Confession - What’s the point?

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nfortunately, many of us, perhaps even most of us, don’t really understand confession beyond what we’ve learned from the movies. There are so many scenes with the shadowed faces leaning up to the dark screen and whispering their transgressions. In most cases these scenes are in catholic churches and often they are the bad guys, trying to disconnect themselves from the eternal consequences of their behaviour. In simple terms they’re trying to get into Heaven by confession.

Any discussion of confession involves some complicated and sometimes competing theological view points. The impact that sin has on our relationship with God has to be processed through our understanding of salvation. Words like justification, sanctification, grace, propitiation, penance and absolution all add a layer of complexity. Even our understanding of sin can complicate the process of confession.

For some, sin also seems to be shaped more by culture (Hollywood) then it is by the Bible. They think of sin in degrees of evil. It’s the really bad things that villains do. Strangely, the fundamentalist’s thinking is not that far off. Fundies like lists. They like to quote chapter and verse about why something is a sin or not. Often they use the same technique to create loop holes. Actually, creating loop holes is not the exclusive art form of the fundies, we all do it. My point here is that we all, in some way or other, think that sin is what the other person does. Or, we defend our own choices by saying, “There’s nothing wrong with that, it doesn’t say anywhere…” I would like to suggest that sin is missing the point. Whose point? God’s point? So, what’s God’s point? Love. 1 John 4:16 …God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in him. Then in John 13:34-35 we are commanded to love one another because it sends the right message. That’s the point. So what’s the problem? We’re missing the point, a lot. If you don’t think so, look at the diagram and ask yourself which one better reflects your daily operating system.

 

 

So, confession! What does that mean?  Confession simply means, admitting something, naming it. This is the process that people use for behaviour modification. Whether it’s diet, or smoking, or drugs abuse, our counsellors often advise us to keep a journal so we can understand the degree to which our negative behaviour is effecting our lives. When I was trying to quit smoking I wrapped my smokes with a log sheet, and every time I went to have a smoke I had to record the time and reason. Confession increases awareness. 1 John 1:5 God is light. Light reveals. When we get to the point that we realize that we’re missing the point and we come to God in confession, we’re not telling him anything he doesn’t already know. I wonder if it’s not the Light that lives in us, the Holy Spirit that reveals the sin in the first place. So, in confession we’re not really telling God anything, instead, we’re admitting to ourselves.

Confession creates self-awareness that leads to change. If sin is turning away from God, then confession is the hinge pin of turning back to God. Jesus called himself a door. Doorways are the way in and out, but the door itself defines who is in and who is out. The door swings open and closed. The turning point of the door is the hinge pin. Let’s think of confession as the hinge pin. The door can’t function without the hinge pin, and neither can our relationship with God without confession.

Confession connects us to God, but confession also connects us to each other. The Bible talks about this too. James 5:16 instructs us to be honest and open with our brothers and sisters. I wonder if this is where the Catholic tradition began. Some people warn against doing this carelessly because what you confess to another may cause them to stumble. Some suggest that this kind of confession should only be made to someone who is mature and holy enough not to be distracted by the details. Then of course, the obvious choice is the priest, or the Major. I think there is some wisdom in this teaching, but I think it might be based in the idea that sins are only really bad things. If we agree that sins are any little thing that is off the mark of Love and Truth, then daily and frequent confessions serve to keep us on target. I think that those kind of confessions serve to hold us together, connect us, like a hinge pin. 

Sin is all about missing the point, about turning away. Confession is about understanding that and regretting it. But then what? We must swing the door. We must change. We must turn back. We must return to the way, the way of Love and Light. 

Finally, confession is also a declaration. Sometimes confession is just about telling people what we really do believe. Sometimes confession is testimony. So next time someone tics you off, confess that Jesus is your Lord and Saviour and that he calls you to love your neighbour (and that means everyone).

 

 

Writer: Wayne Rumsby is at least a fourth generation follower of Jesus Christ. In his late 30’s Wayne responded to an invitation to visit an inner city mission in the heart of Toronto. At the time he was working as a graphic designer. It wasn’t long before he left his job in the fast paced ad business, in the glass towers, to become a full time missionary on the streets and in the alleys. The focus of his mission was to help the marginalized discover God through meaningful work. For most of the past decade Wayne was helping people discover who God had created them to be, by teaching them to make beautiful furniture in a woodworking shop. Today Wayne and his wife Linda are working with the team at 614 Regent Park with the very same vision, helping people discover who God has created them to be, and more. 

