Confess and Live!

Recently I read a sermon in which the minister stated that not only is there a Plan A for our salvation, which requires us to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but there is also a Plan B that tells us we can continue in our sins yet still be saved. This was amazing to me; I have never seen this alternate plan of salvation in the Bible

The truth is, there is no Plan B in the Bible. Salvation is by grace alone through saving faith alone in Christ alone. God’s infallible word tells us there is only one plan of salvation: we must repent and be saved, believe and be saved, confess and be saved. Not only are we to do these things initially, but we must also continue to practice them throughout our Christian lives, as we read in the Westminster Confession of Faith:

God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and, although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God’s fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of his countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance (Chapter 11, section 5).

As there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation; so there is no sin so great, that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent.

Men ought not to content themselves with a general repentance, but it is every man’s duty to endeavor to repent of his particular sins, particularly (Chapter 15, sections 4 and 5).

Confess and live! This term “confess” includes repentance, faith, and confession. To confess is to agree with God’s view of who he is, as well as with God’s view of creation, fall, and redemption in and through Jesus Christ; God’s view of judgment; and God’s view of the new heaven and earth. Thus, to confess is to agree with God’s view of reality and to declare it publicly. Confession is the opposite of what Satan does. He never repents, never believes, and never confesses, but only contradicts the divine view of reality. Satan is a liar and the father of all lies.

I. Confession of Faith

The first aspect of confession involves our confession of faith in Jesus Christ. First, we must acknowledge and own him publicly and joyfully as the Messiah, as Peter did in Matthew 16:16: “You are the Christ.” Second, we must acknowledge publicly and joyfully that he is the Son of God. He is not just an angel; he is God himself, Deity, the second person of the Trinity. Third, we must acknowledge publicly and joyfully that Jesus is God who became man-God incarnate-that he might live and die in our place for our salvation. Fourth, we must acknowledge him publicly and joyfully as our Lord, and the Lord of the universe. “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Our confession is not to be done in secret. Jesus said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). It is a joyful, sincere, public declaration before the world and God’s people that we believe in Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, God-became-man. It is to confess that he is our Lord, and we willingly come under his government, his teaching, his exhortation, his rebuke, his correction, his mercy, his grace, his guidance, and his eternal salvation. We cannot make such a confession in our own strength. The Scriptures clearly state that it is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that we can believe and confess Jesus Christ.

Confessing Jesus Christ as Messiah and Lord is costly. It will cost us our own lives. Jesus said we must lose our lives that we may gain them. He said we must take up our crosses daily and follow him. He said we will be hated by all people on account of him, and they will kill us. But God enables us to make this costly confession with the aid of the Holy Spirit. Thus, we can say with Paul that we are not ashamed of the gospel, “for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes.” We can take great comfort knowing that we can never be separated from God’s salvation. For a Christian, to depart is to be with Christ and to die is gain. In fact, to put a Christian to death is to open the door into the presence of God. So we are unashamed of Christ and his gospel, his ethics, and his doctrines.

II. Confession of Sin

True confession of faith is always accompanied by confession of sin. As a Christian confesses his faith in Jesus Christ, he will also necessarily confess his sin and guilt. Such confession has several aspects:

1. We must make our confession before God. In Psalm 51 David says, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love” (v. 1). Then in verse 4 he says, “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight.” Every sin is against God and his holiness, nature, and revelation; therefore, we must confess before him.

   I hope we will not define down sin. Whether big or small, every sin is a contradiction of God and an expression of enmity against him. That is why there can be no Plan B salvation. Salvation without confession and repentance is a lie; it is a fabrication of those who base their preaching, not on the Bible, but on psychology, sociology, and changing cultural mores.

2. God will aid us in confessing our sins. Certainly, no one will confess sin without the Holy Spirit of God first convicting him. God will convict us also through painful chastisement.

   We read about this aid in Psalm 32. In verse 3 David says, “When I kept silent”-that is, when he refused to repent and confess, blaming others instead and covering up his sin-“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.” That word “bones” stands for the entire body. David speaks of a similar situation in Psalm 51:8, saying that God crushed his bones. This is divine assistance to confess.

