Confession

“If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.”                                                                                                                                                  1 John 1:9 NLT

Should Methodists confess their sins? The answer is a resounding yes. We will never in this life reach the place where we are sinless, as pure in our behavior as God is. But if you have been reading these thoughts for any length of time, I hope you are saying, “Wait a minute, Oswalt, have you not said in many times and many ways that it is possible for Christians to have victory over sin, and that, indeed, we ought to have such victory?” Yes, I have. So what am I talking about?

First of all, we must distinguish between Sin and sins. Sins are acts of disobedience of God’s standards for human life. Sin, on the other hand is the disposition to have my own way at all costs. When that sinful disposition, Sin, is ruling our lives, sins will follow as a matter of course because my will is regularly on a collision course with God’s will. Tragically, many Christians have never allowed the Holy Spirit to take over their lives and deal with the Sin problem. Even more tragically, many do not even know it can be dealt with.

But we Methodists know the sinful disposition can be dealt with and that, as a result, we do not have to commit intentional sins. Good news! Is it possible for a Spirit-filled believer to commit an intentional sin? Certainly! But we do not have to! It is possible, even normal, to lay your head on your pillow at night with a clean conscience. So where does this regular confession come in?

Not only is there Sin and sins, there is also intentional sin and unintentional sin. Unintentional sin is what the entire Old Testament sacrificial system was designed to address. To the degree that you or I fall short of God’s perfection, to that degree we are dead! If there is one pinhole in a spacesuit, it is all over for the person inside. So, for us, we are every moment dependent on the atoning blood of Christ, and it is appropriate for us to remind ourselves of that truth. “Father, I am sure that I have done things this week that offended you. If there are things I need to make right, please let me know and I will. Otherwise, I receive your free forgiveness with joy.”