Psalm 51:3-5

For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night . . . I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight . . . For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

Leviticus 5:5

"When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin.

When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin.

We should admit all of our Sins to the Lord.

Romans 10:9

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 14:11

For the Scriptures say, “As surely as I live,” says the Lord, “every knee will bend to me, and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.”

Philippians 2:11

Every tongue [will] declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

1 John 2:23

Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

We must admit that Jesus is God’s Son and Lord of our lives.

James 4:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

John 15:5

"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

We should admit our dependency on Jesus.

What is the importance of admitting our mistakes? Why should we confess our sins?

Jeremiah 3:13

Only acknowledge your guilt. Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God . . . Confess that you refused to listen to my voice. I, the Lord, have spoken!

Confessing our sins is admitting that we have rebelled against God, our King and Creator.

1 John 1:10

If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Admitting our sins is agreeing with God on our sin and what we should do about it. Only when we recognize that we are sinners are we ready to deal with our sin.

Psalm 51:1-2

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

Acts 3:19

Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.

Proverbs 28:13

People who conceal their sins will not prosper, but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

Trying to hide our sins leaves them to fester. But when we confess or admit our sins to God, he will mercifully forgive us and make us pure in his sight.

2 Samuel 12:13

Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.”

Psalm 32:3, 5

When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long . . . Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

How can we ask God to forgive our sins until we freely admit to him that we want his forgiveness, and how can we do that until we freely admit to him that we are sinners?

James 5:16

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Admitting our sins to one another deepens the level of our fellowship and encourages us to pray for each other.

Ezra 10:1

While Ezra prayed and made this confession, weeping and lying face down on the ground in front of the Temple of God, a very large crowd of people from Israel—men, women, and children—gathered and wept bitterly with him.

Admitting our own sins often leads others to confess and repent of their sins.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Ezekial 18:23

Luke 15:18-24

I will go home to my father and say, "Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, [19] and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."' [20] "So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. [21] His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.' [22] "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. [23] And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, [24] for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.' So the party began.

God does not want to punish anyone. He longs for us to admit our sins and turn from them so he can welcome us home into his loving arms.

Nehemiah 9:3

They remained standing in place for three hours while the Book of the Law of the Lord their God was read aloud to them. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God.

Admitting our sins is an important part of worshiping the Lord because it puts us in a right relationship with him.

To whom must we admit?

1 Timothy 6:12

Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.

Acts 24:14

But I admit that I follow the Way . . . I worship the God of our ancestors.

We should admit our belief in God to others.

Ezra 10:11

So now confess your sin to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and do what he demands.

1 John 1:9

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

We should admit our sins to God.

2 Chronicles 30:22

Peace offerings were sacrificed, and the people gave thanks to the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

1 Chronicles 29:13-14

"O our God, we thank you and praise your glorious name! [14] But who am I, and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!

James 1:17

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.

We should be quick to admit that all we have is from God.

James 5:16

Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Admitting our wrongs to one another allows others to pray for us.

How does one gain admission into God’s presence now and for eternity?

John 14:6

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Romans 5:2

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

Ephesians 2:18

Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.

Ephesians 3:12

Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.

Revelation 3:20-21

Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.

John 3:16

"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

If we believe that Jesus Christ died to save us from our sins, and we accept Jesus as our Savior and our Lord, then God gladly welcomes us today and forever into his presence.

What excludes us from God’s presence?

1 Peter 3:12

The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.

Galatians 5:19-21

When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Ephesians 5:5

You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

Revelation 21:27

Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Although this list of sins is not meant to be exhaustive, it is clear that God does not tolerate any form of sin or evil. Thus, he cannot and will not take us into his eternal home until our sins are forgiven and washed away. He will do this for anyone who believes that he is God alone.

Matthew 18:3

Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

John 3:16

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Matthew 5:20

But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

Matthew 7:21

"Not everyone who calls out to me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

Those who have not admitted their sin, believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and committed to follow his ways in obedience are excluded from entering God’s Kingdom. This is not discrimination; it is a holy invitation to enjoy all the benefits of eternal life in a perfect world. And after all, how could we truly desire God’s Kingdom if we refuse to obey God and accept him as King?

How do we cope with being excluded by others?

Luke 6:22-23

What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. Isaiah 66:5

Hear this message from the Lord, all you who tremble at his words: “Your own people hate you and throw you out for being loyal to my name. ‘Let the Lord be honored!’ they scoff. ‘Be joyful in him!’ But they will be put to shame.”

1 Peter 4:16

But it is no shame to suffer for being a Christian. Praise God for the privilege of being called by his name!

Luke 13:30

And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.

Matthew 19:29-30

And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. [30] But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.

Having an eternal perspective helps us handle being excluded by friends, family, or others because of our faith. When others exclude us because of our faith in God, we are being given a great honor. No one likes to be shunned or excluded from a fellowship or family, but if this happens because we are true to God, he will bless us for it.

Isaiah 53:3

He was despised and rejected- a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.

Mark 10:33-34

"Listen," he said, "we're going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die and hand him over to the Romans. [34] They will mock him, spit on him, flog him with a whip, and kill him, but after three days he will rise again."

John 1:10-11

He came into the very world he created, but the world didn't recognize him. [11] He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.

