The Discipline of Confession

The Discipline of Confession

John 20:20-23; James 5:13-18; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; 1 John 1:8-2:2

With this month’s study we introduce one of what Richard Foster refers to as a corporate discipline, a spiritual practice that takes us beyond the personal and includes our relationship to others within the body of Christ.  The focus is on our confession of sin, both to God and to each other.  Many people needlessly carry the guilt and burden of un-confessed sin because they are afraid they have committed an unforgivable sin and they will not be able to find mercy and forgiveness.  Or it may be that their pride will not allow them to expose their faults and weaknesses to others and thereby be diminished in stature.

Read John 20:20-23; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; James 5:13-16 and 1 John 1:8-2:2 and consider the following. 

·         Genuine confession, and its resultant benefits of forgiveness and inner peace, is made possible by the finished work of Jesus Christ.  The person of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for all sins past, present and future when He laid down His life and died on the cross.  All this has been made possible by the grace of God.

·         We all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and therefore are in need of the discipline of confession and forgiveness.  If we believe that we have no need for this discipline we are self-deceived or in denial.

·         Healing comes as we confess our sins to another human being and receive the words of absolution.  Forgiveness is an objective reality whereas freedom from guilt and inner peace are experiences subject to the whim of human feeling and emotion.

Confession has two parts.  First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.

What sins should we confess?

Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even those we are not aware of, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; but before the pastor we should confess only those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.

Which are these?

Consider your place in life according to the Ten Commandments: Are you a father, mother, son, daughter, husband, wife or worker?  Have you been disobedient, unfaithful, or lazy?  Have you been hot tempered, rude or quarrelsome?  Have you hurt someone by your words or deeds?  Have you stolen, been negligent, wasted anything, or done any harm?

Dear confessor, I ask you please to hear my confession and to pronounce forgiveness in order to fulfill God’s will.  I, a poor sinner, plead guilty before God of all sins.  In particular I confess before you that as a servant, maid etc, I sad to say, serve my master unfaithfully, for in this and that I have not done as I was told to do.  I have made him angry and caused him to curse.  I have been negligent and allowed damage to be done.  I have also been offensive in words and deeds.  I have quarreled with my peers.  I have grumbled about the lady of the house and cursed her.  I am sorry for all of this and I ask for grace.  I want to do better.

A master or lady of the house may say:

In particular I confess before you that I have not faithfully guided my children, servants and wife to the glory of God.  I have cursed.  I have set a bad example by indecent words and deeds.  I have hurt my neighbor and spoken evil of him.  I have overcharged, sold inferior merchandise, and given less than was paid for.

[Let the penitent confess whatever else he has done against God’s commandments and his own position.]

If, however, someone does not find himself burdened with these or greater sins, he should not trouble himself or search or invent other sins, and thereby make confession a torture.  Instead he should mention one or two that he knows.  Let that be enough.

Then the confessor shall say:

Do you believe that my forgiveness is God’s forgiveness?  Yes, dear confessor.

Then let him say:

Let it be done for you as you believe.  And I, by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, forgive you of your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.  Go in peace.

Foster on Confession

Confession is a difficult Discipline for us because we all too often view the believing community as a fellowship of saints before we see it as a fellowship of sinners.  We feel that everyone else has advanced so far into holiness that we are isolated and alone in our sin.  We cannot bear to reveal our failures and shortcomings to others.  We imagine that we are the only ones who have not stepped onto the high road to heaven.  Therefore, we hide ourselves from one another and live in veiled lies and hypocrisy. 

But if we know that the people of God are first a fellowship of sinners, we are freed to hear the unconditional call of God’s love and to confess our needs openly before our brothers and sisters.  We know that we are not alone in our sin.  The fear, and the pride, that cling to us like barnacles, cling to others as also.  We are sinners together.  In acts of mutual confession we release the power that heals.  Our humanity is no longer denied, but transformed.  (Celebration of Discipline, Foster, 145-146)

“For a good confession three things are necessary: an examination of conscience, sorrow and a determination to avoid sin” (St. Alphonsus Liguori).

• Examination of conscience-We invite God the Holy Spirit to reveal our hearts and show us specific sins that are in need of His forgiving and healing touch.  

• Sorrow- Not primarily an emotion, though emotion will often be involved, but a deep regret at having grieved the heart of God.

• Determination to avoid sin- We ask God to give us both the will and the strength to resist the world, the devil and our own flesh, while at the same time submitting to the rule of God.

1. Have you ever experienced the discipline of confession with another believer?

2. Would you be willing to meet with another and confess your sins if you knew that they would respect your confidentiality?  Would you be willing to hear another’s confession?

3. On page 131, Foster writes of an exercise he performed to help with this discipline.  He began by dividing his life into 3 periods; childhood, adolescence and adulthood.  Then he prayerfully considered each section, jotting down each memory that God revealed. He then met with a friend who heard his confession and prayed with him for a healing of those memories.  Would you be willing to do that with another?  Is that something that needs to be done today?

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