   David continues in Psalm 32: “For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer.” Here the saving hand of God is giving him aid. And what was the result? “Then I acknowledged my sin” (v. 5).

   Are we arrogant? Are we stubborn? Do we desire the certification of the world more than divine approbation? May God help us change! Otherwise, God may give us aid in changing, as he did in the church of Corinth. First Corinthians 11:30 declares, “That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.”

   Leviticus 26:14-39 speaks more about God’s assistance in helping his people confess their sins (v. 40). Such aid is never pleasant. It can touch our bodies, our possessions, our finances, and every other aspect of our being. But because of God’s infinite love for us, he does not leave us in our sins.

3. Confession is the prelude to and condition for forgiveness. We read about this in Psalm 32:5; Psalm 66:18; Mark 11:25; 1 Peter 3:7; and 1 John 1:9. The first thing we naturally want to do when we sin is to conceal it. David did this prior to feeling God’s heavy hand upon him. But God helped him to change, and David declared, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’-and you forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). First John 1:9 likewise tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Our forgiveness is based on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
4. We are to confess one to another. This is especially important when we sin against another person. If you realize someone has ought against you, you must go and take care of it before you come to worship, as we read in James 5:16 and Matthew 5:23-24.

   It is interesting to note that because the Roman Catholics required confession to be made to a priest, many Protestants responded by saying that they do not have to confess to anyone but God. That was going too far. John Calvin had the correct view as he wrote in his Institutes, Book III, chapter 4, sections 12 and 13:

   Let every believer remember that, if he be privately troubled and afflicted with a sense of sins, so that without outside help he is unable to free himself from them, it is a part of his duty not to neglect what the Lord has offered to him by way of remedy. Namely, that for his relief, he should use private confession to his own pastor; and for his solace, he should beg the private help of him whose duty it is, both publicly and privately, to comfort the people of God by the gospel teaching (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, edited by John T. McNeill [Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1960], 636-637).

5. Confession is the prelude to and condition for healing. James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” This includes physical, spiritual, and psychological healing.

   In his book, Guilt and Grace, Dr. Paul Tournier says:

   What astonishes me . . . is the prodigious effect a real confession can have. Very often it is not only the decisive religious experience of freedom from guilt, but [also] the sudden cure of a physical or psychological illness. Sometimes in less than an hour there occurs in a patient, whom I am seeing for the first time and to whom I have spoken but a few words, a release from psychological tension which I should have been very proud to obtain after months of therapy (Paul Tournier,Guilt and Grace, [New York: Harper & Row, 1962], 203).

   It is amazing how much healing, freedom, release, and peace we do not experience because of our refusal to confess. We must confess and live!

6. Concealing is the opposite of confession. As we said, due to our sinful nature, the first thing we want to do when we sin is to cover it up. But Proverbs 28:13 tells us, “He who conceals his sins does not prosper.” Such a person will remain a failure; he can never succeed. Are you concealing your sin? If so, you will not prosper. Confess your sins and prosper. Confess and be healed. Confess and enjoy divine liberation from all shackles. Confess and live!

   Concealing sin leads to death, as Joshua 7:21 illustrates. Achan was an Israelite who clearly knew God’s will, but he said, “No matter.” When he saw a beautiful Babylonian garment and some silver and gold in Jericho, he coveted them, took them, hid them, and refused to confess. But no one can conceal anything from God’s sight. Achan was finally forced to confess, but such forced confession does not lead to life. When Achan’s guilt was exposed, the Israelites stoned him to death in administration of divine justice.

