How to Confess Your Sins

In recent months, we have been doing a corporate confession of sin as part of our worship. It is not strictly necessary, and I have omitted it on occasion, but I do believe there is value in doing it. The Westminster Directory for Family Worship says:

So many as can conceive prayer, ought to make use of that gift of God; albeit those who are rude and weaker may begin at a set form of prayer, but so as they be not sluggish in stirring up in themselves (according to their daily necessities) the spirit of prayer…

In other words, prayer is best done extemporaneously, directly from the heart. At the same time, we recognize that prayer can be a struggle; I have never met a Christian who says they never struggle with prayer. And so long as we struggle, these set forms of prayer can be helps to us. They give us words to use and set an example for what prayer looks like.

The corporate confession of sin serves this purpose. These biblical or historic prayers give us an example, a model, for how to confess our sins. Consider the prayer we’ve been using this month, drawn from the Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from Your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against Your holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to Your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for His sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of Your holy Name. Amen.

Notice all the elements this prayer contains:

First, there is an admission of guilt in a variety of ways. There is confession of sinful desires, the violation of God’s law, and sins of both commission and omission. This is an examination of the whole self. We recognize that all sin comes from our sinful hearts, and that each transgression is not merely a minor mistake, but an offense against God’s holy law. This prayer is written quite generally so that it can be used by a variety of people, but it invites deeper reflection on specific sins we may have committed.

Second, there is a declaration of total dependence (“there is no health in us”). Having considered our sins, we must come to an understanding of where that places us. Sin condemns us. There is nothing we can do to justify ourselves.

Third, confessing our sin and inability to save ourselves, we turn to supplication. A supplication is a plea for mercy, a prayer that God would be merciful to the repentant sinner and pardon his guilt. Notice in this prayer that this pardon assumes a knowledge of sin. You must have confessed your faults. That doesn’t mean that you need to keep a scrupulous list of all your sins. Sometimes we don’t even know when we’ve sinned! But it does mean that we need to have first understood our state before God because his forgiveness is only available to sinners, which we all are.

Fourth, the plea for mercy is attached to faith. Repentance is not merely turning from sin, but turning to God and placing our faith in him. So our supplication is “according to Your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We have confidence that God will forgive, not because we are particularly sorry or worthy of saving, but because God has made promises through his Son. Forgiveness, justification, comes through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Finally, with our sins covered by grace, we ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to sanctify us. Confession, repentance, and forgiveness do no good if we remain in sin. I can confess sin every day, but if I never endeavor to live in God’s law by the help of the Holy Spirit, what good is my confession? Of course, this is not something we can do on our own; we must be granted obedience. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. He must be at work in us “that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life to the glory of [His] holy Name.”

This is the pattern for confession: admission of guilt, recognition of dependence, supplication, faith in Christ, and sanctification. This Lord’s Day, pay attention as we pray these words, and take our time of silent prayer as an opportunity to drive deeper into one of those elements. What particular sins do you need to repent of? What special help do you need from the Spirit? And take this prayer home as well. Use this five-step model to help you confess your sins on your own, and trust in Christ’s grace to forgive.

Updates

1. This is the last week for Operation Christmas Child boxes! We will pray for them in worship before sending them off. If you cannot bring your box to worship, the distribution center at First Church in Lucedale will be open throughout the week.

2. We will have a Thanksgiving service at 4PM next Sunday, November 23rd. Invite your friends and families to join us!

3. Choir and Bible study will meet one more time this year. Then, Bible study will take a break until January. Our next Bible study will be on the second half of Psalm 22.

Your friend in Christ,
Reid