Have you ever done something wrong in your life? Have you ever violated God’s law? Romans 3:23 reminds us that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, so don’t beat yourself up.

But what does it mean to sin? Some suggest that sin is missing the mark, and I get that, but what if it were more than just missing the mark. We serve a relational God, and to me, a sin is anything that we do that causes a breach or a barrier in our relationship with God, and the only way to remove that obstacle is to confess our sins.

So, what is a confession? How do we confess our sins to God? A confession, much like the court of law, is an acknowledgement of how we have violated or broken one of God’s laws for our lives. When we confess, we name the sin and declare with our mouths, to God and others, how we have broken his law.

Proverbs 28:13 says, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” If we hold on to our sins and keep them in secrecy, we will not prosper, but if we confess our sins and renounce them before God, he will shower us with His mercy. 1 John 1:9 says that when we confess our sins to God, he will cleanse us or purify us from all unrighteousness. James 5:16 reminds us to confess our sins to fellow believers, and to pray for each other, so we may be healed.

The confession of sins brings forth kingdom life, it allows us to be showered by God’s mercy, to have our souls purified by God, and it even allows us to find healing. So, what is keeping you from confessing your sins? What is holding you back from being cleansed and healed by God?

Oftentimes, pride, ego, shame, guilt, etc. will keep up from coming to the Father. When we choose to hold onto our sins, we are agreeing with the enemy (the accuser of the brethren), but God wants to blot these things out of his book of life, so I challenge you to boldly confess your sins to the Father, and receive His mercy.

How do we confess? We go before God with a broken spirit, a contrite heart, and we humbly acknowledge all the ways we have broken his laws. I suggest that you refer to Psalm 51 to see how King David confessed his sin of adultery to the Father. He said things like:

– Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love
– In your compassion, blot out my transgressions
– Wash away all my iniquity
– Cleanse me from my sin
– I have sinned against you and done evil in your eyes, have mercy on me
– Cleanse me and I will be clean
– Wash me white as snow
– Hide your face from my sins and blot out my inquiry
– Create in me a pure heart
– Renew a steadfast spirit in me
– Deliver me from the guilt
– My mouth will declare your praise
– My sacrifice is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart

Confession is like food poisoning, the only cure for it is to expel all the toxins from your system. I invite you to purge the guilt and shame from your life and let God cleanse you today as you confess all the ways you have violated his laws.

Thanks for tuning in and join us in the next class as we unlock the powers of forgiveness!