Call Us: 423 661-4734 | Email: requests@comeandreason.com      
The Purpose of Confessing Our Sins to Others

The Purpose of Confessing Our Sins to Others

The Bible says,

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:14–16 NIV84).

The Bible advises us to confess our sins to one another—but why? What does this mean? Is this talking about making one’s personal sins public? Is it talking about ritual confession with a church-authorized priest in a confessional booth?

And what is going on that James has connected confessing sins with healing from sickness?

My understanding is that James is guiding believers to apply the methods of God that bring healing to one’s heart and mind, and such healing also has a very positive impact on our physical health. James is not talking about a legal confession, a confession to a church official for some ceremonial absolution, nor is he talking about making personal sins public. He’s talking about confessing to another human being for the purpose of healing one’s heart and mind from the fear and shame that sin brings.

One of the impacts of sin, of transgressing the laws God has built into the operations of reality, of going against love, is that sin causes a change inside the sinner—they experience guilt, fear, and shame.

Guilt, fear, and shame activate the brain’s stress circuitry and trigger the body’s immune system, which increases various inflammatory factors; if not resolved, it contributes to various health problems, such as insulin resistance, obesity, adult-onset diabetes, vascular disease, depression, dementia, and other health problems.

Unresolved guilt, shame, and fear also interfere with sleep, which disrupts the immune system, circadian rhythms, the brain’s ability to clear waste products of metabolism, the body’s ability to reduce the stress cycle—all of which increase health problems.

Additionally, chronic guilt and shame undermine healthy relationships. People with chronic guilt and shame feel insecure, worrying about people finding out about whatever it is they are feeling guilt and shame about. They will be guarded, learn to wear social “masks,” pretending to be what they believe others want, and always keep certain boundaries up to prevent true intimacy for fear of rejection if people knew the cause of their guilt and shame. All of this worsens both mental and physical health.

God’s plan of salvation is the plan of healing, of restoration, of re-creation, of removal of the sin and its damaging effects from the lives of people and restoring them to health, to wholeness, to holiness, to righteousness—and this requires not a legal pardon for bad deeds but the removal of sin, the purging of fear, selfishness, guilt, shame, and all unhealthy motives from the hearts and minds of people.

God promises that if we turn to Him,

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws (Ezekiel 36:26, 27 NIV84).

God isn’t seeking to give us legal pardon; He is seeking to give us a new life, a healed life, a pure heart, a right spirit, a recreated and healed mind, motivated with a new spirit of love and trust.

One of the means God has ordained for the removal of fear and shame after one has repented and been reconciled to Him is the confession of one’s sins to another mature, Christian human being. The purpose of this is to purge the fear and shame, the doubt as to whether others could still love them, still care for them, still accept them, still allow them to be part of the community, still allow them to serve and be useful in God’s cause.

As soon as Adam and Eve sinned, they became afraid, ran, and hid because they were naked. They felt exposed. They were afraid of rejection, embarrassment, and humiliation, and they tried to cover their shame with their own fig-leaf garments. They tried to make themselves look good—their “mask” to cover up their guilt and shame.

This is what sin does to people; it damages the image of God within, corrupts the spirit of love with fear and selfishness, guilt and shame, which, if not removed, is corrosive, leading to isolation, which further inflames fear with subsequent worsening of one’s physical health.

Sinners who have repented and received God’s love and forgiveness also need to experience real-life acceptance, connection, reconciliation, love, and being valued by people who know of their sins. So that they can know their sin has not invalidated their life, permanently ruined them, and made them worthless. It is when the repentant person experiences from another human that they are genuinely loved and accepted despite another person knowing their most shameful sins that the shame and fear that cause isolation and distrust are removed.

One of the places this is most effectively practiced and demonstrated is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meetings. When an alcoholic goes to an AA meeting, they introduce themselves, saying, “Hello, I’m Bob, and I’m an alcoholic.” They confess their addiction, and the group responds with, “Welcome, Bob.”

This process demonstrates the healing element of what James is advising. The alcoholic knows they are struggling, knows they have a problem, knows they have let themselves, God, family, and friends down. They have tried repeatedly on their own to stop, but they have repeatedly failed and feel discouraged, helpless, and ashamed, fearing rejection, condemnation, and even punishment. They fear no one could love them if they knew about their sins; their dignity is damaged; they fear to look others in the eye, and, thus, at the AA meeting, they confess their addiction and experience that they are accepted despite everyone knowing of their weakness.

