Confession
Read James 5:15-20
When you realize your guilt . . . you shall confess the sin that you have committed.
-Leviticus 5:5 (NRSV)
WE know we are supposed to confess our sins and seek forgiveness. But imagine finding not a forgiving God but a judge who is about to sentence us to life in prison. How would that change our outlook on confession?
The answer to the question is: it doesn't have to. Having accepted Christ into my life six days after my arrest, I stood before the judge knowing that I could not both stand for Christ and lie on the witness stand. So, I confessed and, according to the penalty prescribed by law, was given a life sentence. Confessing was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but ironically it was also the most rewarding. God took the small faith I had when I told the truth in court and began a work that has sustained me for over 20 years in one of the world's toughest prisons. I do not think this would have been possible had I refused to confess my sin and to live for God.
By confessing our sins before God and people, we also confess our total reliance upon God's grace and mercy. The measure of mercy we receive depends on our willingness to admit our shortcomings. Our reward is a closer, more intimate relationship with the One who someday will judge the world.
Richard Ryan (Ohio, U.S.A.)
Prayer
Lord, help us to lay our sins at the foot of the cross and to humbly seek your face. Grant us your loving mercy. Amen.
Thought for the Day
Even when we fear our sins, we can confess them and find forgiveness
Prayer Focus
For courage to confess our sins
from The Upper Room, June 4, 2008
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