My friends in Alcoholics Anonymous tell me there’s a mantra in AA that says, “You are only as sick as your secrets.” One of the reasons AA has been so successful in helping people beat addiction is because they offer a non-judgmental community where people can tell the truth about the ugliest parts of their lives without fear of rejection. Right now, the church in America is not known for this quality and that’s to our detriment. Human beings aren’t built to carry shameful secrets that erode our well-being. God intended for us to confess our sins and receive forgiveness and closure. In Psalm 32:3-3, King David wrote:
When I kept silent, my bones became brittle
from my groaning all day long.
For day and night your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was drained
as in the summer’s heat. Selah
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not conceal my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
Notice how when David kept his sins to himself, it impacted his physical and energy (v. 3). But when he confessed his sin, God forgave him. This is a truth we see repeated in the New Testament. The apostle John wrote, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
As believers, we don’t have to carry our burden of sin. We are to confess our sins and drop them at the foot of the cross. God is well aware of our sin problem, and He loves us anyway. In fact, God was aware of our sin problem far before we were—so much so He sent Jesus on our behalf. And Jesus’ death, crucifixion, and resurrection were the means of salvation intended to reconcile us to the Father (2 Cor. 5:18).
As a result of God’s grace—no matter what happened in our past— we can live without the burden of shame. But it’s especially helpful to have a community that supports us. And with this in mind, Christians should be the most grace-filled people on the planet. Our churches should be havens of grace and restoration with a culture of authenticity so can people feel safe to share their burdens without fear of rejection. And what might happen? King David described it this way:
How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!
How joyful is a person whom
the Lord does not charge with iniquity
and in whose spirit is no deceit! (Psa. 32:1-2).
I’m not suggesting that we need to confess all of our sins to one another. The Bible teaches we are to confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9). But I am suggesting that when we struggle with habitual sins it’s beneficial to have a place where we can be honest without the fear of rejection. Jesus’ church is that place.
2 Responses
Hi Susan, yes you are so correct in what you said, as Christians more than most our sins quickly and permanently remind us that we have offended our creator and Saviour and will not dissipate until we get on our knees and beseech His forgiveness. When we do this in prayer, not alone does He forgive our misdeeds but he also lifts that mental heavy weight we’ve been carrying on our shoulders, of which there is no respite until we get on our knees and face the Lord and admit to our Him our short comings. Yes our church and in particular our pastor is where we should be able to abide and take refuge in the knowledge that if we confess our sins with a contrite heart they are forgiven and ultimately leading us to a much happier disposition.
Indeed, Ronnie. Thanks for reading!