Confession

Growing up in the church, I got to hear a lot of confessions butt very little confessed.  Much of the time, the confession went something like, "I have committed sin" or "I want to repent of my sins."  What sin was committed against whom was seldom to never mentioned  I almost never heard of what the individual was repenting.  Asking for forgiveness often sounded like, I'm sorry if anyone was offended or perhaps I'm sorry if I offended anyone.

The Lord says, "Confess your sins one to another and pray for one another and you will be healed" (Js 5:16).  He didn't say to confess that you had sinned, that's a forgone conclusion as "all sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom3:23). What needs to be confessed is the sin you committed and against whom you sinned.  Then we have something to pray for specifically.  And, the offended party is given an opportunity to forgive as well.

We don't want to name our sin because it is so embarrassing.  Our pride is wounded and we loose face.  However, pride is not our friend but our enemy and the first among things that keeps us from doing God's will in preference of our own.  By not naming the sin, we are not accepting full responsibility and we are not acknowledging the injury done to another.  There is no chance of release from a sin that we hold close to our chest.

There is also no chance for another to forgive you of something no named or admitted.  The offended individual does not know that you are repenting from the hurt or suffering you caused if you have not named it.  They do not know if you even begin to understand the offence or the pain you have inflicted if you approach it generically.  We must be specific.

Confession is good for the soul, it frees us from the grip of the sin and allows others to move past the offence.  Don't let Satan keep you in the grip of guilt and regret, instead, allow God to forgive and free you from its power.  Go ahead, name it and claim it as your own and let the offended party know for what you are sorry and repent.  Healing for you both will follow.   Jus' Say'n.