In Joshua 7 we saw where the Children of Israel were defeated because of the sin and disobedience of one man: Achan. We also see where Joshua began an investigation to find the offender. The scriptures show a pretty methodical investigation by which almost seems to be a process of elimination. When Joshua gets to Achan, Achan is taken and this is what Joshua says to him:
Joshua 7:19 Now Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me."
Notice that Joshua said to "give glory to the Lord and make confession to Him." However, Achan offered his confession only after he was found out. Not only does he say he has sinned against God, he goes into detail about what he did and tells Joshua exactly where to find the items he took. Once the confession was made, Achan still had to face the punishment for his crimes.
Now today, we have the same ability to bring glory to God in our confession and repentance of our own transgressions, trespasses, or Sins...whichever word you like the best. When we confess our sins to God, then we bring Him glory by saying we know we were wrong. We don't know better than God. It brings a humility and a lowering of our pride to be able to say we were wrong about something. Not confessing our sins to God brings another issue along:
Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
We have mercy through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. All who believe on Him will be saved. But our confession brings that mercy to us. What is done in secret will be brought to light. We see that through Joshua 7. There are consequences to every decision we make, good or bad. Sin likes to live in the dark. Sin can bring shame and guilt so it thrives in the dark. Proverbs 28:13 says we cannot prosper if we cover our sins. What are we really hiding when we don't confess and bring it all to the light?
Psalms 44:21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.
God already knows!! He knows what is in our hearts and He searches the innermost parts. There is nothing we can hide. Our natural mind likes to trick us into thinking no one, not even God, can possibly know what we have done or thought. Yet we can forget God is always with us. He will never leave us nor will He forsake us. If He is always with us, and always by our sides, then doesn't it stand to reason that He would know and we have no secrets from Him?
The word goes on to talk about confessing our transgressions to one another.
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
We know that no man can offer forgivenss of sins, only the person of Jesus Christ is able to do so. However, when we share our transgressions with others, we open up an avenue of prayer that heals us. Now, for those that have a brother or sister come to you and want to discuss their transgressions with you has a responsibility to your brother or sister to not participate in gossip later for a couple of reasons. First, this is not your story to tell and second, you yourself will fall into sin with participation in gossip. Just keeping something in the dark causes the sin to eat away at us. Remember, the wages of sin is death Paul said, so if we continue in that path and we seek to hide our sins, then our bodies can pay the price.
Psalms 32:3-5 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. (4) For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah (5) I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Just because God knows what we have in our heart and the sin we try to hide from Him and from others, doesn't mean we don't have to confess it to the Lord. We have to acknowledge the sins we have committed. The Psalmist above says that his bones grew old while he kept silent about his sin. Confession brings healing. Fortunately for us, we no longer are taken to the valley and stoned and set on fire like Achan and his household was. Instead, we have the mercy and grace of a Father in Heaven that does not seek our demise. 1 John has some tough words for us.
1 John 1:6-10 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (7) But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
If you read any commentary about 1 John, then you know that John was trying to dispel and put to bed false teachings from false teachers. The above scriptures were not written to unbelievers. These scriptures were in a letter written to believers. Yes, we have grace. Yes, God's mercy is new every morning toward us. But, that doesn't mean we hide the things we are doing or thinking that are not a part of the characteristics of a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? (2) Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
God's grace is neverending and available to cover all sin, just as the word says Love covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8). But, we can't hide the things we do that violate the word of God. We confess them so that we might glorify God.
Join the discussion on Facebook.
Joshua 7:19 Now Joshua said to Achan, "My son, I beg you, give glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession to Him, and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me."
Notice that Joshua said to "give glory to the Lord and make confession to Him." However, Achan offered his confession only after he was found out. Not only does he say he has sinned against God, he goes into detail about what he did and tells Joshua exactly where to find the items he took. Once the confession was made, Achan still had to face the punishment for his crimes.
Now today, we have the same ability to bring glory to God in our confession and repentance of our own transgressions, trespasses, or Sins...whichever word you like the best. When we confess our sins to God, then we bring Him glory by saying we know we were wrong. We don't know better than God. It brings a humility and a lowering of our pride to be able to say we were wrong about something. Not confessing our sins to God brings another issue along:
Proverbs 28:13 He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.
We have mercy through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. All who believe on Him will be saved. But our confession brings that mercy to us. What is done in secret will be brought to light. We see that through Joshua 7. There are consequences to every decision we make, good or bad. Sin likes to live in the dark. Sin can bring shame and guilt so it thrives in the dark. Proverbs 28:13 says we cannot prosper if we cover our sins. What are we really hiding when we don't confess and bring it all to the light?
Psalms 44:21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart.
God already knows!! He knows what is in our hearts and He searches the innermost parts. There is nothing we can hide. Our natural mind likes to trick us into thinking no one, not even God, can possibly know what we have done or thought. Yet we can forget God is always with us. He will never leave us nor will He forsake us. If He is always with us, and always by our sides, then doesn't it stand to reason that He would know and we have no secrets from Him?
The word goes on to talk about confessing our transgressions to one another.
James 5:16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
We know that no man can offer forgivenss of sins, only the person of Jesus Christ is able to do so. However, when we share our transgressions with others, we open up an avenue of prayer that heals us. Now, for those that have a brother or sister come to you and want to discuss their transgressions with you has a responsibility to your brother or sister to not participate in gossip later for a couple of reasons. First, this is not your story to tell and second, you yourself will fall into sin with participation in gossip. Just keeping something in the dark causes the sin to eat away at us. Remember, the wages of sin is death Paul said, so if we continue in that path and we seek to hide our sins, then our bodies can pay the price.
Psalms 32:3-5 When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. (4) For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah (5) I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," And You forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah
Just because God knows what we have in our heart and the sin we try to hide from Him and from others, doesn't mean we don't have to confess it to the Lord. We have to acknowledge the sins we have committed. The Psalmist above says that his bones grew old while he kept silent about his sin. Confession brings healing. Fortunately for us, we no longer are taken to the valley and stoned and set on fire like Achan and his household was. Instead, we have the mercy and grace of a Father in Heaven that does not seek our demise. 1 John has some tough words for us.
1 John 1:6-10 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. (7) But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
If you read any commentary about 1 John, then you know that John was trying to dispel and put to bed false teachings from false teachers. The above scriptures were not written to unbelievers. These scriptures were in a letter written to believers. Yes, we have grace. Yes, God's mercy is new every morning toward us. But, that doesn't mean we hide the things we are doing or thinking that are not a part of the characteristics of a citizen of the Kingdom of God.
Romans 6:1-2 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? (2) Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?
God's grace is neverending and available to cover all sin, just as the word says Love covers a multitude of sin (1 Peter 4:8). But, we can't hide the things we do that violate the word of God. We confess them so that we might glorify God.
Join the discussion on Facebook.
