You may have heard the expression that ‘confession is good for the soul’. It’s a nice idea and it shows recognition that getting something off our chest has a personal benefit. However, that saying may betray both good and bad thinking.
Let me explain.
In society in general there are those who acknowledge God and respect that we live in His world, and those who think God either doesn’t exist or is irrelevant. Those who ignore God have a problem, that they find it hard to ignore spiritual practices.
Millions of people have been transformed, found peace, come out of deep messes, had their lives and relationships restored and so on, by respecting God, following Bible instructions, prayer, faith in God or doing things that Christianity promotes. Those who won’t acknowledge God have to find an explanation for the good that comes from certain things, without giving credit to God.
So there are many who might say ‘confession is good for the soul’ and mean that the act of making confession is effective, not because it has anything to do with God. Similarly they might say, ‘It’s good to believe in something’. By that they mean that what you believe in may not be true but the act of believing is a personally beneficial process.
Similarly there are secular voices which promote the idea of forgiving, but suggesting we should forgive ourselves for not being what we hoped to be. Others suggest that prayer is just a form of meditation and getting clarity in our thinking.
By these devices those who reject God try to explain how some people have amazing transformation through faith, prayer, forgiving offenders, confessing their sins, trusting God’s Word, believing in God and so on.
Maybe we should clarify the statement about ‘confession’ and say that ‘Confession to God is spiritually powerful’. When we transact personal business with God it certainly is ‘good for our soul’. But it’s actually good for our whole being. It brings healing to our spirit and brings us into right relationship with God. That causes our soul to be free from negatives impacting us from our wrongs.
King David tells of the personal discomfort we can experience when we don’t confess our sins to God.
“When I kept silent my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. Day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength dried up as by the heat of summer.” Psalm 32:3,4
“I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.” Psalm 38:18
The Apostle John assures us that confessing our sins leads not only to being forgiven, but also to being cleansed internally.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9
The act of ‘confession’ may be good for the soul, as in admitting something to ourselves or revealing our fault to those around us. But the true benefit of confession and the benefit that has the greatest impact on our soul, is our confession to God.
Confessing to man might clear the air, but confession to God brings forgiveness and cleansing and puts us in right standing with God.
There is a scorning mindset in the hearts of unbelievers, causing them to reject evidence for the blessing of God. They are determined to discount the impact of the Gospel and godly wisdom in people’s lives, watering it down to mere social process or innate personal qualities released in a person.
When I was a first year student at Sydney University the Psychology lecturer repeatedly brought up his beliefs that spiritual grace in people’s lives was mere psychological process at work. He particularly scorned people responding to the gospel at large meetings, such as the large Billy Graham Crusade meetings in Australia. He said the response was a temporary feeling based on heightened emotional state, or something like that.
I went to him privately and told him that both my parents became Christians through a Billy Graham crusade and their lives were completely transformed. Plus they had maintained their commitment ever since and were keen to serve God. He simply said they were the exception to the rule. He must have had his own reasons for not wanting to acknowledge God.
Friends, the things we are taught in the Bible are not psychological gimmicks to make people feel good. They are the instructions of the Living God, our Creator, Who knows best what is best for us. Best for us is intimate relationship with Him as our Heavenly Father.
So take seriously the truth of the Gospel, your need to confess your sins to God, your need to repent, your need to forgive offenders and put your faith in Christ. Take seriously the importance of reading and hearing God’s Word, the Bible, and having frequent fellowship with fellow believers, in church, home groups, Bible Studies and general fellowship.
All of those things are vitally important for this life and your eternal blessings as God’s Child. And, wonderfully, they have the added benefit of being Good For The Soul.
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