 

3 Comments to Confession - What’s the point?

1. Hey Wayne…

   Thanks for the reminder for the constant need for confession. I don’t think we can hear that message too often. I appreciated your definition of “sin” as “missing God’s point - love”. Not a bad working definition there. Although, it does tend to focus upon the “actions” of sin. Sin is treated in many different ways in the Scriptures, and is not always an “action” (e.g. Romans 6 - “consider yourselves dead to sin” - here it is more a “power” or “dominion”). However, as it relates to “confession” (the context here) I do like that definition as it means that I can invite the Spirit to examine my life and reveal anything that isn’t loving. I can then confess those shortcomings and seek to replace them with love. That’s very helpful, and a daily exercise I can relate to.

   One other point, which is really a caution. I would hesitate to mix metaphors. In this case, Jesus as the “door” (which is his metaphor from Scripture), and “confession is the hinge pin”. I have some concerns that in this scenario Jesus is “hanging onto my/our confession”. That’s problematic. I can hear the message that this mixed metaphor is trying to convey, by I’d hesitate before stretching that combination any further. Otherwise we start down a dangerous path of our salvation resting upon our own action instead of on Christ alone. In fact, the line “The door can’t function without the hinge pin, and neither can our relationship with God without confession.” is in actuality very close to the danger that I’m trying to explain. The reality is that our “confession” is only possible because of Christ and only effective because of the Spirit. In this regard even the ability to confess at all is an act of grace. We’re fully reliant upon Christ alone, in and through the Spirit.

   I think Jesus used these simple metaphors in an attempt to explain the unexplainable - that we “enter” via him alone. If we start adding things onto the metaphor (such as hinge pins, door handles, door bells, welcome mats….) we risk taking the metaphor a long way away from its intended message - that is, we “enter” through him alone.

   Thanks for your post.
   Adam
Adam Couchman on February 22nd, 2010

2. I admit that this is not my finest example of word crafting. It was an adaptation from a sermon that I was preparing.

   My point was that there is a point to confession. I believe that confession, or keeping short account with the Lord is a very important part of our relationship with him, as important as a hinge pin is to the function of a door. I see the weakness in my metaphorical adaptation, because it would appear that the strength and function of the door (Jesus) is dependent on the integrity of my confession. I think that the paragraph in question could be dropped and my point would still be that confession is vital to our relationship with God and the Church body.

   By the end of your comment I feel like I’m back at wondering what the point of confession is. Why bother? If I’m fully reliant on Jesus then why would I need to confess at all? Or if I need to then the Spirit will guide me. It sounds like there’s nothing to be reminded of, its all in His hands.

   It seems to me like this is the clash of SA doctrines 8 and 9.
Wayne Rumsby on February 22nd, 2010

3. This is where a solid understanding of “prevenient grace” can help. If we consider the doctrine of “total depravity” (Doc 5), then the reality is that we cannot even confess our sins because the effects of sin are so complete that even our confession is ineffective… in the words of T.F. Torrance, we even need to “repent of our repentance”. Not even our will is free, it is totally depraved. We can’t confess… or at very least it’s ineffective.

   However…

   What “prevenient grace” does is to “go before” our confessions (or any other action for that matter), cleanses and restores us, and enables us to respond “freely” to the grace that is offered to us in Christ. As a result of prevenient grace we are enabled to respond to the salvific grace made available to the whole world in Christ. So our will is not free (it’s totally depraved remember), yet it is “freed”. Freed by the grace of God, through the Spirit, because of Christ and his life, death, and resurrection. We can confess, in Christ. It is effective, in Christ.

   If you’re wondering “what am I supposed to do?” that’s not a bad place to be. I’ve come to find great comfort in being in that “place”. That’s the point of “grace”. I still think there’s a need for confession throughout the Christian life and affirm what you have said above. The difference is, our confessions are reliant upon Christ as mediator.
Adam Couchman on February 22nd, 2010

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