In this new series, City News sheds light on various spiritual disciplines that every Christian must build in order to grow in their relationship and journey with God. In this first article, pastoral supervisor Ee Zhen Ying shares how she practises confession following repentance, as 1 John 1:9 calls believers to: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Many Christians are familiar with repentance, which is the first step in receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. To first begin to repent, we must acknowledge that unforgiven sin is the most significant barrier between God and man. However, when Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins (1 Peter 2:24), He made a way for man to be reconciled with God.
In 2 Peter 3:9 (NLT), the Bible says, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels.com
The Bible emphasises the importance of genuine repentance, which is defined as an inward change of mind that results in an outward change of action. It is easy to think of repentance as a one-time occurrence at the point of salvation. However, we must understand that we are fallen in nature, so there is a temptation to sin occasionally, knowingly or unknowingly.
Acts 3:19-20 (NLT) says, “Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah.”
DAILY REPENTANCE TO WALK CLOSER TO GOD
And so, daily, we need to repent and learn to walk with the Lord and be transformed by renewing our minds (Romans 12:2), and be led by the Holy Spirit to be made aware of the conditions of our hearts (Romans 8:9-10). It is in this process that we learn to walk in greater Christlikeness.
God always wants to draw us closer to Him, to know Him, and to be known by Him. To experience this intimate relationship, we must allow ourselves to be fully open and transparent before the Lord. This means that we yield our thoughts and actions and do what Psalms 139:23-24 (NIV) says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” As we humbly surrender and come before Him daily with a repentant heart, the Holy Spirit will reveal areas we need to turn away from, whether or not they are inherently sinful.
To give you a personal example: when it comes to homework time with the children, I find myself raising my voice louder than usual and I am often irritable. I easily get frustrated when explaining to my young child, for the umpteenth time, how to solve what I think is a simple math concept. Is this a sin? I don’t think so. But many times, the Holy Spirit gently prompts me in my heart to remember the fruits of the spirit: to be kind, loving, gentle, and to have self-control. This is challenging especially if I am tired that day. Yet it is so important because I want my child to know that she is safe with me and secure in my love—whether or not she can solve math problems. This leads me to repent for my short temper and angry response before the Lord.
However, repentance takes me one step further into confession. I will confess what I have done wrong (or can do better) and ask for my child’s forgiveness. Sometimes I do it at the moment of losing my temper. Other times, I find I need to cool off first, and then I would ask her to forgive Mommy that at night while tucking her into bed. This discipline of confession is powerful because not only am I acknowledging that I am not perfect and that I am capable of making mistakes, but I am also inviting Jesus to restore and heal my relationship with my daughter.
Photo by Karolina Grabowski from Pexels.com
THE POWER OF CONFESSION
Confession is a spiritual discipline. Just as prayer, worship, fasting, fellowship, silence, and solitude are important disciplines, confession is a powerful discipline for spiritual life. Confession removes any façade we put up that covers our deepest weaknesses and failures. Dallas Willard, known for his writings on Christian spiritual formation, said that the spiritual discipline of confession allows for complete transparency, where we “lay down the burden of hiding and pretending, which normally takes up such a dreadful amount of human energy.”
James 5:16 (NIV) says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” The discipline of confession, therefore, frees us from the burden of sin and invites Jesus to forgive, heal and restore us.
How can we begin to do so?
- Ask the Lord to gently reveal the offences in your heart, repent and ask Him for forgiveness. Don’t condemn yourself but know that you, like everyone else, are a work in progress.
- Be prepared. Sometimes it takes much courage to humble yourself and share with someone else honestly, and it might take you a while to be vulnerable. If you like, you can write down what you want to say before meeting up with your friend or leader.
- Confess your sins to a trusted spiritual Christian friend or leader. Willard says that “confession alone makes deep fellowship possible”, and fellowship makes it bearable. If someone shares his sin with you, pray for him, love him, and do not judge him.
- Determine to be changed by the grace of God. Allow the Holy Spirit to renew your mind and empower you. As you yield yourself to His workings daily, you will be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit! Philippians 2:13 “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
When we incorporate repentance and confession into our spiritual disciplines, we will experience the true freedom in Christ that comes with it!
Photo by Brett Jordan from Pexels.com
