True Confessions
Proverbs 28:13
The Apostle John proclaims an unfortunate truth, in 1 John 1:8, 10, when he says, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us…If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.”
One of the sad truths is that we Christians will sin. No matter how diligently we devote ourselves to practicing righteousness and striving to perfect holiness in our lives, we are - from time to time - going to miss the mark and sin. Ocassionally, we are going to disobey God’s commandments and sin. Anyone who should deny this, says John, is just deceiving themselves and they make God a liar.
Today, I want to spend some time with you to explore what we ought to do when we do sin. When we realize that we have disobeyed God, in some fashion, what should be our response? I want us to consult the Scriptures, today, to answer that important question.
The Word of God basically tells us that we have two options in responding to sin in our lives.
We find those two options in Proverbs 28:13, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”
Wise old Solomon says that our two options are ‘concealing’ and ‘confessing’.
The ‘concealing’ option is when we choose not to acknowledge our transgression or sin to God and we go about our life as if nothing happened.
The ‘confessing’ option is when we choose to acknowledge our transgression or sin to God, ask for forgiveness and seek the grace needed to change.
Solomon says that those who choose the ‘concealment’ option “will not prosper.”
Those who choose the ‘confession’ option “will find compassion.” Let us look further at the consequences of these two options.
Consequences of Concealing our Transgressions.
We need to understand that the ‘concealment’ option is pure folly. The truth is that we can never ‘conceal’ or hide our sin from God. In Jeremiah 2:22, we read "‘Though you wash yourself with lye and use much soap, the stain of your iniquity is before Me,’ declares the Lord God.” There simply isn’t any manner that we can truly ‘conceal’ our sin.
The first consequence of ‘concealing’ our transgressions or sin is that it creates a barrier between us and our God.
Isaiah 59:2, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you.”
The separation that is created is not based upon God being angry as much as it is based upon the fact that our Holy God cannot casually fellowship with sin. 1 John 1:5-6, “And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
If we sin and casually go about our lives, with an attitude of indifference, our relationship with God is damaged or broken. The sin that we have attempted to ‘conceal’ produces a wall between ourselves and God. We are not showing a true desire for closeness.
Whereas, we may not show much of a desire for closeness, God does desire that bond. He built us in such a fashion that ‘concealed’ sin would vex us. He gave us a conscience that can be burdened by guilt.
Guilt is a second consequence of our choosing the ‘concealment’ option.
We know today that guilt can have a devastating effect upon our mental and emotional state. It often leads to anxiety and depression. And, experts now know that anxiety and depression can cause physical problems in our bodies - fatigue, headaches and body aches, heart arythmia, high blood pressure, digestive problems, etc.
David experienced guilt-induced anxiety and depression when he tried to ‘conceal’ his sin from God. Not only did he feel the emotional and mental misery, but he experienced the physical effects as well:
Psalm 32:3-4, “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.”
Psalm 38:3-8, 17-18, “There is no soundness in my flesh because of Thine indignation; There is no health in my bones because of my sin. For my iniquities are gone over my head; As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me. My wounds grow foul and fester. Because of my folly, I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long. For my loins are filled with burning; And there is no soundness in my flesh. I am benumbed and badly crushed; I groan because of the agitation of my heart…For I am ready to fall, And my sorrow is continually before me. For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin.”
God is so merciful in that he has built within us an alarm system that can alert us when we begin to stray from the path of righteousness. The tender conscience, when violated, can reek havoc on us emotionally, mentally and physically. Truly, “he who conceals his transgressions will not prosper.”
The third and final consequence of ‘concealing’ our sin is eternal in nature. It can lead to our eternal destruction. Let’s read from 2 Peter 2:20-21, “For if after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to them.”
It is hard to conceive that we can enter a state that is worse than before we ever became Christians; yet, Peter says such is the case of those brethren who conceal their sin. We know that the “lake of fire” is reserved for those whose names are not found in “the book of life” (Revelation 20:15). What could be worse than that?
Truly, the consequences of choosing to ‘conceal our transgressions’ are severe.
How much better are the….
Consequences of Confessing our Transgressions.
The wise know the folly of trying to conceal their wrongs from God. David learned the lesson, as he expresses it in Psalm 69:5, “O God, it is Thou who dost know my folly, And my wrongs are not hidden from Thee.”
Whereas ‘concealment’ brings a barrier between God and ourselves, the first consequence of the confession and forsaking of our transgressions is that it maintains our fellowship with God.
John wrote, in 1 John 1:3, that the fellowship that the Apostles enjoyed was “with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.” In verse 7, he says that if “if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.” In other words, we all share in the fellowship with the Father and the Son.
Whereas ‘concealment’ brings guilt, the second consequence of ‘confession’ is that it brings the blessing of forgiveness or pardon.
When the Prophet Nathan confronted David with his transgressions, David was finally compelled to admit his guilt and seek the Lord. David says, in Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledged my sin to Thee, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord;’ And Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. Selah.”
Beautiful is the pleading of the Prophet, Isaiah 55:6-7, “Seek the Lord while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; And let him return to the Lord, And He will have compassion on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.”
The promise is ours as Christians also. 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
Guilt is good if it prompts us to confess our sins and seek forgiveness and grace. With the compassionate God we have, there is no reason for us to spend our days in misery due to the guilt that comes from ‘concealed’ sin.
That leads to the third and final consequence of confessing our sins -
It prevents or cures guilt’s often debilitating effects upon our mind and body. Confession brings healing, joy and peace.
After David realized that His sin was not hid from God nor man, he realized the foolishness of not acknowledging his wrongs and seeking relief from his guilt-induced misery. He sought healing. He wanted the peace and joy of the Lord in his life again.
Psalm 41:4, “As for me, I said, ‘O Lord, be gracious to me; Heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.’"
Psalms 51: 1-4, 7-15, “Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me. Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned, And done what is evil in Thy sight, So that Thou art justified when Thou dost speak, And blameless when Thou dost judge….Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which Thou hast broken rejoice. Hide Thy face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence, And do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, And sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, And sinners will be converted to Thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Thy righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Thy praise. For Thou dost not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; Thou art not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”
Psalms 32:1, 5, “How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered!…I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; And Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. Selah.”
Proverbs 3:7-8, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, And refreshment to your bones.”
God wants us to maintain a healthy fellowship with Him. He wants us to experience His peace and joy. Indeed, Romans 14:17, “for the kingdom of God is…righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
I conclude my remarks, today, where I started - we Christians will sin or transgress God’s law from time to time. When we do, we are faced with two very different options…each with very different consequences - “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, But he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”
Let us confess and forsake our transgressions. This is the path of growth and maturity which brings blessings now and an assurance of those Above.