But simultaneously with their acceptance as a human who is valued and loved, the AA group identifies the addiction as destructive, harmful, and something to be overcome so that the addict can be healed and set free. The alcoholic is accepted; the addiction is not. Likewise, Christians are to always love and accept the sinner who is repentant but struggling while we reject the sin and seek to apply God’s methods in achieving victory. Part of this healing action is the loving acceptance of a repentant sinner.

When the repentant sinner experiences the acceptance, love, and appreciation from people despite them knowing about their sins, there is a relief from fear and shame. Their stress circuitry calms, the inflammatory cascade turns off, sleep improves, and physical health improves. The individual can move forward without the “mask,” living an authentic life, making real connections, in which they are known. All of this has a healing impact on our entire being.

This full healing confession is specifically prescribed for addicts in the fourth and fifth steps of AA’s 12 steps, which read:

Step 4: Make a Searching and Fearless Moral Inventory of Yourself

Step 5: Admit to God, Yourself, and Another Human Being the Exact Nature of Your Wrongs

These steps apply the healing principle that James has instructed. In order to heal from sin, we must stop running from the truth that we are broken and admit to God, ourselves, and at least one other human being the truth about ourselves, our struggles, our weaknesses, and our sins. When we do, we experience forgiveness from God, a new heart from God, re-creation from God, love from God, and a new animating motivation from God. And when we confess to at least one other human being and they live in harmony with Jesus and respond as Jesus would, then we experience acceptance. And it is in experiencing this human acceptance that the fear and shame are removed. The removal of fear and shame from one’s heart and mind is a requirement for healing.

If you are struggling with chronic fear, guilt, and shame, I would encourage you to do a searching moral inventory and then go to God, confess all to Him, and ask Him for a new heart and right spirit, experience His presence in your inner being, His love, peace, grace, mercy, acceptance. And then find at least one mature Christian and have this conversation, explaining your longing for God’s healing in your life, and confess your sins to that person so that you can experience that you are loved as a child of God and that your past sins have not excluded you from God’s love, grace, or fellowship in His family.

If you would like to explore the power of prayer and the purpose of the oil in James’ recommendation above, check out our blog Anointing Oil: Real Remedy or Superstitious Ceremony?

Email me the blog whenever a new one is published.

Donate online, securely via PayPal using your credit or debit card (no PayPal account needed, unless you want to set up a monthly, recurring payment).


cancel recurring payment

 

Want to use zelle instead?
See how on our
Support and Donations page.

Upcoming Events

calendar

Testimonial Post Slider

Testimony 3

My husband is a pastor and I listen to your lesson almost every week. Thank you for helping me in my study life and to help me love the “real” God more.

C. F., NC, USA

 

Testimony 35

I am so pleased with the response your message is receiving at my church from the middle-aged to the young adults. I have given out 100 copies of the first two seminars and there are more request every week. One of my [class members] came to me after viewing the series, grateful and impressed with how easy the message was retained. He had been a Seventh-day Adventist in fear all his life, and felt like the scales were removed from his eyes after viewing the seminars. I am so impressed by the change I see in members who have received this message, we are in one accord. However, I am sadden by the negative response of the older people. I am verbally attacked anytime I talk about imposed laws, but I believe my mission is to enlightened everyone I can. I watch your Bible Study Class on YouTube every Friday night and I feel like I am apart of the class. All of you are in one accord and I am so blessed to have found you. I pray that all of you continue to spread this message and I am committed to doing my part.

Clara S., Westfield, MA, USA

 

Testimony 70

I have been watching you for many years and have learned to love God with all my heart. I was raised by a loving Christian mother that had been lied to about who God really was, so our religious upbringing was hell fire and damnation. As soon as I was old enough and moved out, I not only left the church, I ran as fast as I could to get away from it. Sad to say, it wasn’t until the past couple of years that I learned and understand who my Father really is and how much He loves me. I understand God’s Design Laws (which make sense) and when I’m teaching my church Bible study class, I’m able to really put to use the things I’ve been learning and Holy Spirit is leading. Thank you for introducing me to my Father of true, pure love. Everyday with Him is new and exciting. One thing that breaks my heart is that I didn’t know Him sooner. God Bless you and your ministry!

