Confessing Our Sins to One Another

This article was originally published here, on July 21, 2009.

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working" (James 5:16).

This Scripture was driven home recently when I witnessed people in a twelve step program confessing their "regrets" to individuals they had hurt. I had heard that many recovery programs had a step in which the person who was recovering had to make amends to the people they had injured, but I hadn't actually witnessed it.

I have to admit it was very moving to witness people confessing their sins to one another. Although they spoke of regrets, it was really sin they were naming. It was refreshing to see people deal with their sin in an unmasked, frank, and humble manner. Yet, I kept wondering why we don't see this kind of honesty in the church. Why are we ashamed to confess our sins before each other in the church? Why is it a rare thing to witness brokenness and repentance within the corporate meetings?

The Church was created to be a hospital for the spiritually sick, not a resort for the spiritually fit. Granted, as we grow and mature in Christ we also grow in spiritual health, but we are still sinners saved by grace. We still struggle with sin throughout our lives on earth. We are all in continual need of repentance and faith. The kind of thing I witness should be practiced frequently within the context of the church community. However, we are so disconnected from each other that we often mention "unspoken" prayer requests. We play "catch-up" on Sunday mornings, because we haven't seen each other throughout the week. And more often than not we play the part of one who is unbroken, when deep down inside we are shattered and yearning for healing.

In reality, the church is full of fractured people. They have been broken by sin, yet they are not discarded. Christ, the Master Craftsman, is transforming them into a masterpiece designed to showcase his grace and glory. As with any construction project, it is easy to find debris in our lives during the ongoing work of sanctification. Life in community is messy. You have to live with (and love) people who are broken and sinful, just like you. Their sins may be different, but the cure is the same: Jesus.

James tells us we should be the kind of people who confess our sins to one another and pray for one another. Sin flourishes in the darkness. Confession brings it into the light. By sharing it with another we enable them to aid us in bearing the load through the process of intercession. James states, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." Repentant confession opens the door to healing.

There is some good in recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, but they were not created by God to liberate the captives. The captives can only be liberated by Christ.  The Church has been given the task of aiding the liberation of captives through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The root problem for every addict (and all humanity) is sin. The only lasting solution is the mighty Savior, Jesus. It's time for the church to step up and be what it was created to be. It's time for us redeemed sinners to start shining the light of the gospel far and wide, so that unredeemed sinners can find salvation. Then maybe, by God's grace, our churches will become the kind of place where people say, "Hello, my name is Randy and I'm a sinner saved by grace. Have you found freedom in Christ, yet?"

Confession Vs. Isolation

I am currently reading, Edward T. Welch's book Addictions-A Banquet in the Grave. The book offers sound biblical advice on how we should help others who are struggling with addiction. Throughout the book he reminds us that we all struggle with sin. Today I came across a statement that reminded me of an important truth. Concerning our own struggle, he states, "Any steps toward isolation and independence are steps into darkness. Don't go there" (page 114).

That simple warning expresses a profound truth. Sin seeks to isolate us from others so it can wreak more havoc in our lives. The author of Ecclesiastes writes, "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" (Eccl. 4:9-10, ESV).

Sin uses our shame to isolate us in order to push us farther into the darkness, so it may devour us. That is why confession is so important. When we live transparent lives, sin can't consume us. If we are continually open to rebuke and correction from others, if we are continually walking in a spirit of humble repentance, if we are continually confessing our sins to the Lord, then sin cannot have power over us.

It may trip us. It may fall upon us with rage and drag us kicking and screaming down with it, but I can't truly own us. When we place our faith in Christ, our sins are forgiven and we are given Christ righteousness. As we mature in Christ, we find ourselves running to the cross more and more. For it is through the atoning work of Christ that we find forgiveness and cleansing. It is wrongheaded to believe that the closer we grow to Christ, the less we need the cross. In actuality, it is the opposite.

