Confession.... under judgement??

Confession.... under judgement??

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.  The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.  James 5:16

If you grew up in church, then you most likely have spent some time trying to figure out just how the above scripture actually works.  Most of the folks I have talked to about this have come to the point where they are of the mindset of, "You must be crazy if you think I am unloading all of my failures, and have all of the people's judgement of my actions.  You have no idea the shame it would cause me."  The fear of transparency has been ushered in by the culture we have created... especially in the church.  It is a culture of self-righteousness and pride that can only come from a thought that someone is above the sacrificial action Jesus did on the cross.  I must confess (and dare one to judge), after growing up in a religious culture of shame, I have committed my fair share of unsubstantiated judgements.  I beg forgiveness for anyone who sees this and has experienced this from me.  Know that I am not the person I once was.  I had no right.

"Do not judge, so that you won't be judged.  For with the judgement you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.  Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but don't notice the log in your own eye?" Matthew 7:1-3

So this culture that we have created has been an open invitation to the enemy, who has established a spirit of fear within the church.  In our own conventional "wisdom", we have created an environment which is not conducive to confession, yet we are called to bear one another's burdens and confess our own sin to others.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9

In John chapter 8, Jesus tells those of judgement if there is one without sin, cast the first stone.  One by one, they dropped their stones to the ground and left.  They knew that Jesus was without sin and didn't act.  Perhaps they began examining their own lives.  Examination of the heart is called for in our humanity.  Scripture tells us that God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).  If we are made in His image, we should do the same....starting with our own lives.

Imagine the peace that was experienced by the woman who was almost stoned to death when Jesus told her He had no condemnation for her.  "Go and sin no more", was His response.  I will bet her life was changed forever.  I believe this because of lives I have seen changed...including mine.

Christ has liberated us to be free.  Stand firm then and don't submit again to a yoke of slavery.  Galatians 5:1

So once we are liberated, through repentance and forgiveness, we are instructed to not return to our sinful ways.  Jesus came to set us free from the guilt and shame of our failures.  We do this through confession of our struggles and failures.  If we fail to act in this manner, we carry a burden we are not meant to carry.  We also keep any encouragement we might need in our struggles inactivated.  Transparency will elevate the name of Jesus and, in reality, is your greatest weapon.

They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they did not love their lives in the face of death.  Revelation 12:11

The word of your testimony is the story of your depravity drowning in His grace.  This is abundant life.  What His plan is for you and me.  Shame and guilt can't be used by the enemy any longer at this point.  He is defeated in the name of Jesus.

I challenge each of you to find freedom through confession.  I know it is hard, but this is His desire for you...not to carry an unnecessary burden.  Trust Him... He wants you to... Leave the Ledge.

Please share this with those dealing with the shame of past failures.  There is freedom in the name of Jesus.