Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy. (Proverbs 28:13)
Where my understanding is of this Christian journey is that it’s not what it was cracked up to be. There is this super-pious image of the super-Christian with a quote for everything but more of a facade of the deal of following Christ, rather than genuine life-changing engagement and interaction with the living Christ. Especially with the pressures of life to conform to the values of the culture around them, then there is the thing of either being moralistic or attaining to material supremacy as a measure of true spirituality. Even that term itself – spirituality – is left up in the air with little to grant it substance.
Thankfully that’s not the whole picture. There is this thing in the gospels and even in the book of Acts that work as a recurring theme – repent and believe. Almost as though the two work hand in hand, and not as one off actions, but perpetual daily commitments that ensure that we stay on the straight and narrow and are also good indicators of when we’ve strayed. We know we’ve erred when there’s a bit of complacency set in and rather than faithfully following the path set before us, there is that tendency to take the detour for the short cut, or to avoid further pain. It may appear justified at the time, but in his love, god always patiently brings it our attention – through whatever means – that we are not doing things His way. Thus we are left with that call to repent and believe. It’s a liberating offer rather than something to be considered a perpetual downer.
That invitation, though, as with a number of themes in scripture is nothing new. Ever since God warned Cain to repent and believe after his unacceptable sacrifice, the message and invitation has been clear, going our own will only end in tragedy, far better to not only admit our mistakes, but also take the instruction on how to avoid it and follow the better way.
You can hear this encouragement in the Proverb outlined. Confession is a funny thing. Now people would probably have the image of the priest seated in one cubicle and the punter in the other cubicle stating the sins they have committed over the week in preparation for the level of restitution required to make it right as offered by God’s rep in the booth. I’m grateful that as useful as that maybe to some that confession doesn’t work that way with me. I love the scripture in the first letter of John in scripture that offers this assurance.
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1Jn 1:5-10)
Now usually I’d just quote verse 9, maybe that with verse 10, but it’s crucially to get the point behind what the wise man has been saying all along. God is the one that walks in light, there’s no darkness in Him, He is sinless and light personified. Our deal is that we are not that way put together – it’s not something to wallow in and get all defensive and critical about, it’s something to openly acknowledge. I mean on the one hand it’s serious business and until we acknowledge it there’s not going to be any progress.
On the other hand though that’s not the whole deal. The invitation is to actually do something about it. We’re sinful by nature and the generous offer is that God Himself by the blood of His Son will wash us from that stuff. That puts in the position to now follow in the way that He’s set for us which places us in a new relationship with the things we used to do. Treating something as abhorrent and an anathema isn’t difficult, you think of things like paedophilia and people are already disgusted. Apply that same level of disgust to all of sin and you’re well on the way to being faithful to the path of purity that the pure One sets for us.
I’m not writing like it’s a straightforward process. It’s not. It’s not simple and it’s not something that happens overnight or else the claim to perfection would already be something that people could boast not just in relationship but also in hearts intents, mind’s thoughts and hand’s actions. Show me a person who is in that sweet position and then get talking with them as to how long that process took. In the meantime we always have the constant encouragement not to be downhearted about unresolved sin, but access the grace of the God of all light to have a horror for the things that are sin so that we can forsake as we confess then believe as we repent.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
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