30 14 Habits of Highly Effective Disciples
Focusing on the Meaning
These passages reveal our need to take more seriously our sinful natures
and acts of sin. A paradox of confession is that it may involve a series
of painful experiences as we identify our sin. Yet, the results of confes-
sion bring emotional and even physical healing. The concepts of peace,
stability, contentment, and an overall sense of integrity become reality.
These are qualities we can experience when we are forgiven.
These passages not only convey the importance of confession, they
also provide models for how we confess. God is the one to whom we
must ultimately confess. In addition, we must also confess to others we
have wronged.
We should learn, too, how to hear confession. For Baptists, this is
practicing the role of the priesthood of the believer. The person who
hears a confession must handle the confessor’s information as caringly
as possible. Trust for further interchange can build, but could be stale-
mated with inappropriate behavior on the part of the one who hears the
confession. Using another’s private information as the source of gossip,
tattling, and backbiting is clearly off limits—even thinly disguised as
a “prayer request.” The New Testament contains numerous principles
addressing these dynamics.
Few guidelines emit from Scripture on how widely and publically we
should confess. Matthew 18:15–19 is of some help. These guidelines are
for the one offended, interestingly. An essential ground rule appears to
be: confess only as widely as the sin has involved; or, confess one-to-one
about private sin and publically as more people know of the sin.
Some congregations practice confession by having a specific part of
each Sunday’s worship service given to a litany, responsive reading, or
prayer by an individual on behalf of all those in the congregation about
sins committed. Many of us perhaps were reared hearing the words
“forgive us of our sins of omission and commission.” Though general
and broad, these actions can be the starting points for individuals to
understand their need for regular, authentic confession to God. Such
confession is the first step towards forgiveness and restoration.