Getting down with sin

Have you ever been wondering how many ways we avoid confessing our sin?  I have, but never really thought about it enough to summarize it.  I was recently reading a classical schooling book, which said the biggest problem in schools is if they have unconfessed sin.  Ack!!  Do you know any school that doesn't have this?!  I can't think of any, because in any school there are people.  He talks about how our spiritual walk will always be stunted if we can't grow in grace which comes as a result of regularly confessing our sin.  We can go to church, attend the Lord's supper, sing endless hymns; but if we still won't confess our sins then we won't be free from them.  Pretty sobering.  He differs in view on how this should be done than what we believe, but the fact that it must be done remains the same.

Isaiah 1:13KJV

“Bring no more vain oblations (offerings); incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.”

Iniquity can be described as the character behind the sin. David specifically asked God to cleanse him from secret sin, presumptuous sins and great transgresssion. Are we willing to do that? I know one time I had a disagreement with someone, and although I didn't feel that I had done anything wrong in the matter, the other person was offended (I heard this from a 3rd party, not herself). I tried and tried to ignore this, but it kept nagging at me that there was contention in the relationship. Since I only saw this person occasionally, I could ignore it most of the time. I asked others present at the incident if I had been offensive or behaved unseemly, which they agreed that I hadn't. But still I avoided apologizing because I couldn't see why I should, when the other party had been rude, careless and had caused the problem in the first place. But still it nagged on me. 4 years it nagged on me, whilst I tried to make it go away with all kinds of tactics (some listed below!) When I finally did apologize, the other person didn't even remember the incident, but it was finally free off my conscience. It was a good lesson on doing the right thing, even if we think we have done nothing wrong. It's true that people get "offended" (aka their feelings hurt) far too easily. It's true that there's a lot of nasty people out there. But it's also true that as Christians we should always be striving to restore relationships as best we can and acknowledge our own sin in the matters at hand.

He says the difference between unrepentant sinners and those walking in harmony with God is not the fact whether or not they sin; it's the fact that when they sin, they pick up after themselves through confession. In Lutheranism we have absolution too, which is a great blessing after confession. But, our pride still doesn't want to confess, so we come up with all kinds of reasons why we shouldn't.

•  We trivialize the sin (we say it's too small to confess, we don't want to bother God with our pettiness)
• We surrender to the sin (we say the sin is too big to confess, it is bigger than God can deal with because we know the consequences of the sin will be huge)
• We justify the sin (we say what we did was ok for whatever reason we come up with)
• We excuse the sin (admitting our behavior was wrong, but claiming extenuating circumstances)
• We blur the sin (we use vague terms, "forgive me for anything I might have done")
• We reassign the sin (we blame someone else, "the serpent beguiled me", said Eve)
• We ignore the sin (we hope the problem will disappear if we ignore it long enough)
• We delay the sin (why confess today, when we can put it off until tomorrow?)
• We hide the sin ("no one knows, and I won't tell")
• We embrace the sin (in our rebellion and defiance, we will not confess things such as anger, contempt, bitterness and pride, because we feel it was/is deserved)
• We buy the sin (we see it too high a price to pay, when restitution will be required)
• We theologize the sin ("I know Jesus has forgiven my sin; past, present, future", or they think the corporate confession at church will suffice)

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth 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.