try to draw near to God.
A Model For Confession The following is a model to help followers of Jesus agree with God about areas of personal sin and disobedience and to receive His gracious cleansing over their lives as His beloved sons and daughters. ENTERING THE PRESENCE OF GOD But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. (Matthew 6:6) 1. Find a place where you can shut the door and be free from all distractions and interruptions. Also, put aside anything that competes for your attention (including your mobile devices). 2. As you begin, acknowledge the presence of God. Jesus assures us that our Father is in the secret place with us. 3. Come boldly into God s presence. Hebrews 4:16 says, Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. You are not coming to a throne of judgement, but of grace! We approach God not based upon any of our works, but on the work of Jesus. As we come into the presence of God we receive mercy. As we draw close to God we find grace to help us when we need it the most. A MODEL OF CONFESSION If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8 9) 1. Allow yourself to be searched by the Holy Spirit for sin. In quietness and stillness ask God to reveal areas of disobedience in your life.
Pray the prayer of David, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. (Psalm 139:23 24, NLT) Be still and listen for the voice of the Holy Spirit. Write down all that the Spirit of God reveals to you. 2. Agree with God about what He reveals. If we confess our sins (1 John 1:9a) In prayer, confess your sin to God, Jesus, I confess the sin of. (use specific words, not vague language). Remember, you are in the very presence of God. Visualize Christ before you as you confess to Him. 3. Ask God to forgive you of that offense. Pray as Jesus taught His disciples to pray, Forgive me of my debts (Matthew 6:12) Name each sin that God reveals to you. Do not just lump them all together into one generic confession. We committed them one-by-one, so let s confess them one-by-one. By being as specific as we can, the cleansing of God will be deeper and more personal. 4. Accept God s forgiveness and cleansing. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9b) Confess the truth that God completely forgives you and cleanses you of all guilt, shame, and regret. 1) Pray, Father, thank you that you completely forgive me of the sin of. Wait on the Lord and receive His forgiveness. You are forgiven. God has declared, For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more (Hebrews 8:12). 2) Pray, Father, thank you that you cleanse me from ALL my unrighteousness. You wash me free from all guilt, shame, and regret. There is no condemnation over my life. Now pause and receive the cleansing of the Holy Spirit over every area of your life.
3) Pray, Father, I thank you that you love me unconditionally. Your love for me is steadfast - it doesn t fluctuate or never ends. You demonstrated Your love for me through the cross of Jesus. Take time to receive His love over you. 4) Pray, Father, I thank you that I can come boldly before your throne of grace. I am received, welcomed, and embraced by you. Thank you for Your neverending mercy and amazing grace over my life. Receive His mercy and grace. 5) Pray, Father, thank you that you delight over me. I bring you joy. You are very fond of me. Wait before you Father and receive his delight and joy over you. Any thoughts of guilt, shame, or regret are not of God. He cleanses you from all unrighteousness. You are cleansed, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). 5. Receive God s blessing At the very end of your time of confession and cleansing, take the time to receive from God anything else He wants to give you. Pray, I confess that I am a child of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, completely forgiven and cleansed. I put my faith and confidence in God and His truth. Holy Spirit, what else do you want to give me or say to me in place of these sins? In stillness and silence, take a few minutes just to be in the presence of God and see if there is anything else God wants to impart to you. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me. Also, I would love to hear how God is using the weapon of confession in your life. Please email me your story at testimony@craigconaway.com. If you found value in this article, it would mean a lot to me to recommend it to others. Encourage them to download a copy at http://craigconaway.com/resources/