7. Confession must be specific. When we confess our sin, we must not do so in a vague, general manner. If the Holy Spirit is truly helping us, we will confess specific sins specifically. Leviticus 5:5 commands, “When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned. . . .” Numbers 5:5 says, “When a man or woman wrongs another in any way and so is unfaithful to the Lord, that person is guilty and must confess the sin he has committed.” We know exactly how we have sinned; thus our confession must be specific.
8. After confession, we must trust in Christ’s sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. No sin can be forgiven except through faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ. Leviticus 16:21-22 describes how on the Day of Atonement the high priest was “to lay both hands on the head of the live goat and confess over it all the wickedness and rebellion of the Israelites-all their sins-and put them on the goat’s head. He shall send the goat away into the desert in the care of a man appointed for the task. The goat will carry on itself all their sins.” That animal stood for Jesus Christ: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29, KJV). No confession will procure forgiveness unless we trust in Jesus Christ’s atonement on the cross. But when we do so, he will forgive our sins.
9. Confession involves forsaking and renouncing our sins. We cannot come to God and continue to be greedy or a liar or a thief or a homosexual or an adulterer. The Bible says we must forsake our sins. True repentance means turning away from evil and turning to God. So Ephesians 4:28 tells us, “He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.” The Bible has no Plan B that will allow us come to God while continuing in sin. That is a false gospel. We must forsake all sin. When Jacob was told to go to Bethel to worship the true and living God, he understood this principle. He instructed his household, “Give me all the idols,” and he buried them before moving on (Genesis 35).

   Our God is infinite in holiness. Of him the heavenly beings said, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). But when Isaiah saw him, he cried out, “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” (v. 5). It is this thrice-holy God who commands us, “Be holy, because I am holy” (Leviticus 11:44). How dare we then want to come God and say, “I want to keep my sins”! Matthew 1:21 tells us, “His name is Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins” (italics added). The gospel is the power of God unto salvation; it transforms us, making us holy.

10. True confession will result in obedience. When someone confesses orthodox doctrine, yet lives a wicked life, his confession is false and insincere. It is merely an attempt to fool both God and man. True confession will always produce obedience to God’s word. In 2 Corinthians 9:13 Paul declared, “Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ.” If obedience does not accompany our confession, we have lied in the presence of God.

    In Acts 26:20 Paul spoke of the obedience that results from true confession of faith: “First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

    Even in New Testament times there were people who made false professions. Titus 1:16 states, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.” These people made orthodox confessions, but lived wicked lives.

11. Confession results in restitution. True, Holy Spirit-produced confession is always accompanied by restitution, beginning with financial restitution. Zacchaeus is a classic example. When the Lord Jesus saved him, Zacchaeus declared, “If I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8). But there are other forms of restitution we must make as well. Suppose we spoke evil about someone, but repented and confessed that sin. We must also do everything we can to restore that person’s damaged reputation. If there is no restitution, then our repentance is not genuine.

III. A Biblical History of Confessing and Concealing

We find examples of those who confessed their sins, as well as those who concealed them, and the attendant consequences, throughout the Old and New Testaments.

1. Adam and Eve (Genesis 3). When God called Adam, he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” (v. 11). Adam should have replied, “I did eat; please forgive me.” Instead, he shifted the blame to someone else, which is a form of concealing. He said, “The woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it” (v. 12). What did Eve say? “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (v. 13). More blameshifting! Neither one confessed, as the publican of Luke 18 did: “Have mercy upon me, a sinner!”
2. Cain (Genesis 4). Cain refused to do what God had counseled him to do, even though his obedience would have led to happiness. Instead, he killed his brother and tried to conceal it from God. In verse 9 the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” What was Cain’s answer? “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” But the Lord knows everything. He immediately said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground” (v. 10).

   Like Cain, we pretend that God does not know what we have done. We try to cover up our sins from everyone else, and we think that we can also conceal them from God. (PGM) But we never prosper when we do so. We will experience sickness and trouble. Our bones will be crushed and we will feel God’s heavy hand upon us.

3. Jacob (Genesis 32). The name Jacob means “deceiver.” Jacob was a clever fellow. Early on, he bought the birthright from Esau for the price of a cup of soup. Later, he deceived his father and stole Esau’s blessing as well.

   Yes, Jacob was a crook. But God loved him and was gracious to him. When he fled from Esau, God appeared to him and said, “I will be with you and will take care of you.” In Genesis 32 we find him on his way back to Canaan and preparing to meet Esau. Jacob sent his wives, children and all his possessions ahead of him. Then Jacob was alone; yet it appears a man came and began wrestling with him. It was God himself, coming in the middle of the night. God let Jacob win this wrestling match; but Sovereign God also touched the hollow of Jacob’s thigh, the seat of his strength, and instantly he was crippled. As Jacob fell, he grabbed the man. Jacob now realized this man was superior to him, and he knew that the superior always blesses the inferior. What did Jacob do? Hosea 12:4 tells us that he wept, and as he was crying, he asked God to bless him. He said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26).

