Confession Psalm 32:1-5

Introduction:

Confession: which is a formal statement admitting that one is guilty of a crime is something we all would do well to practice.

Confession at conversion - necessary, forgiveness of sin at conversion - necessary, repentance at conversion - necessary. But is it necessary after conversion? Confession as an on going practice in our Christian walk - very necessary.

Catholics and some evangelical denominations practice confession as a sacrament, like communion and baptism. It must be performed at least annually and in the presence of a priest so that they may gain absolution - or forgiveness of their sins. Is that right? Right or wrong that is what they do. No requirement for confessing to the person you may have hurt, just to the Priest.

The Old and New testament are full of confession. One good choice is a Psalm of David:

Psalm 32:1–5 NASB95

1 How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! 2 How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit! 3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

Transitional sentence: Confession of sins is important for our Christian walk but confessing Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior is more important for our eternal salvation.

1. Why Confess?

a. Sin is an affront to God - Romans 3:23

Romans 3:23–24 (NASB95)

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

b. Sin can cause guilt and physical illness Psalm 32:3-4

Psalm 32:3–4 NASB95

3 When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.

c. Sin destroys relationships (story to illustrate how sin destroys relationships)

2. Confessing brings healing:

a. Confession of sin restores relationship with God through forgiveness.

Psalm 32:5 NASB95

5 I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.

Another verse that points to this is:

1 John 1:9 NASB95

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

b. Confession brings forgiveness and can restore physical health James 5:16

James 5:16 NASB95

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.

c. Confession restores relationships with others through forgiveness (story to illustrate how confession and forgiveness restores relationships)

Confessing about our sin is very important, without forgiveness there is no righteousness or reconciliation with God.

However, there is another kind of confession that is very important to our eternal salvation.

3. Confessing Christ Jesus:

a. Confessing Christ Jesus solidifies our faith Romans 10:8-10

Romans 10:8–10 NASB95

8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

b. Confessing Christ Jesus shows to whom we belong 1 Jn 4:15

1 John 4:15 NASB95

15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

c. Confessing Christ Jesus keeps us as His Mt 10:32

Matthew 10:32 NASB95

32 “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.

1 John 2:23 NASB95

23 Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also.

Revelation 3:5 NASB95

5 ‘He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

Exit: We live in a messed up broken world. We sin all the time simply because we are messed up broken people. Our sin hurts others, and breaks our relationship with God. Confession of our sin, forgiveness and repentance can repair the breaks in our relationships.

If we spend our lives constantly sinning but never confessing it to God or those we have hurt our sins will weigh heavily on us. Relationships will break down and come to an end, and our health could go wrong without us realizing that the mess we have made of our lives is the cause.

One of the biggest things to remember is to do it sooner rather than later. The sacrament of confession requires an annual confession of all sins to a priest. Don’t wait for that. If you hurt someone and you know it, confess it. Seek the forgiveness that brings healing to you and the person you injured. Or to bring yourself back into relationship with God.

Just one more thing. Confessing to God is good, for sins committed against God or your own body, but if you sinned against someone else than confess to that person not just to God.

Confession, God’s mechanism for healthy relationships, Just Do it!

Remember, the alter rail is always open and available if you have business to take care of with God.

Pray