Hiding In Plain Sight Pt. II

I can't believe it's been over a month since my last post, but much has transpired and the continuance of this subject required much prayer. So let's get to it!

So what is confession? According to the Bible, it comes in 2 forms: a) A sincere, simple statement of faith in Christ Jesus (I Corinthians 12:3), b) An open admittance of one's sins to others in the faith with the desire to be received and corrected in love (James 5:16). Of course the second type should be entered into with wisdom and in an atmosphere of trust. We just can't tell everybody anything, yet on that same token, we cannot continue among our brothers and sisters as if we have no struggles. It is a disingenuous act of denial at best and an outright lie at worst. Neither pleases God.

Why do we need it? Because the very nature of our humanity that is rooted in concern for only ourselves and that desires to be seen in the best light possible needs to be checked by the realization of our sinful nature and the need for a Savior from.....well, ourselves! We find this need fulfilled FIRST in Christ, confessing and repenting to Him. But also, we are to build bonds of mutual concern and desire for righteousness in one another by not hiding the process through which we come to maturity in God.

Let us build God's True Community by engaging one another in sincere love, honesty, with a spirit of humbleness and grace for each other as we share in our successes, failures, God pleasing moments, and trials of sin.

elder todd