Confessing Our Sins

April 1, 2025 6:54 PM

Lord, as we enter the fourth week of our Lenten journey, guide us on the path that leads to you. Fill our hearts with gratitude, patience, strength and peace. Help us to grow closer to you this Lent through the practice of confession. In your name we pray, Amen. 

A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person.  - Dietrich Bonhoeffer 

BREAKING THE ICE

If you could push delete and get rid of your mistakes, would you do so? Why or why not?  

REFLECTION 

Jesus is the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world (Jn 1:29). His first public words were “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand” (Mt 4:17). He healed the sins of the paralyzed man and of the woman caught in adultery (Mk 2:5; Jn 8:11). He preached on God’s desire to reconcile us with the beautiful images of the lost sheep, lost coin and lost son (Lk 15). In the Lord’s Prayer, he taught us to pray to our Father to forgive us our sins and to bring us to forgive the relatively smaller debts of those who sin against us (Mt 6:12; 18:21-35). On the Cross, as he prepared to die to take away our sins, Jesus’ salvific words were, first for sinners in general, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” and then for one sinner, the Good Thief, in particular (Lk 23:34,43). After his resurrection, not only did Jesus give the apostles the ability to forgive sins in his name but commanded them to preach “repentance and forgiveness of sins” to all nations (Jn 20:21-23; Lk 24:47).   

So, how does one come to a place of repentance without first taking time to confess? As we discovered this past week, one does so by asking for God’s help and prayerfully examining one’s actions in the light of Christ’s teaching and example (we are invited to reflect, not get lost in rumination on the negative). Some review their behavior by the Ten Commandments, others by Christ’s command to love God and love others, others by their correspondence to the Beatitudes, others still, by comparing their behavior to the most important Christian virtues.  It would seem that it is not enough merely to focus on how one has broken God’s “rules” per se, but rather on how one has damaged their relationship with God and others, and derivatively, with oneself as well.

Lent is a time to focus on confession and repentance. I admit—I used to wrestle with the idea of confession. I thought, “God already knows what I did, so why do I need to confess?” Happily, we serve a God of grace who helped me see confession in a better light.  

Confession brings about many blessings. When we confess out loud something we are ashamed of doing or something we want to hide, it loses its power. When we hold on to a sin and don’t confess, it can fester inside us. It doesn’t get the light it needs to heal. I love the song lyric by The Oh Hello’s, “Take this burden away from me, and bury it before it buries me.” (Read Psalm 32:1-5 for a similar sentiment.) God offers us the gift of taking our burden from us. When we confess it to God, it can no longer weigh us down. This is what our loving God wants for us.  

Confession is also a time for growth. God isn’t an angry judge who wants to chastise us. God wants to help us grow and learn from our mistakes. We can ask Jesus for forgiveness, and then for discernment on how to fix it or do better next time. Confession lets us bring to light areas of repeat issues we may need to address. I often need to confess saying something I shouldn’t have said. Whether a biting remark, a cold response or even my own negative self-talk, I know this is something I need to work on. I know God can help me to learn to use my words more wisely and give me opportunities to speak blessings over people.  

Ultimately, confession is an act of love and respect.  During Lent, we especially want to remember the great sacrifice Christ made to bear the burden of our sins. God sent his son, Jesus, to die for us. We recognize this life-giving sacrifice by confessing our sins. Through confession, God gives us a chance to receive his mercy so we can live our best lives. Confession is a gift I encourage you to embrace in your prayers as we prepare for Holy Week and Christ's powerful victory over death on Resurrection Sunday.

WRESTLING WITH THE WORD

Read 1 John 1: 8-10 

  • To understand the benefits of confession, we need to understand the impact of sin. How does sin affect our lives and the lives of those around us?
  • How do the verses about darkness and light (1John 1:5-7) relate to the practice of confession?
  • The word “confession” in the Greek means “agree with.” How does this relate to the practice of confessing one’s sins?  

NEXT STEPS

  • Have you ever felt like you need to “clean up your life” before digging deeper into your faith? 
  • What draws you to confession of your sins to God? What holds you back?
  • Often confession is practiced alone between God and ourselves; how might having an accountability partner change the practice of confession?  

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK  

You have looked deep into my heart, Lord and you know all about me. You know when I am resting or when I am working, and from heaven you discover my thoughts. Look deep into my heart, God, and find out everything I am thinking. We offer ourselves completely to you. Don’t let me follow evil ways but lead me in the way that time has proven true.  Amen.

ADDITIONAL READINGS