Mark 3:20-21

One time Jesus entered a house, and the crowds began to gather again. Soon he and his disciples couldn't even find time to eat. [21] When his family heard what was happening, they tried to take him away. "He's out of his mind," they said.

Mark 15:19-20

And they struck him on the head with a reed stick, spit on him, and dropped to their knees in mock worship. [20] When they were finally tired of mocking him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him again. Then they led him away to be crucified.

Luke 22:47-48

But even as Jesus said this, a crowd approached, led by Judas, one of the twelve disciples. Judas walked over to Jesus to greet him with a kiss. [48] But Jesus said, "Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?"

Luke 22:59-61

About an hour later someone else insisted, "This must be one of them, because he is a Galilean, too." [60] But Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you are talking about." And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. [61] At that moment the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Suddenly, the Lord's words flashed through Peter's mind: "Before the rooster crows tomorrow morning, you will deny three times that you even know me."

Hebrews 4:15

This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

Jesus experienced exclusion and rejection at the highest level. His family thought he was crazy. His closest followers betrayed and abandoned him. Humanity met his love, kindness, and truth with lies, torture, and murder. Yet he remained faithful. We can be inspired by his example, but more than that, we can be comforted that our Lord knows the pain of what we go through and he walks with us every step of the way (Matthew 28:20).

How should we treat those who are excluded?

Romans 12:16

Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all!

James 2:1-5

My dear brothers and sisters, how can you claim to have faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ if you favor some people over others? [2] For example, suppose someone comes into your meeting dressed in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry, and another comes in who is poor and dressed in dirty clothes. [3] If you give special attention and a good seat to the rich person, but you say to the poor one, "You can stand over there, or else sit on the floor"-well, [4] doesn't this discrimination show that your judgments are guided by evil motives? [5] Listen to me, dear brothers and sisters. Hasn't God chosen the poor in this world to be rich in faith? Aren't they the ones who will inherit the Kingdom he promised to those who love him?

1 Corinthians 12:20-22

Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. [21] The eye can never say to the hand, "I don't need you." The head can't say to the feet, "I don't need you." [22] In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary.

1 John 4:20

If someone says, "I love God," but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don't love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?

1 Samuel 16:7

But the LORD said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Hebrews 13:2

Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

Matthew 25:37-40

"Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? [38] Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? [39] When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' [40] "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'

God doesn’t love us based off our talents, our accomplishments, our popularity, or even our likeability. How could we treat his other children by any standard other than his own?

Deuteronomy 24:17-18, 20-21

"True justice must be given to foreigners living among you and to orphans, and you must never accept a widow's garment as security for her debt. [18] Always remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God redeemed you from your slavery. That is why I have given you this command. [20] When you beat the olives from your olive trees, don't go over the boughs twice. Leave the remaining olives for the foreigners, orphans, and widows. [21] When you gather the grapes in your vineyard, don't glean the vines after they are picked. Leave the remaining grapes for the foreigners, orphans, and widows.

Luke 6:31

Do to others as you would like them to do to you.

Orphans, widows, and foreigners often lacked social standing and economic stability. God reminded Israel that they had once been in a similar position—slaves in a foreign land—and he commanded Israel to treat people on the outskirts of society with kindness and respect. Everyone has had a moment where they felt left out or excluded. When we see people on the outskirts, we can draw on our own experiences with exclusion to fuel our kindness.

Is it ever right to exclude someone?

Galatians 6:1

Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.

Matthew 8:15-17

But when Jesus touched her hand, the fever left her. Then she got up and prepared a meal for him. [16] That evening many demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. He cast out the evil spirits with a simple command, and he healed all the sick. [17] This fulfilled the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah, who said, "He took our sicknesses and removed our diseases."

Titus 3:10

If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them.

2 Thessalonians 3:6

And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don't follow the tradition they received from us.

Romans 16:17

And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people's faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.

1 Corinthians 5:9-12

When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin. [10] But I wasn't talking about unbelievers who indulge in sexual sin, or are greedy, or cheat people, or worship idols. You would have to leave this world to avoid people like that. [11] I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don't even eat with such people. [12] It isn't my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning.

1 Corinthians 5:2, 6

You are so proud of yourselves, but you should be mourning in sorrow and shame. And you should remove this man from your fellowship. [6] Your boasting about this is terrible. Don't you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough?

James 5:19-20

My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, [20] you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back from wandering will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.

Paul warns against holding nonbelievers to Christ’s standards, but he does say believers have a responsibility to hold one another accountable. Condoning sin and false teaching encourages others to join in that sin (Galatians 2:13), causing it to spread and harm many people (2 Peter 2:1-3, 1 Corinthians 5:6). Though correction should be offered in love, and multiple warnings should be given, there may be a point when the church needs to distance itself from an unrepentant and rebellious individual. This action is done not only for the safety of the church’s witness, but also in the hope that this last measure of discipline will inspire repentance in that individual (1 Corinthians 5:5).

1 Corinthians 15:33

Don't be fooled by those who say such things, for "bad company corrupts good character."

Proverbs 22:24-25

Don't befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, [25] or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.

Proverbs 13:20

Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.

Sometimes, it may be wise to exclude ourselves from social groups that become a source of temptation.

Promise from God

1 John 1:8-9

If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

Matthew 25:40

"And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'