Introduction

Welcome back church! If you’re just joining us today for the first time, we are in week 3 of a 4 week series called Back to the Basics. And yes, as you might have guessed, It's a series about the basic foundations of Christian faith.

In week one, we covered prayer and last week we looked at the importance of scripture. And today, we’re tackling an ancient practice of the church called confession.

Now, I know this word probably means different things to different people depending on what faith tradition you grew up in or around. You may also have Hollywood imagery going through your head of some overworked police sergeant working hard to get a confession out of this or that hardened criminal.

Many of us see confession in the ways we have observed it play out in the world around us. It’s important that we balance what we’ve seen, heard, or learned through experience with what the bible says. Thankfully in this case, confession has some beautiful biblical truth and instruction behind it.

So let’s jump in together and see what biblical confession is all about.

Main Teaching

You may be asking yourself why something like confession is considered to be a basic part of Christian faith. Other things may feel more obvious like prayer, reading the Bible, and attending church. We’ve come to understand over the centuries that these are the things we “do” as disciples. And there’s nothing wrong with praying, reading, and fellowshipping with others. We wouldn’t do those things if they weren’t important and necessary.

But there is something divinely powerful about confession. Confession is, as we are about to learn, both healing and liberating.

Healing

First of all, let’s talk for a moment about what the word, confession, means. The basic definition of confession is; a formal statement admitting that one is guilty of a crime. It can also be an admission or acknowledgment that one has done something that one is ashamed of or embarrassed about. And in a religious sense, confession is an admission of sins or wrongdoing with a motive to be “absolved” or forgiven.

In summary, confession is a personal acknowledgment of wrongdoing or perceived wrong. Oftentimes, it feels good to admit to or own up to things we have done wrong or people we have hurt in the past. You may have heard people say, “I feel like a weight was lifted off my shoulders,” after coming clean about something.

And interestingly, this practice of confession has been happening for a long, long time. Turn with me to Nehemiah 9:1-3.

Here is a good picture of communal confession happening in the ancient world ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium