Veteran police detectives are so good at getting people to confess to crimes because they know a simple truth: the human heart wants to confess. The human heart needs to confess. The old saying “Confession is good for the soul” is accurate. Confession frees the heart of the enormous burden of guilt. It lifts the weight of shame off our consciences and allows us to start fresh with the truth.

 

Nathan pinned David down with the truth when he surprised the king with the words, “You are that man” (2 Samuel 12:7). David heard the voice of God in those words, and he realized that his sin was found out. The king did what we all must learn to do: He confessed and took responsibility for his actions. He opened his heart to the power of the Holy Spirit and fully understood that he had killed Uriah and hurt Bathsheba. And in the process, a baby also died. David had created victims.

 

He had sinned against them. But more important, after Nathan confronted him, David recognized that he had sinned against God. David’s sin against God was open rebellion against the way God ordered him to live. When we sin, we also create victims. But we also sin against God. We rebel against His guidelines and go our own way.

 

When we confess our sin, we are agreeing with God that our sin is rebellion against Him. Our confession keeps us from rationalizing and explaining away our actions. It allows us to begin to repair our relationship with God so that we can walk in relationship with Him. Let us take account of our sins, confess them, and be restored to right relationship. Don’t make God come looking for you.

 

In His Service,

Eric Barnes