The Surprising Need For Every Believer To Learn How To Confess Sin With Others

What this episode covers

Learning how to confess sin to other believers is not a concept we enjoy talking about. Most of us would like to remain silent about our struggles. Sharing our sin, even with our closest family and friends makes us feel more vulnerable than we would like. Is authenticity overrated? Authenticity has become all the buzz within the Christian community. It is reflected in our obsession with personality tests and vulnerability. We are deeply interested in knowing and being our true selves. We even see it with those online quizzes that assign an animal or fictional character based upon how you answer a few questions. I remember being surprised when my professor for practical ministry challenged the notion of vulnerability and authenticity. I thought to myself, “You’re just really bad at it.” But, he mentioned a few good reasons for his assessment, and I was convinced he was at least partially right. Too much vulnerability may reveal how self-absorbed we have become. Christianity serves as the means by which we realize our authentic self. But there is a balance somewhere in the midst of the extremes. We should not be so closed off that we lose honesty before God and others. Nor should we be so vulnerable that we replace a Christ-centered Gospel with one that is self-centered. A Busy Month Let’s quickly review all that has taken place on this seventh month. On the first day Israel celebrated the Feast of Trumpets when they called upon Ezra, the scribe and priest, to read to them from the Book of the Law of Moses. He did so for 5-6 hours while the people stood in rapt attention. The assembly became so burdened by their sin, the spiritual leadership had to exhort them to rejoice. On the second day, the heads of the fathers’ houses gathered with Ezra, the priests, and the Levites to study the law. During that gathering they realized that they needed to celebrate the Feast of Booths in two weeks. They immediately sent out the proclamation throughout the land calling upon families to come to Jerusalem and to build booths and live in them for a week. On the fifteenth day, they celebrated the feast with “very great rejoicing.” They continued to hear from Ezra as he read from the law every day that week. On the 22nd day of the month, they concluded the feast with another “solemn assembly.” Now on the 24th day of the month, they gather for a day of repentance. It’s important to recognize this did not develop out of thin air. There was a growing sense of conviction throughout the month. The Word of God already bore the fruit of repentance in their lives, but now they sought a formal time of corporate confession. None of us enjoy exposing our sin to others, but God designed the process of sanctification to involve other believers. Corporate confession of sin should be an element of every worship service and the practice of every believer. Read Nehemiah 9:1-5. How to Prepare to Confess Sin with Others (1-2a) Israel has just finished the second of two celebrations found in Leviticus 23. They sought to return to a more faithful practice of God’s law. You will search in vain throughout the entire Pentateuch for something scheduled on the “twenty-fourth” of the seventh month (or any month for that matter). What took place in this chapter is not found in the Law. The people gathered of their own accord. They came prepared to confess their sin with a proper humiliation exemplified in three ways: Fasting (Ps 35:13)—They came on empty stomachs. Every time they felt hunger pangs it would have reminded them that they were there for the confession of their sin. Having been fattened up over eight days of feasting, I’m sure this was not as grueling of a challenge as we might initially think. But, this was typical of Israel. Feasting and fasting oftentimes go together.Sackcloth (Es 4:1-4; Ps 69:11; Isa 32:11)—This has to do with discomfort. The fabric of the sackcloth against the bare skin would have been itchy. E

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