Joe Fitch
"It is so hard to walk down the aisle with all those people..."
Whoa' Wait a minute! You think "walking the aisle" is hard? Confessing
sin---done right---is what is really hard.
Confessing sin is necessarily individual---personal. "We all sin"
or "he sinned" is not hard to say. The hard part is when I must
say, "I have sinned." Sin is individual; guilt is personal. Personal
confession is demanded. Note David's confession---"my sin"---"mine
iniquity"---"my transgression". Read Psalms 51.
Confession of sin is definite. "If I have done anything...."
is easy but it simply is not confession of sin. A fellow who is unsure
whether he has sinned should find out. Until he knows and admits his sin,
he can make no real confession. "If" confessions are a farce.
Confession must say "I have sinned"---no doubt about it.
David was definite---"my sin is ever before me."
Confession of sin is specific. A confession of generally sinful life
is proper but this is not the thing under consideration. Confession admits
the particular sin. David referred to "this evil" and "bloodguiltiness".
True confession says "I have been a gossip" or "I have been
a troublemaker" or have stolen." Have you heard such a confession?
It is so hard that few will do it.
Often sin is renamed; the crime is reduced. This is common practice
in civil law. The criminal is allowed to admit a misdemeanor rather than
the felony he actually committed. That is not allowed in God's court! You
can not confess to "hurting someone's feelings" when you have
slandered the man. "Accidently misrepresenting the facts" or
"exaggerating" will not do when you lied. Confession names sin.
Confession addresses the one who has been sinned against. Send that
fellow back down the aisle to the door of the man he injured. Let him look
that man in the eye and say, "I lied about you." That is confession.
A dozen times down the aisle would be easier, but not acceptable. Confessing
to the church will not replace it. David knew this principle--"against
thee have I sinned." Send that other brother from the front seat to
a secluded corner to pray. Before he says ought to the brethren, he needs
to talk to God. He has sinned against God; he must confess to God. Later
he may need to talk to the church, but not before he confesses to God.
There is another fellow on the front pew who has no business there. He
walked the wrong aisle; he confessed to the wrong church! He sinned against
the church across town when he sowed discord there. Send him to confess
where he sinned.
Confession of sin anticipates a plea for forgiveness. A man may admit
his meanness--in fact he may even be proud of it. That is not the Bible
brand of confession. A man who seeks no pardon is not confessing sin. Listen
to David---"Have mercy upon me..."
Confession is good for the soul, but mighty hard---especially on pride.
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