What does it mean to confess our sins one to another?

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CONFESS OUR SINS TO ONE ANOTHER?

By Ezekiel Kimosop

James 5:16 says "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.

This Scripture does not specifically address Christian couples or any specific group, though we can apply the principle of this Scripture to the marriage relationship as well. The writer is speaking to the corporate body of believers in plenary and In their relational diversities.

Forgiveness is central to our Christian faith in that the works of the cross could not have been accomplished without God's forgiveness to us who were lost in sinful disobedience (Romans 5:8).

The scripture of James 5:16 lies in the wider passage ofJames 5:13-20 which carries a number of exhortations and spiritual principles touching on Christian living.

They range from thanksgiving to communal care for the suffering and the sick among God's people (vv. 13-14) to the restoration of the erring (vv. 19-20).

One of the critical issues that the writer gives prominence is the prayer of faith (vv. 15-18). This is exemplified here, complete with a powerful illustration in the example of Elijah the prophet who demonstrated great faith in God in his day by shutting and opening the heavens through his great faith in God.

The final verses of James 5:19-20 address the significance of spiritual restoration of believers who err in the faith. The church has a duty to restore those who err in the fundamentals of the Faith in order to rescue them from heresy and to avoid the situation addressed in 1 Timothy 1:19-20 and 2 Timothy 2:16-18 where some heretics were misleading sections of the Christian community and drawing them away from the path of Truth.

Now back to James 5:16, James exhorts us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another so that we may be healed.

Three questions are imperative here.

First, what nature of sins are contemplated by James in this scripture?

Secondly, are all sins to be confessed to one another in this manner? In other words, is it a template rule to confess all manner of transgressions to another?

Roman Catholics have a confession box system where the priest receives confessions from the faithful and purportedly makes absolutions for the transgessions on their behalf. This is an issue for a separate discussion.

Finally what nature of healing is contemplated here as a consequence of our confession? Is it spiritual or physical healing or both?

Someone may quickly conclude that sicknesses have to do with unconfessed sins. That is possibly true.

Yes, unconfessed sin affects not only our spiritual relationships with others who were the object of our disobedience or inadvertence but may ultimately ruin our fellowship with God if unchecked.

Must every sin be confessed to a fellow believer or pastor?

I believe that the writer had in mind some grievous interpersonal transgressions that ruin our Christian fellowship and hinder our Christian witness. I believe that sins that touch on our interpersonal relationships should be confessed to those we have offended so that we may obtain their forgiveness. Scripture commands us to forgive those who offend us.

My view is that there are some sins that should be confessed to God alone. For instance, if I am aware that I have disobeyed God on a particular issue or assignment that was under my charge, or by some act of disobedience that does not touch on another party, I should approach the Lord and seek forgiveness for it and make amends.

If my conscience still condemns me then I will require spiritual counseling on the issue. This is possibly where prayer accompanying confession comes into focus.

Some sins are however complex and will not easily go away because they carry some consequences that we may have to live with. They will definitely require the counsel and prayer from a pastor or mature believer.

For instance sexual sins not only affect those involved but will break their fellowship with God in a deep way and weaken their spiritual standing.

Those affected will require spiritual counseling in order to break the guilt and to avoid circumstances that may reintroduce the temptation. Even where such sins are confessed, the believer may be subjected to spiritual discipline and restoration procedure in line with 1 Corinthians 5. This process involves private counsel and prayer for the offender.

There is some legitimacy for public condemnation of moral sin. It is intended to serve as warning to others that God's moral standards for believers outlined in several passages of Scripture must be maintained (cf.1 Timothy 5:20).

There is however power in confession when it is sincere and comes from a broken and a contrite heart.

In Psalm 51:10-17 David confessed his sins to God from a broken heart. He was squarely responsible for abusing his royal authority in snatching Bathsheba from her lawful husband and arranging for her husband's [Uriah's] murder. David acknowledged that his sin was primarily against God even though he had offended other parties in the process.

Notice that David was initially trying to cover up his sin until God sent Nathan the prophet to rebuke him (2 Samuel 12:1-24). David finally expressed deep remorse for his moral excesses and God forgave him. We learn from David's experience that God will never withhold His forgiveness from a penitent heart that breaks in His presence.

Some have associated the text of James 5:16 to conflicts in marriage relationship and argue that the couple should confess their sins to one another.

Domestic conflicts will undoubtedly strain the marriage if left unchecked. Where some conflicts cannot be handled between the couple then it is best to seek pastoral counseling in resolving the conflicts.

The principles drawn from this scripture [and by extension, the entire passage] are of universal application. They can be applied to any Christian relationship experience including college or workplace relationships as well as under church ministry settings.

We need the wisdom of God in handling situations of spiritual conflicts including moral sinfulness so that we do not destroy the body of Christ by either neglecting spiritual correction where it is legitimate or banishing believers into oblivion without efforts towards spiritual restoration.

Those who err should on their part demonstrate the fruits of repentance through remorse and brokenness of heart before God and before the congregation of God's people, as appropriate.

In this way we shall all experience harmony and unity in the Spirit and will serve God without any condensation in our hearts (1 John 3:20).

© Ezekiel Kimosop Teaching Series 2019