As we become more openly confessional, sin cannot drive us into isolation. First, in order to confess our sins to one another we must walk in humility. Humility leads to transparency. Second, when all of our skeletons are out of the closet, so to speak, what can sin hang over our head? How can it keep us hiding? Or more importantly, how can it keep us obedient to it, if we open ourselves up to rebuke and correction from our Christian brothers and sisters? The truth is when believers walk in continual confession and repentance, before God and one another, sin loses strength.

If you don't believe me, try an experiment. Think of a struggle (with sin) you are currently having. Now, have you talked to anyone about it, in order to overcome it? If you say, "Yes," how did you feel about it? Better or worse? If no, do you feel better keeping it a secret? Or does that secret make you afraid of what people might think if they found out? Do you get nerves around people when are talking about their struggles, and wish you could be so free? If you feel like there is a cloud hanging over your head, if you feel ashamed and weary, if you are absolutely terrified at the thought of sharing you personal life with another, sin has a tighter grip on you than you think. Sin always seeks to isolate, then it dominates. As long as our sin goes on unconfessed to God (and when necessary to others), as long as it goes on unrepented of, then sin has us tight within its teeth.

Break free today. Confess your sins to the Lord and he will forgive you (see 1 John 1:9). If need be, confess your sins to one another (see James 5:16), and you will find healing. Find someone with whom you can share your darkest secrets, speak to them openly and honestly about your struggles, ask them to pray for you and to hold you accountable. With confession we step out of the dark into the light.

Confessing Our Sins to One Another

"Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working" (James 5:16).

This Scripture was driven home recently when I witnessed people in a twelve step program confessing their "regrets" to individuals they had hurt. I had heard that many recovery programs had a step in which the person who was recovering had to make amends to the people they had injured, but I hadn't actually witnessed it.

I have to admit it was very moving to witness people confessing their sins to one another. Although they spoke of regrets, it was really sin they were naming. It was refreshing to see people deal with their sin in an unmasked, frank, and humble manner. Yet, I kept wondering why we don't see this kind of honesty in the church. Why are we ashamed to confess our sins before each other in the church? Why is it a rare thing to witness brokenness and repentance within the corporate meetings?

The Church was created to be a hospital for the spiritually sick, not a resort for the spiritually fit. Granted, as we grow and mature in Christ we also grow in spiritual health, but we are still sinners saved by grace. We still struggle with sin throughout our lives on earth. We are all in continual need of repentance and faith. The kind of thing I witness should be practiced frequently within the context of the church community. However, we are so disconnected from each other that we often mention "unspoken" prayer requests. We play "catch-up" on Sunday mornings, because we haven't seen each other throughout the week. And more often than not we play the part of one who is unbroken, when deep down inside we are shattered and yearning for healing.

The simple fact is the church is full of fractured people. They have been broken by sin, yet they are not discarded. Christ, the Master Craftsman, is transforming them into a masterpiece designed to showcase his grace and glory. As with any construction project, it is easy to find debris in our lives during the ongoing work of sanctification. Life in community is messy. You have to live with (and love) people who are broken and sinful, just like you. Their sins may be different, but the cure is the same: Jesus.

James tells us we should be the kind of people who confess our sins to one another and pray for one another. Sin flourishes in the darkness. Confession brings it into the light. By sharing it with another we enable them to aid us in bearing the load through the process of intercession. James states, "The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." Repentant confession opens the door to healing.

There is some good in recovery programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, but they were not created by God to liberate the captives. No, it was the Church that God created to liberate the captives through the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The root problem for every addict (and all humanity) is sin. The only lasting solution is the mighty Savior, Jesus. It's time for the church to step up and be what she was created to be. It's time for us redeemed sinners to start shining the light of the gospel far and wide, so that unredeemed sinners can find salvation. And maybe, by God's grace, our churches will become the kind of place where people say, "Hello, my name is Randy and I'm a sinner saved by grace. Have you found freedom in Christ, yet?"