Confession Leads

Confession Leads to Good Works

Today’s devotional “Confession Leads to Good Works” discusses how from God’s perspective that confession is not the end but the start. 

But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. ¹³ In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,  which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen. — 1 Timothy 6:11-16—

THOUGHT:

I used to think that confessing my sins was a singular, defined, and isolated act. I thought that by simply confessing my trespasses and assuming Gods’ forgiveness, was a way to absolve me of my sins and to start over with my life, freeing myself from any responsibility. Once I stated my sins, prayed about them, and asked for forgiveness, then I was free! Now, it is true that if we are truly repentant in our hearts, and I am assuming this is true, then God not only forgives our sins, but in fact forgets them. If, we as humans, refer to the same sin that we had already been absolved from, mention it – God “forgets” and essentially doesn’t know what we are claiming. He has forgiven us, end of story. See Psalm 103:12 below:

“…as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”

Yet, also see 1 Timothy scripture above. Notice it says:

 “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”  AND (but also):

 “…pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.”

So, although we know that if we truly are sorry for our sins, God will forgive our sins, maybe that is not really the end of the story.

It is only the beginning. Think of someone who is in chains, as we are reminded that sin is like being in chains. If we are freed from those chains, do we not have a responsibility to then do something admirable with the rest of our lives? If we are now FREE from sin, should we not also be pursuing righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness?

In fact, I am wondering that not only should we be attempting all those goals, but even more importantly – should we be trying to make things right for those we have hurt with our sins?

In the recovery group, Alcoholics Anonymous, the ninth step to recovery says, we, after admitting our faults, should:

“Make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”

After receiving our freedom from sin, should we be using that freedom to help others to be free from however they were hurt? Maybe if we have lied to someone, should we be telling the truth so that they can freely operate without the bonds of falsehoods. Or if we have stolen something, then be prepared to reimburse someone that item. If I have hurt someone’s feelings, be courageous and ask for forgiveness from them and attempt to be kind from thereon in.

Pope Francis, in speaking about the importance of confession, reminds us that “Although confession cleans the sinner’s soul, it does not help the victim.” 

“Confession” may be an ambiguous term in that it only defines a singular act. Could it be that instead, it should elicit the suggestion that confession itself is only the first step in pursuing righteousness?

God forgives us and then what do we do in thanks for that blessing?

PRAYER:

Looking for other devotionals?