Spiritual maturity has many aspects. This post is about only one – Confession.
The often-quoted verse, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 NIV) pretty much sums up our nature. Leading up to deciding to make Jesus Lord in our lives – meaning he is in charge – we recognize as we reflect on our past, how we were so selfish and did many things that were wrong and even hurtful to others.
Of course, a Follower of Jesus will confess his / her faith and submit to the will of Christ at the moment of justification – when one’s initial faith decision is made. We are also made aware that we will continue to struggle with sin in this life, and that ongoing submission and confession is needed. Most of us, upon reflecting on our day, will note in this inventory how we goofed up, said something sarcastic, violated a traffic law or committed any number of other transgressions – another word for sin. For those, we are to seek God’s forgiveness as we recognized these behaviors.
Confession that leads to spiritual maturity is more than a daily confession for our mistakes.
I have been involved in recovery programs for most of my life – several decades. In the recovery process, we first must admit our problem or addiction, we come to believe in and submit to God, then we inventory our lives and confess our faults to God and another person. When we follow the steps, we begin the process of restoration in our lives. It is of great relief and a point of celebration as we break free from the chains of addiction.
However, the work has only begun.
We learn that our addiction existed as a coping mechanism for our root issues. And while we were in our addiction, we developed other behaviors, habits and patterns which are also unhealthy. As we continue to “peel the onion” with each layer revealed there is yet another – and another.
In an often-quoted Psalm, it is believed that David – the author of this Psalm and former giant slayer – was in the aftermath of his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba followed by his ordering the murder of her husband. David was in much need of God’s forgiveness. He not only expresses how he experienced this, but what his experience was BEFORE he confessed:
Unrevealed sin can and does affect our physical health – apparently King David experienced this. So, if you’re having trouble sleeping at night, if you have stomach issues or an autoimmune disease, do a deep examination of your heart – and confess to God and another trusted person to not allow this to have even a greater impact on your well-being. Of course, it’s possible but not promised, that confession of sin can heal your body. I’m not making that claim here, but only to urge you to do this to not add this to the causes of why you may not be well.
Finally, the Apostle Paul, if not one of the greatest apostles – not sure how to determine that – but at the least one of the most well-known, does a deep examination of his own heart in Romans 7 and concluded with these verses:
Even Paul continued to struggle in this life with temptation and sin. And so shall we. So, what to do? Here’s a few thoughts:
Selfishness is a universal sin – we all suffer with this. How are you selfish? Not putting others first. Consider this one thought and write down all the ways you exhibit selfishness in your life. Find a trusted person (not affected by your selfishness) and confess this, as well as confess this to God. Ask him to strengthen you and make you aware of this as it happens and the courage to make it right in the moment. You can ask yourself this question several times per year and continue to “peel back the layers” of sin in your life.
Do this as a starting point for deep confession. This one spiritual discipline will begin to reorient your heart toward others, and you’ll begin to show up differently in your relationships. But most importantly, this will guide you on the journey of sanctification – changes in our lives so we move toward living the perfect yet unattainable life lead by Jesus – and deepen your faith in him.
Richard Bahr 