   But God will not bless us until we confess our sins. So the man asked, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob,” admitting he was a crook. And at that moment, Jacob began to live. From that point on, he was aware of who God is and what he, Jacob, needed to do: Cling to God. I urge you also to confess and live. Confess that you are a crook; ask for mercy, and God will bless you.

4. Jacob’s ten sons (Genesis 37-50). As we read the history of Joseph and his brothers, it becomes apparent that Jacob’s ten older sons never confessed their sin concerning their treatment of Joseph; rather, they concealed it for over forty years. They hated Joseph because their father loved him and had given him a royal robe, signifying that he had chosen Joseph to rule over them. Then God gave Joseph two dreams revealing the same thing: that he was going to be the ruler by divine determination. So it was not just Jacob’s idea; it was divine ordination. Additionally, Joseph would often come home and tell his father what the brothers did wrong, testifying to their wickedness. These ten brothers hated Joseph and were jealous of him. So when the seventeen-year-old Joseph came to inquire about the welfare of his brothers in obedience to his father’s command, they decided to kill him. First they stripped him of his robe; then they said, “Let’s kill him and frustrate God’s plan to make him the ruler. Then we’ll see what happens to his dreams.” But one of them intervened, and they put Joseph in a pit instead and sold him as a slave for twenty shekels of silver.

   Just think of how much these ten brothers had to conspire together to hide their sin! They came up with a story to tell their father. They killed a goat, dipped Joseph’s robe into the blood, and took it to Jacob, saying, “This is what we found. Is this your son’s robe?” Jacob concluded, “My son must have been torn to pieces by wild beasts.” And these ten conspirators spent the next month or so mourning and comforting their father, all the while concealing their sin.

   Years later, they appeared before Joseph. They did not know that this ruler of Egypt was their brother. In Genesis 42:13 they told him: “Your servants were twelve brothers, the sons of one man, who lives in the land of Canaan.” So far, all these statements were true. “The youngest is now with our father”-that was true also. But then they said, “and one is no more.” You see, for them, the lie had become truth. If we tell a lie for a long time, it becomes truth for us, and we begin to believe it.

   These brothers should have said, “Sir, let us tell you our story. We were twelve brothers, and we had one brother named Joseph. We hated Joseph because our father chose him to be ruler over us, and God himself validated that choice. We also hated him because he was not wicked like us. We wanted to kill him, but instead we sold him as a slave for twenty shekels.” That is what they should have said to this man, and what they should have said to their father years before. Instead, they concealed their sin.

   This is what we do as well. How many times have we concealed our sin from those around us? Oh, our minds can become so creative as we cover up our sin. In Genesis 44:20 the brothers spoke again to Joseph: “We have an aged father, and there is a young son born to him in his old age. His brother is dead.” Here again, they had told that lie for so long it had become truth to them: “His brother is dead.” How could they know that? They had sold Joseph as a slave years earlier; they had no idea whether or not he was dead. But they believed the lie they had concocted. And in verses 27-28 they said, “Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since.'” The lie became truth.

   The truth is, these brothers never confessed-not to God, to Jacob, to Benjamin, or to Joseph. About forty years after Joseph was sold into slavery, Jacob died. I agree with Professor Gerhard von Rad that what we read in Genesis 50:15-16 is a fabrication by these ten brothers: “When Joseph’s brothers saw that their brother was dead, they said, ‘What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?’ So they sent word to Joseph, saying, ‘Your father left these instructions before he died'” (Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology, vol. 1, translated by D.M.G. Stalker [Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd, 1962]). That was false. What were the instructions: “This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they have committed in treating you so badly.” After forty years, these brothers had still not received forgiveness because they had not confessed their sin. Forty years of conspiracy! Not even Reuben or Judah confessed it. It is difficult to keep a group of people together in a conspiracy, but here ten brothers did so for forty years.

