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Old 06-09-2009, 07:17 PM
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Jassy Jassy is offline
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 299
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I voted "Yes" also.

A few Scriptures...

In the times of Jesus' ministry, believers were encouraged to "confess" their sins. (Matthew 3:6, Mark 1:5)

What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. (Romans 6:15)

But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. (Galatians 2:7)

Interestingly, most of the times that the New Testament uses the word "confession" it is not in relation to sin. It is in relation to making a confession of your FAITH. (Romans 10:10 and 1 Timothy 6:13) Also, some uses of the word "confess" is also in relation to faith. (Matthew 10:32, Luke 12:8, John 12:42, Romans 10:9-10, Romans 14:11, Romans 15:9, Philippians 2:11, 1 John 4:2,15)

Oddly enough, one of few Scriptures that state anything about confessing is not truly wrongdoing... it is more of a confession of our weaknesses (faults) - something which we might be inclined to sin in. 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.

But that Scripture refers to confessing FAULTS to ONE ANOTHER, not to God. And the goal of this confession seems to be to PRAY for one another. I think that brings us closer together, as brethren in the Lord, if we can humble ourselves, and admit to our shortcomings with each other, and know that others will be praying for us.

1 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.

Acts 19:18 - And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
19 - Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

This seems to be talking about people confessing former sinful ways that they had, such as divination (astrology and such), because they burned the books that they had used in their "curious arts." I read somewhere that they also put idols that were made of various materials, into the fire, to melt them - and it totaled up in value to fifty thousand pieces of silver.

It certainly wouldn't seem to hurt us, to humble our pride and admit to things that we have done wrong or have fallen short on. Pride itself can be a sin. So the very thing that may prevent us from confessing sin, is the one that often trips us up!

Jassy