As we were in a breakout session, trying to process all that God was doing through our times together in worship, Heather and I felt the need to lead the group in a time of personal reflection and such. I was able to take the young guys and Heather the ladies. As we huddled on the outside of the meeting space in the grass, I shared with the men how the scriptures teach us a truth about confession.
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.17 James 5:13-17
From this scripture I explained how important it is for us to confess our sins to each other. The catholics have it right in one way, by having the confessional box. The reality is though, that what we all struggle with is this shame and guilt that comes with sin. Sin always brings pleasure in some way, be it drugs, sexual perversion, drinking, cheating. The immediate satisfaction is right away, but the end result is shame and hiding. That is how Satan operates. He lulls us by giving us candy so he can give us cavaties. We are lulled in by constant tv, only to lose our families. We are lulled by materialism so we work out of proportion to a balanced lifestyle and we lose our wives and husbands. We are lulled by interenet porn for the immediate satisfaction of a hidden rendezvous, and we receive the guilt that makes it impossible for us to have any confidence before God and man. The reality is that we know that sin SEPARATES us from God, but we are not getting out of the junk. And it doesn't go away....it stacks up and guilt gives way to shame gives way to heaviness, and then depression and before you know it the church is anemic and without power, and the glory of God is substitued by forms and liturgy. This dying world is in need to see God's radiant bride marching victorious in a sin scarred land.
Jesus teaches us that if we confess to Him, He is faithful to FORGIVE us. If we confess to each other, we can be HEALED. Some would argue that I don't need to go to anyone but Jesus, but scripture actually teaches us that we do. Not for anyone but us. I think it is harder for us to go to man. We lose our pride, because we can't hide behind our paper walls and straw houses of pretention. When we confess to our bros and sis's we have to realize we are not "all that", and it puts the glory with whom it belongs, God. When God is the one we hope in, we can strip ourselves. And in a very mysterious way, when we show our sordid lifestyles, reveal our hidden motives and tell on ourselves, God recognizes a humility and brings a healing in our lives. To man, we may look shameful, but at that moment, God declares us righteous, forgiven, healed and made whole. Now from this point, we can begin to say, that I can move forward from the sin that HAD a hold of me! Victory only comes from being raw with ourselves and our brothers.
How did my boys do from NOVA? One boy stepped forward and got some of his. Yes he looked the most "un"spiritual as he confessed his dark issues. But in reality, he was OBEDIENT and truth known, he probably got the most momentum from the conference. I was floored that any young man would do this in front of his peers, but when the Spirit of God and the Word agree....and God's people respond, REVIVAL is alive in the church. THERE IS HOPE.
Have you need of confession? Get some. - Stu
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