In James 5:16, it says, "Confess your sins to each other." Do you do this? Is confession of sin something that is a regular habit of yours?
Jesus taught His followers to pray. The prayer He taught is famously called the Lord's prayer. One of the lines of that prayer goes like this: "Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us."
Did you notice the plural pronoun "us"? That was intentional. Jesus taught His followers to pray together, and a part of that prayer was a public acknowledgment of sin. Jesus knew He was talking to a group of people who struggled with sinful attitudes, behaviours and lifestyles. He challenged them to acknowledge their sins publicly and to ask God for His forgiveness.
I am not saying that we should publicly confess the specifics of our struggles with sin to the whole church. But, we are instructed in the Scriptures to confess our sins to each other and seek God's forgiveness. This is a part of the process God will use to assure us of His love and forgiveness and also how He will help us overcome areas of our lives that have kept us in bondage.
This weekend, spend time reading Psalm 139. This has been a favourite Psalm of mine for many years. But, I was always baffled by verses 19-22. How could David write such beautiful words about his relationship with God and then spew such hatred towards other human beings? But then, in verses 23-24, David begs God to reveal any sin that might be in his heart.
David was honest in his prayers to God. He waxed eloquent about the goodness, grandeur and beauty of God. He marvelled at the thought that the creator of the universe actually took time to notice and love him. And then his tone quickly turned to fury and hatred at the thought of people who did not love God. I have realized that David was confessing to God the fullness of what was going on in his heart. He loved God deeply but hated some of the people God had created. David wanted God to reveal anything in his heart that was sinful.
Let's take a page from David's book and be completely honest and transparent with God. Let's ask Him to "Search us and know our hearts, to try us and know our thoughts, to see if there be any wicked way in us, and to lead us in the way of life everlasting." (v. 23-24 paraphrased).
Pastor Nathan
