James 5:16 “Confess your sins one to another”
Some things come so naturally to us, yet they are the worst possible things for us. Other things, that are good for us, are not natural at all. For example, it is easy to hide our sins. It’s something that comes so naturally. It starts from the moment we know right from wrong and continues throughout our lifetime. Don’t you agree? No one enjoys being exposed. No one finds pleasure in their sins coming to light. But according to the verse above from James 5, it’s confession of sin that is very good for us.
You see, sin does its work in the dark. It tries to hide itself. This tendency is what the Bible calls living life in “the domain of darkness” (Colossians 1:13). And when light is shone on that darkness, the light hurts our spiritual eyes. John 3:19-20 explains it this way: “And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.” Doesn’t this explain so much of what goes on in our world? Doesn’t that resonate with the way evil is so often most prevalent in the darkness of night and behind closed doors. But it is in that darkness that the Prince of Darkness does his destructive work. It’s as we hide our sin, that guilt enslaves us and Satan actively works to steal from us, kill us, and destroy us. It’s in the darkness that the tentacles of sin spread from our life to do its destructive work in the lives of others. Just ask someone whose spouse or parents have been unfaithful if you think otherwise.
So what’s the remedy for the destructive effects of sin? What can kill it and stop its destruction in its tracks? Confession! Bringing it into the light. As painful as it might be, that’s God’s Word on this matter. He wants us to say the same thing that He does about sin. And He wants us to bring it into the open. He knows our tendency is to cover it up in many ways, even with an outward veneer of religion. But the effect of such things? Listen to Jesus’ words from Matthew 5:23-24: “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
You see, confession of sin is good for us. In fact, it is life-giving although it may seem worse than death. It is humbling. It is truthful. And believe it or not, it glorifies God. The fact is that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). But it is only those who admit it, confess it, and seek God’s forgiveness for it that will find mercy. It was on the cross that Jesus bore the penalty for your guilt and mine. And although confession of sin may be painful to us, it was on the cross that that pain was, incredibly and mercifully, borne by Him. But we must confess it to find the forgiveness that He offers us. We must come to the Light of the World, not remain in the dark.
May God help us to confess our sin to one another. May God help us to confess our sin to Him. Like the father of the prodigal son, He is waiting to forgive us. But confession is the first step towards His home.
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