Our second letter in our A.C.T.S. is “C,” it stands for Confession. This is an act of admitting wrong in our lives. A radical acknowledgment of wrongdoing, with the implication of a change of conduct on the part of the person confessing. It is admitting what God already knows about us. It is putting our knowledge of ourselves in line with his. Agreeing with Him. The goal is to place us in harmony with God again.
However, confession is of no value, unless we are willing and ready to repent. There are several examples in scripture that will teach what God expects. The Bible makes it very clear that unless there is a turning away, a forsaking of sin, there is no forgiveness.
John 8:11 “She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.”
Romans 6:1,2 “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?”
Romans 6:6 “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.”
II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
A good example of acknowledging sin, but not repenting is Saul, in I Samuel 15:24,30 and 26:21
I Samuel 15:24 “Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have disobeyed what the Lord commanded and what you said as well. For I was afraid of the army, and I followed their wishes. 30 Saul again replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel. Go back with me so I may worship the Lord your God.” 26:21
He understood that he had sinned, and maybe even felt remorse at the time, but he did not change.
David, on the other hand, shows real repentance. He had committed adultery, murder, and a multitude of other sins, leading to the two “big” sins. He lusted, lied, deceived, and asked others to sin for him. Looking at this, we see him as a scoundrel, but God does forgive him because he truly repents. In II Samuel chapter 12, sometime after his deeds were done, Nathan the prophet visits David and tells him of the story of a man who was rich. The rich man had anything he desired. However, he takes a lamb from a man who only has one ewe lamb. The lamb had grown up with this man and his children, yet the man who had flocks of lambs wanted him, and he took the man’s only lamb.
Upon hearing this story, David is outraged. He pronounces a death sentence to that man. Nathan then reveals to him, “thou art the man.” David repents and seeks God. He truly changes. In Acts 13:22, God declares David to be a man after his own heart!
Acts 13:22 “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.”
Psalm 51 teaches us how we are to feel about our sin, by the way David felt about his sin against God. David should give all of us hope for change. A man God pulled from tending sheep, to be the King of Israel. A man who worshiped greatly, and sinned profoundly. A man who confessed and turned away from his sin to a holy God.
We need to seek God’s face daily and ask, “am I the man/woman?” We need to use Psalm 51 for our own lives. Search me, Oh God! We need to ask Him to reveal anything in our lives that does not please him and to help us to forsake our sin.
Confession is good for the soul! It is necessary to stay right with God.
Have you searched your heart today?
Be still before the Lord and see what he reveals.
