Forgiving Challenge: The 11-Day Life-Changing Journey to FreedomSample

Day 5: How Do We Practice Confession?

Leo Tolstoy was a famous Russian writer who went through a conversion to Christianity late in his life after experiencing success as a writer. He writes about his journey through the meaninglessness of life and finding freedom in his book, A Confession. He says, "Error is the force that welds men together; the truth is communicated to men only by deeds of truth."

When he says that often sin bonds us together, he is right. We not only want to find others who happen to have the same pet sins, but we also want to bring others along in our little game. The more you surround yourself with people who tell you you're okay, the more isolated and distant you are from God. He follows that quote by saying that our actions speak louder than words.

What we practice is essential.

After Peter got a name change and spent three years with Jesus, he still couldn't initially accept forgiveness for his three denials. We know that because he went back to fishing. That's typically what we do when we fail. We retreat and go back into something we feel like we can win. Peter decided he was the one who was going to make the call of who is acceptable in Jesus' sight. The person he was hardest on was himself.

I would imagine a lot of you are similar to that. You are hardest on yourself. Sometimes our reaction to sin is flight (or freeze); "get me outta here any way possible." Bring on the distractions and go into self-preservation mode at all costs. This way tends to focus on self.

Another reaction people can have is to fight. You may be abrasive, obstinate, and argumentative. You may devour knowledge only to be able to put others down when push comes to shove. This reaction focuses on the other and puts them in their place.

Jesus wasn't interested in either one of these. He wasn't distant; He purposefully got close to sinners. But, on the other hand, Jesus wasn't "in your face" either. In any argument, He was calm and wise. He did not fight others but instead brought peace and grace.

Likewise, when we sin, He offers us an opportunity to come near to Him. To bring all of our sins to Him. When we confess our sin, we are then promised His words of forgiveness over us. So, come, just like 1 John 1:8-9 says, and bring your sin to God. Admit your failures.

The admission price into freedom begins with an admission of your sin.

Challenge: Spend some time confessing today. We highly encourage you to confess to another person, either on the phone, zoom, or face-to-face. Of course, it's never comfortable, but what you will find, as Tolstoy said, is that more often than not, other people are having the same struggles as you are.