   But if we read it carefully, we notice that throughout that time the ten brothers lived in fear, anxiety, and terror. How many of us have lived similarly-afraid to die and afraid to meet God. Why? Because in the dark recesses of our beings there are secrets that have now become monsters in our minds. We can no longer sleep at the night because of them. We are like these brothers, who never experienced forgiveness and peace. If we conceal our sins, we shall not prosper, but if we confess and renounce them, we will find mercy.

5. Achan (Joshua 7). Consider once again the story of Achan. The Israelites had been clearly told how to treat the properties of Jericho (Joshua 6:17-19). But Achan saw, coveted, took, and hid some plunder, and his wife and children joined in his conspiracy of silence. Because Achan and his family concealed their sin, Israel was defeated at Ai and thirty-six Israelites died. How many families and churches are defeated because there is unconfessed sin! But God sees it all. God is light; in him there is no darkness. So God said, “Israel has sinned.” Yet Achan did not come freely and confess; rather, he was forced. Even when he confessed, we don’t hear him saying, “Please have mercy on me; I have sinned.” So Achan and his family died for his sin. Only when the Holy Spirit works in our hearts will we come clean and confess. Only then will we find mercy.
6. King David (2 Samuel 11). Like Achan, David looked, coveted, and took. When he was told that the woman he lusted after was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, he said, in essence, “That is all right, because I am the king. I can do whatever I want.” He covered up his sin for a long time, until God began to crush his bones. Still David kept his mouth shut, until the pain and misery was too much to bear. Finally he cried out: “Then I acknowledged my sin . . . and [God] forgave the guilt of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). David told Nathan, “I have sinned. I am the man.” That was authentic confession, and God showed him mercy. But his sin had its price: his son died and his other children rebelled against him. Nathan’s prophecy came true: “The sword will never depart from your house.” Sin is not a luxury. It is a liability, a serious liability that affects generation after generation after generation. For a moment’s pleasure, we are inviting trouble for generations to come.
7. The nation of Israel (Hosea 14). When the Israelites were sinning, the Lord counseled them, “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God. Your sins have been your downfall” (v. 1). Perhaps we too have failed to prosper because of our sins. But, thank God, there is a way out. God tells us, “Return,” which means “repent.” In verse 2 we are told, “Take words with you and return to the Lord.” In other words, we must come to the Lord, open our mouths, and confess our sins. We must tell God exactly what we have done. “Take words with you.” Think carefully what you are going to say to God. Don’t mumble or pray a general prayer. “Say to him, ‘Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously,'”-on the basis of Christ’s atonement-“‘that we may worship you.'” You see, a sinner can never worship truly, for he has no communion with God while he is continuing to sin. But here Hosea says, “Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously.” Why? So that we may worship him and have fellowship with him.

   Then there are further words: “Assyria cannot save us.” These people were seeking salvation from Assyria and Egypt, and from the gods Baal and Asherah-from anyone but God. Finally they realized that none of these things could save them. Only God can save us. There is no other Savior.

   We must confess to God, “Yes, we trusted in Assyria, but now we know that Assyria cannot save us. We will not trust in military power. We will never again say, ‘Our gods,’ to what our own hands have made.” In other words, we must turn from all idolatry, from all worship of creation, and return to God. We must take words with us and tell the truth-that he alone is God and Savior, and that he alone is able to forgive our sins and receive us graciously. But God will not do that unless and until we acknowledge there is no other Savior.

   Verse 3 says, “For in you the fatherless find compassion.” We must come to God and say, “O God, we are fatherless orphans. Assyria does not want us; Babylon does not want us; no one wants us. You alone are the hope of the fatherless, the God of widows and orphans.” And Jesus himself said, “I will not leave you as orphans.”

   Return to God and take words with you. Don’t try to conceal your sin. Don’t try to justify it. Don’t say, “Everyone else is doing it.” You are not everyone else! You are Israel. You are God’s people. You are light, not darkness.

