Day 5 - Freedom in Confession

Written By: Megan Sorrow 

SCRIPTURE FOCUS
Psalm 32  
1  Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude
5  Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude
6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place, you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.

DEVOTION
When I was a kid it was always very clear to us that my parents valued honesty. We were always taught that there were consequences to our actions, but there's always the promise of a lighter punishment if we confessed to our crime before the punishment was dealt. I confess, I didn’t always take advantage of this, thinking that if they just continued to believe my story then I would get away with it. The reality is, I never really got away with it, even if they believed my lies. I was always wracked with guilt, wondering if they would ever find out. The fear of being found out was always looming.

In Psalm 32 the Psalmist writes about the experience of confession, it’s effects, and the benefits.
Confession is an act of worship we often fail to practice. When we neglect it, we miss out on the freedom and deep healing it brings.

Verses 1 and 2 describe the joy one has when they have experienced true forgiveness from their sin. Their lives are lived in complete honesty. Someone who is quick to confess sin is one who knows the bondage of sin. Confession means being honest about where we are in our sin.

Verse 3 and 4 describes the effects of someone who refuses to confess their sin. He endured not only spiritual effects, but he suffered physically too. He says his body wasted away, all his strength was gone. Sin offers to fill us up, make us happy, or be the answer to our pain, but it always leaves us empty.

We think sometimes that our sin only has repercussions for our spiritual life. Only affecting one area, where in reality sin overflows into all areas. In 1912 it was believed that the reason for the Titanic sinking was because the iceberg created a large gash on the side, but later, when scientists researched the wreckage, they found that only one compartment was damaged. However, the damage from one compartment caused the rest to fill with water, sinking the ship. In the same way sin can begin to overflow into other parts of our life and relationships. But the scriptures teach us that when we confess our sin, we find freedom and healing.

Confession leads to true freedom. Verse 5, says“Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”  And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.” Confession ALWAYS leads to freedom through the power of forgiveness. When we confess our sins to The Lord we experience the freedom of forgiveness only found in Christ. The blood of Jesus has “covered “ our sin and our disobedience has been forgiven. Sin is controlling and gives the appearance of freedom and independence, but it keeps us imprisoned. Confessing our sin removes the bondage of sin.
 
Confession leads to true healing in community. The Psalmist is restored when he confesses his sin, then in verse 6 he urges” the godly to pray”...” that they would not drown in the floodwaters of judgment”. Because of his experience through finding healing in confession  he is able to encourage others to do the same. James 4:16 tells us to “ Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” When we confess and pray for one another, healing happens. True community requires a level of transparency and vulnerability that confession gives. When we confess our sins to one another we can experience the kind of relationships God established with Adam and Eve in the garden.

Confession leads to a restored relationship with our heavenly Father. In verse 7 the author describes his relationship with God as his safe place. Sin has a way of making us feel like we are far from God. It makes us feel unworthy of a relationship with Him. When I was younger and I tried to hide what I had done from my parents it always hindered our relationship. But when I was honest with them, even though I still faced some discipline or consequences, my relationship with them was always better. They were safe, because I knew they loved me too much to let me carry around my guilt. In the same way, confession restores our relationship with God because He loves us too much to let sin hold us captive.

ACTION STEP
Spend some time in prayer asking the Holy Spirit to reveal any sin that is hindering a growing relationship with Jesus. Then ask a trusted friend to go to coffee or lunch and spend some time confessing  that sin to them. Ask them to pray for you and hold you accountable. Be honest with yourself, and be honest with the community God has planted you in.

PRAYER TIME
Father, Thank you for your kindness in that you love me too much to let sin hold me captive. Thank you for the opportunity to confess my sin to you and for always forgiving me. Give me a heart of humility that is quick to confess sin. Reveal any hidden sin in my life that keeps me from a flourishing relationship with you and with others. Thank you Lord, amen.