Confession

The New Testament has much to say about the role of confession in the life of the believer. I did a simple search of the New American Standard version with my Bible software of every occurrence and variation of the word confess in the New Testament. I got 30 hits and 27 verses. This brings forth the questions; What are we to confess? What should be the emphasizes of our confession? What aspect of our confession should capture the affections of our mind, will and emotions.

An aggregate of the 30 occurrences broke down as follows. Five times it related to personal confession of sin. Four times it merely brought clarification. Three times it references Christ confessing us before the Father. Eighteen times it relate to some aspect of the believer confessing the Kingdom of God, Christ and / or the Gospel. The overwhelming emphases is God centered not man centered. It is more about Him and less about us.

Of the five occurrences of confession of sin, two are in the Gospels and are in preparation for the revealing of the Messiah. One is in Acts dealing with new believer’s initial commitment to Christ. One is in James in context of sin connected to physical healing. The final one in 1 John exhorts those inclined toward Gnosticism to confess, or rather to agree with God about acts in the flesh defined in scriptures as sin.

Also, I found it very interesting that no where in the writings of Paul does he ever state that we are to confess our sins. This should bring many questions to mind. What is the role of confession in forgiveness of the believer? How are we to progress in our sanctification? Is this an oversight on Paul’s part, or does Paul know and practice something we don’t understand.

Paul talks about knowing (we were crucified), reckoning (we are truly dead to sin) and presenting are bodies to God (through the Spirit’s power) for godly living. When accused of being soft on sin Paul recoils at the thought “How can dead men sin?” (my paraphrase). On the subject of sin the rest of his writing can be summed up “Stop Sinning!”

However what Paul does seem to stress in confession is that we acknowledge or confess all the benefit derived from being in Christ. Consider Philemon 6, “That the communication of your faith may be made effectual through the acknowledging of every good thing in you in the Lord.” Perhaps that type of confession should become a regular activity for us.

In Christ Confessions from Paul of The Benefits of The Gospel

Romans 5:1 we have peace with God
Romans 5:5 we have the Holy Spirit
Romans 5:9 we are saved from the God’s wrath
Romans 6:6 our sinful nature is immobilized
Romans 6:18 we are slave of righteousness.
Romans 7:6 we serve in newness of the Spirit
Romans 8:2 we are free from the law of sin and of death
Romans 8:37 we are overwhelmingly conquerors
Romans 8:9 we are in the Spirit
Romans 8:11 our bodies are quickened by the Spirit
Romans 8:16 we are children of God
Romans 8:28 for us all things to work together for good
Romans 10:11 we will not be disappointed
Romans 15:14 we are filled with all knowledge
1 Corinthians 1:5 we have enhanced speech and knowledge
1 Corinthians 1:7 we lack no spiritual gifts
1 Corinthians 1:8 we will be confirmed blameless
1 Corinthians 1:30 He is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption
1 Corinthians 2:16 we have the mind of Christ
1 Corinthians 3:22 all things belong to us
1 Corinthians 6:2 we will judge the world
1 Corinthians 12:7 we have the manifestation of the Spirit
1 Corinthians 14:26 each has a psalm, teaching, revelation, tongue, or an interpretation
2 Corinthians 2:14 we always triumph
2 Corinthians 5:17 we are a new creation
2 Corinthians 5:21 we are the righteousness of God
Ephesians 1:3 we are blessed with every spiritual blessing
Ephesians 1:4 we were chosen before time to be holy and blameless
Ephesians 1:5 we are predestined for adoption
Ephesians 1:7 we have redemption, and forgiveness
Ephesians 1:11 we are predestined for an inheritance
Ephesians 1:13 we are sealed with the Holy Spirit
Ephesians 2:5 we are made alive to God
Ephesians 2:6 we are seated now in heaven
Ephesians 2:10 we are His workmanship
Ephesians 2:13 we have been brought near to God
Ephesians 2:19 we are citizens of God's household
Ephesians 3:20 His power performs for us far beyond our thinking
Philippians 4:13 we can do all things through Christ
Colossians 1:13 we have been translated from domain of darkness, and transferred to His kingdom
Colossians 1:15 on our behalf He disarmed the demonic rulers and authorities
2 Timothy 1:7 we have not a spirit of fear, but of power and love and sound mind
Titus 2:11 His grace empowers us to deny ungodliness, worldly desires and to live godly