Psalm 32:5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”– and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Confession is an interesting thing. We certainly aren’t telling God anything He doesn’t already know. However, the act of confession frees us from the prison we have created for ourselves by our sin. It is when we try to hide everything that we wind up in more and more bondage. That’s not to say that being open about our sin gives us license to continue it; that is making a mockery of the grace of God. That’s exactly what the “pride” movement is doing, trying to get others not only to accept but affirm degeneracy of all sorts. The vast majority of such people got into perversion through the sins of others against them, in one way or another, but that ultimately isn’t an excuse. We all encounter a great deal of junk of one sort or another, living in a fallen world and surrounded by fallen individuals, but how we respond to what is done to us is ultimately our own responsibility. That’s what confession is all about: accepting responsibility. Another trick of the devil at this point is to try to get us to atone for our own sins, rather than accepting that only God can do that. That’s what Judas did, committing suicide in an acknowledgment of his sin without submitting himself to God for Him to deal with it. His confession to the priests (Matthew 27:3-5) didn’t cut it, because he was just confessing to people and not yielding himself to God. Genuine confession is inseparable from repentance, which is turning from the sin in question. If you confess your sin but then continue to wallow in it, you certainly haven’t repented. The devil does his utmost to convince us we can’t really be freed from our sin, and sadly, he’s often effective, causing people to give up. Paul wrote extensively about this in such places as Romans 6, where he admonishes us to “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:11) That doesn’t mean we’ll never slip up, as Paul himself laments in Romans 7, but then he starts the next chapter with a glorious affirmation: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1) Confession to God is what opens the door to that glorious grace.

I could write at considerable length about this because I have experienced it so much myself! I well remember one time when I was liberated from a persistent sin by a verse from Peter: “But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.” (2 Peter 1:9) God used that verse to get through to me that when sins are confessed and repented of, they are gone. The devil keeps bringing them up, telling us nothing has changed, but he’s a liar as always. It’s just like John wrote: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 ) I earnestly look forward to heaven, where I will be freed from the presence of sin, but meanwhile I can rejoice that right now I am freed from the power of sin.

Father, thank You for this reminder. It’s such a vital truth, yet so many are blind to it. I pray that You would enable me to communicate it to others so that they may be freed from the traps of the enemy, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!