Author: art rogers
Spiritual Disciplines: Confession
Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007 @ 12:01 am
Almost done now. The Spiritual Disciplines Blogging Crew hosted by Joe Kennedy has but four measly posts before our long journey is done. Check it out.
Confession.
I remember vividly when I found out what the word “confession” actually means. You see, in our culture, we equate confession with the telling of something unknown - to spill the beans, so to speak. Like a criminal admitting to a crime to the police. No longer a need to go t trial, the criminal confessed - now we know.
The word “confess” in the New Testament is a compound word made of of two simple parts: (homo) the same, and (logeo) to speak or say - to break it down simplistically. The accurate translation is something along the lines of “to say the same thing about” or “to agree.”
So to confess your sin to God is to agree with Him about your sin. You are certainly not telling Him something He doesn’t know. You are not “spilling the beans.”
Rather, you are looking at your sin from God’s perspective and agreeing with Him about it. The reason we participate in sin, aside from being born into it, is that we fail to see sin for what it really is - the way He sees it.
As a discipline, confession is about introspectively evaluating the things in your life through God’s eyes and changing your mind if it doesn’t line up with the way you have been looking at it. By constantly filtering your worldview this way, your personal holiness is refined and you become more and more conformed to the image of Christ.
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October 2nd, 2007 at 11:40 am
Art,
This is one of the simplier, better statements on this topic that I’ve heard. “You become more and more conformed to the image of Christ.” Changed…growing…enjoying the forgiveness we already have in Christ. How true.
Good stuff.
October 2nd, 2007 at 11:50 am
Take the “i” out of simpler and we’re in good shape. Still good stuff..better than my spelling that’s for sure.
October 3rd, 2007 at 9:51 am
Brother Art, I know that you are talking about confession to God of our sin which is so very important. I appreciate what you have said here.
When I first saw the title, though, I thought of an experience my husband and I had the previous night at our LIFEgroup meeting… A couple that was there confessed to us the struggles they are enduring at the moment and that some wrong decisions had helped get them to this point of trouble. The wife, who was doing most of the confessing, was in tears as she spoke, and revealed many deep struggles she was having in herself, as well.
The members of this LIFEgroup gathered around and began praying for them. The prayer was powerful and I believe God used this time to cleanse and renew this hurting couple.
What I am really wanting to relate to you is that during and after that confession and prayer time, as we were lifting up the Name of the LORD Jesus, the presence of the LORD was almost tangible! The Truth of our Oneness in Christ was powerful!
The LORD opened my eyes to see the connection of His Spirit as we confess to one another. The mystery of Christ in us has become so real to me in the last couple of weeks as He has shown the power in true community/fellowship.
John 17:23
October 3rd, 2007 at 10:01 am
marie,
James wrote, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful.” (James 5:16)
Certainly, your experience was in this vein. There is no doubt that the most powerful victories over my own sin have come from me sharing them with brothers and sisters I can trust. The community, the fellowship - the release of shame - is vital.