To Live is Christ — taking sin seriously

My sister tells me of a time when she confessed something about herself in a Bible study group. The response was, “Oh no, not you. You don’t do that.” She was appalled, and I understand why. If anyone, even God, said that to me when I confessed a sin, I would be appalled too. 

Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. (James 5:16)

Of the “one another’s” in Scripture, maybe this one is the most important. Confession of sin to God is a vital part of salvation, but also important toward cleansing and growth. 1 John 1:9, a favorite verse, says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God is the only one who can forgive and cleanse sin regarding my spiritual life and standing before Him. That said, sometimes I also need to admit my wrongs to those whom I’ve injured. If they will not accept my confession, I’ve put the ball in their court, but there will always be a rift between us. Confession and forgiveness are part of what it takes to maintain unity and love in the family of God.

When it comes to spiritual encouragement, there is nothing like a good friend. For me that means someone who takes confession of sin seriously. This is a vital matter. When I do it, I don’t want to hear that what I did wasn’t that bad, or that it is okay because everyone does it. Jesus never says those things to me. Instead, He does as the verses say — He assures me of forgiveness and prays for me. That is important for my spiritual health, and that is what I hope from my Christian friends.

This goes both ways. To be a good friend and a helpful Christian sister to others in the family of God, I need to do the same when someone confesses sin to me. I need to tell them that I forgive them, but more important, that God forgives them too. I need to say that forgiveness is based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for sin, and affirm them of it. I also need to remind them that by His cleansing power, He removes that sin from their lives.

Part of this is remembering that each of us will sin again. Sometime we do the same thing many times before our confession gets right to the root of the problem, but God is faithful. Because He forgives, cleanses, and heals, our lives are changed.

To live is Christ means that I will take sin seriously, mine and that of others, and by doing so, open the way for God’s grace and power to make our lives more like His.