“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.” (1 John 1:9–10 NLT)

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One of the most important aspects of the Christian life is to know what it means to confess our sin. In fact, our very forgiveness hinges on our understanding of the term. The Hebrew word for confess means to acknowledge. In the New Testament, confess could be translated as “to agree with someone” or “to say the same thing as another.” The apostle John used this word in 1 John 1:9 when he said, “But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness” (NLT, emphasis mine). That word confess is essentially saying that if you’ll agree with God about your sin, if you’ll acknowledge it for what it is and not make excuses for it, and if you’ll turn from it, God will forgive you.

The problem is that people think they’ve confessed their sin when they haven’t. New believers, people who aren’t used to confessing their sins, may struggle at first. In addition, far too many people believe that to confess their sin is merely to acknowledge their sin. Therefore, when they sin and get caught, they say something to the effect of, “I acknowledge what I did. I confess that sin. That was a bad thing.” And they go out and do it again. And when they get caught again, they say, “I did it again. I confess.” That’s not a true confession. They’re simply recognizing what is obviously sin.

Genuine confession means understanding that sin puts distance between you and your heavenly Father. Isaiah 59:2 says, “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore” (NLT). Sin interferes with your ability to recognize God’s will for your life and enjoy the blessings that come with it.

Sin also undermines your Christian witness. It gives people a distorted view of Christ and the difference He makes in a person’s life. God wants people to see His Son in you. Your sin keeps them from doing that.

The more we understand about the seriousness of sin, the more genuine our confession will be. The Holy Spirit helps us in this regard. Everyone who receives Christ as Savior and Lord has the Holy Spirit inside them. Jesus said the Holy Spirit “will convict the world of its sin” (John 16:8 NLT). He calls out our sin from deep within us and convicts us to confess it.

Confession means to see sin for what it is, to be sorry for it, and to turn from it. You must recognize that it’s offensive to the one and only true God and respond accordingly. Are you willing to do that? If so, then God will forgive you and cleanse you from all your wickedness.

 

Reflection question: What’s your biggest obstacle when it comes to confessing sin? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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