"Confessing Sin"

November 3, 2008

“If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous… If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness… and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1: 7, 9; 2:1).

“The Greek word translated “confess” deserves careful study. It is made up of a word meaning “to speak”, and another word which means “the same”, the total meaning of the word being, “to speak the same” thing that someone else speaks; thus to agree with that person. Confession of sin on the part of the believer says to God. “That thing in my life is sin.” God says, “You should repent of that sin.” The believer says to God, “I do repent of that sin.” God says, “You should put that sin out of your life and resolve never to do that thing again.” The believer says to God, “I right now put that thing out of my life and resolve never to do it again.” All of this means that confession of sin on the part of the believer is not a mere admission of the fact of sin in his life but a complete acknowledgement of sin based upon heartfelt conviction, an immediate repentance, a thoroughgoing repudiation of and ceasing from that sin, and an energetic resolution to never repeat that sin again, with Christ’s help!”

(Kenneth Wuest – Adapted).

Try as we might, Christians still occasionally “miss the mark” and commit sin. What an added blessing that God provides forgiving grace both at the point of conversion but also after the fact!
But just because this is true we must never treat sin lightly. We must “confess” our sins, our failures, our mistakes! We must “agree with God” about them! As the old Gospel song says, we need “to have a little talk with Jesus” in order to “make it right”! Our repentance must be sincere, immediate, thorough, final, and result in reformed conduct!
Brothers and sisters, God has given us new hearts through trusting Jesus Christ, but we live in the same bodies, and these bodies are susceptible to weakness, sin, and vacillation. God knows this and has provided an ongoing cleansing through Christ’s blood, when we repent. What a loving Father we have! What a powerful Savior we have!
Have we sinned? Let us confess it, for we have an Advocate with the Father!

Larry Atkin, Preacher