8. The prodigal son. Luke 15 tells us the story of the prodigal son. In verse 17 we read, “When he came to his senses. . . .” Sinning is senselessness. Sinning is irrationality. So “when he came to his senses” means “when he began to see reality from God’s point of view.” In verses 18-19 the prodigal said, “I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.'” In verse 21 we read that he did so, and in so doing, he found healing, fellowship, peace, and forgiveness from his father.

   God is waiting for us to confess. Don’t conceal your sin any longer. Confess and renounce, and you will find mercy, health, salvation, peace, joy, and guidance. If we confess our sin, God will dispose of it and put it away, under the blood of his Son.

9. The Samaritan woman (John 4). When Jesus told the woman at the well, “I will give you living water,” she responded, “Sir, give me this water” (v. 15). Jesus replied, “Go, call your husband and come back” (v. 16). You see, no one is going to receive living water, no one is going to receive healing, forgiveness, and peace, unless he confesses. This was a probing command: “Call your husband and come back.” What was her answer? “I have no husband,” to which Jesus replied, “You are right when you say you have no husband. The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband” (v. 17). Realizing who Jesus was, the woman went back into the city and said, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” (v. 29).

   God knows all. Let us not create a God in our own image and likeness, one who is hard of hearing and myopic. He knows all. But the wonderful thing is, he is waiting to forgive us and heal us on the basis of confession. No one can receive the living water of forgiveness, peace, and joy without confessing freely.

10. The publican (Luke 18:9-14). In this passage the Pharisee stood and concealed all his sins under the rubric of self-righteousness. In fact, he prayed about how nice he was. Did he find healing? Did he find salvation? No. In fact, he did not want salvation; he did not need Jesus. But there was another man, a publican, who beat upon his breast. He would not even look up into heaven, but merely cried out, saying, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The publican was healed and saved and went home justified. And, oh, what a going home it was-walking and leaping and praising God!

Application

In conclusion, let us consider the following:

1. Have you confessed your faith in Jesus Christ, publicly, truthfully, and joyfully, owning him as Messiah, the Son of God, God incarnate, and Lord of your life? Jesus Christ died for your sins; have you trusted in his atonement and confessed him before men? If not, he will not confess you before the Father on that day (Matthew 10:32-33).
2. Have you confessed your sins to God-specific sins, specifically? Repentance, faith, and confession are not a one-time thing, but a daily experience in the Christian life. If you are biblically literate and under the influence of the Holy Spirit, you will discover sin in your life and seek God’s forgiveness.
3. Without repentance, faith, and confession, we cannot be healed or prosper.
4. Some sins we can confess to God only, but some sins must be confessed to others as well, against whom we sinned.
5. God gives us physical, psychological, and spiritual healing when we confess our sins. James 5:14-16 says if we are sick, we should call the elders, and when they come, we should confess our sins to one another. Then James says that God will forgive our sins. As the elders anoint us with oil and pray, we shall be healed.
6. Sometimes God aids us in repenting, believing and confessing through dealing painfully with us in our economics, health, and so on (eg., Leviticus 26 and 1 Corinthians 11:30). In Revelation 2:21 God declares, “I have given her time to repent of her immorality. . . .” God is patient; he always gives us time. “But she is unwilling.” Is that true of us? How many times have we been warned by others to forsake our sins. But what is our problem? We are unwilling. “So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.” God helps us repent.
7. God purposes to save and heal us through the dynamic of repentance, faith, and confession. God wants to heal us, save us, liberate us, and give us joy. But he cannot do so unless we repent and confess.
8. Even today, we must examine ourselves to see if there are specific sins in our lives that we have never specifically confessed to God and asked his forgiveness for, no matter how long ago it happened, and we must deal with those sins today.
9. Not only must we confess our sins, but we must also make restitution to those we have wronged. Have you made restitution to those you sinned against-both material as well as reputational restitution?
10. Finally, I urge all of us to confess and live now! Ephesians 4:26 says, “In your anger, do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Husbands, wives, listen carefully. Do not be stubborn. If you do not get along, your prayers will not be heard. Confess now and live!

I present to you an eternal, gracious, all-holy God who will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. May God, therefore, help us not to conceal our sins, but to confess and forsake them, that we may find mercy in the cross of Calvary and be healed and set free even this day.