1st John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
What does it mean to confess something? Confess means to admit or acknowledge something. It means to disclose one’s faults. God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. He wants to cleanse our sins, but the first thing someone needs to do is to confess them to God and others whom you’ve wronged. We know that God is very forgiving and full of mercy.
Matthew 18:21-22 says, “Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.”
We recognize in that verse the great mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. He wants us to be very forgiving with each other because that is his divine nature. The thing that holds up forgiveness is a refusal to confess. It’s a refusal to apologize.
Luke 17: 3-4, “Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against these seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.”
Notice the keywords, “I repent.” The word “repent” means to feel sorry about something that you’ve done wrong. I’ve been around complete unbelievers and noticed at times that some of them apologize sincerely and say I’m sorry one to another. I’ve also been around people who profess to be Christian who, when they wrong others, they’re incapable of saying I’m sorry.
It reminds me of the passage about the humble publican and the proud Pharisee. Luke 18:10-14 says,
“Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for everyone that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
Notice the keywords in this verse. He simply said, God be merciful to me, a sinner. He felt bad about what he had done. He felt remorse. He felt contrition. Pride comes in the way of a sincere apology. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. The Pharisee felt that he was a good, decent man, but the truth is that God used a man who used to be a Pharisee to write a lot of the New Testament that we have today, and he said none are righteous, no not one (Rom 3:10.)
Psalm 32:5, “I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.”
Not only do we confess sin to God but we need to confess sin to each other, admit fault. and to apologize.
Matthew 5:23-24, “Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”
Reconciliation is the completion of true confession and forgiveness. Reconcile means to return to the relationship that you had previously. For example, an estranged wife that reconciles with her husband returns, and continues with the marriage from which she left.
If forgiveness has really happened, there is no remembrance of what has happened in the past. God forgets our sins, and that’s why we are supposed to be so forgiving towards each other in the church. If there’s one thing that we learn from the scriptures, it’s to learn to confess and apologize when you have wronged others.
James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Even if we do make a mistake along the way, God gives us the grace we need to get forgiven and to move on with our lives.
1 John 2:1, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
Hebrews 4:16, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Confession, contrition, repentance, reconciliation. Always remember the humble publican. A sincere apology is the path to forgiveness
In love, Eric
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 