READING: Leviticus 5-7
Confessing sin. Most of us do it. Regularly, even. What I’m not sure we do is recognize the significance of this act.
It’s easy to tell God we did wrong, but not grieve what we did. Sometimes we even admit our sin while fully expecting we’re likely to cross the same line again. Neither picture reflects the sense of confession we find in today's reading:
“If someone incurs guilt in one of these cases, he is to confess he has committed that sin. He must bring his restitution for the sin he has committed to the Lord: a female lamb or goat from the flock as a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin.” (Lev. 5:5)
“. . . once he has sinned and acknowledged his guilt—he must return what he stole or defrauded, or the deposit entrusted to him, or the lost item he found” (Lev. 6:4)
Confession is much more than simply verbalizing words before God. It’s recognizing that my sin is against a perfectly holy God. It’s admitting that my wrong against God often hurts others as well. It is so wanting to be right with God that I am willing to make restitution for my wrong against others — even if it costs me. It’s taking steps of repentance (e.g., to restore what one has stolen), showing the sincerity of the confession. It’s acknowledging personal guilt; in the words of Max Lucado, it’s “coming clean with God.”
Confession is about being honest about my wrong. Brutally honest. Painfully honest. Gut-wrenchingly honest, in fact. The pain of genuine confession should be so deep that only the gracious forgiving touch of a God who loves us in our sin can soothe it.
Meanwhile, the enemy wants us to lie about our sin, to hide in it, or to try to “fix it” by our own plans. There is only one answer, however: forgiveness through the shed blood of the Lamb.
ACTION STEPS: Consider these steps today:
- Come clean with God.
- If you’re lying about your sin or hiding in it, know that you’re not “getting away with it.” My prayer is that God will bring you to brokenness over your wrong. Pray that way for yourself.
- If you need to make restitution to someone you’ve harmed, do it.
- Work with your pastor(s) to find someone who can hold you accountable to holy living.
PRAYER: “Thank You, Lord, for Your love. Help me to confess all my sin to you today.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Leviticus 8-10