Judy Phelps, Reno, NV, USA

Testimony 2

I continue to enjoy your lessons every week. The more that I research your conclusions, the more I am convinced that the Holy Spirit has lead you to distill out the essence of human redemption. Thank you for your courageous stand for the truth.

S. G., TX, USA

 

Testimony 18

The Healing the Mind DVD set tarted me on a journey that has changed my relationship with our loving God more significantly than any other study, and brought me to your book and Bible study podcasts, which I now listen to daily, thanks to the availability of archived content on your site and on iTunes.

Anonymous

 

Testimony 1

Thank you! I love listening to the Come And Reason Ministries Bible study classes and am using some of your notes to get the lessons together that I will be teaching. You always have such good quotes and Bible texts and pull things together to make good sense.

T. C., IN, USA

 

Testimony 11

I would love to have a copy of “Healing the Mind” DVDs to have in my therapy office. I enjoy having clients check out materials to enhance their therapy experience. I have sat under Dr. Jennings’ teaching at an American Association of Christian Counselors convention and respect his work greatly.

K.B., LA, USA

 

Testimony 32

The message [of Come And Reason Ministries is] for all Christians (and those who may become Christians) and not just Adventists or any other group. It is difficult to imagine why any [anyone] with intellectual and spiritual honesty could find fault with the way you explained the healing substitution concepts and the truth about God’s character, though I know some will reject and criticize. On behalf of those in our group near Tacoma, WA, thank you and your staff for all of the hard work and for sharing the Gospel in this manner. God’s message of healing love will be carried to the whole world and then Jesus will come – He promised it.

Terry U., Tacoma, WA, USA

 

Testimony 6

I got the book “Could It Be This Simple?” a few months ago and the reading was wonderful and I was fascinated. I lent the book to a friend at work. She is having a difficult time and the book is helping her to find Jesus and I found this very exciting. She has asked me questions and I can see her life changing.

H. S., Australia

 

Testimony 30

God lead me to your book “The God-Shaped Brain” while I was searching for another book about the brain and then to your interview about your book on HeartWise Ministries [where] I found out about [Come And Reason Ministries]. I’m now devouring the webcasts of your Bible studies. I have been so greatly blessed and I thank God so much for your courage to speak the Truth in love no matter what. Listening to you contrast the two opposing systems (laws) and digging deep to unearth the hidden treasures in the Bible makes me so incredibly happy and I feel very blessed to be part of your Bible Study Group although I live far away. I am just so excited that there is a group of people that is spreading the Truth about the character of God and it saddens me how few realize what our Father in Heaven is really like.

Kessy B., Australia

 

Testimony 42

I am just writing to say that I have been so blessed by the teachings of Come And Reason Minitries recently. I watched last week’s bible study lesson on Youtube and am thankful that the error in the printed lesson guide you use was pointed out and this week’s study was of equal benefit, if not more so. My understanding of God’s nature has been very confused of late and I am so grateful for clarity in this matter. I have never really fully understood previously how a good God can cause bad things to happen and now I realise that He doesn’t, it’s a natural consequence of sin. May the almighty Father and His Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, continue to bless your ministry.

Laura P., United Kingdom

 

Testimony 36

Thank you and may God continue to bless you as you share with others the intricacies of how we are all “fearfully and wonderfully made”. I must share that you have opened a whole new world to me, and I have found tremendous healing through what you have shared in two of your books, “Could It Be This Simple?” and “The God Shaped Brain.” I praise God for what you shared, what I have learned, and how I have grown and healed! My prayer is that My Precious Jesus will be seen by others in the way I live, act, talk, etc. and they may be encouraged to know He is truly a GREAT God of LOVE, desiring that no one should perish! God Bless you in your continued endeavors to present Him as He really is!

Joleen H. GA, USA

 

Testimony 43

Two years ago I stumbled upon your book, “Could It Be This Simple,” and then found “The God-Shaped Brain” videos on YouTube, your bible study class, and the ‘Come And Reason’ mobile app. I shared your book with a friend and after nine months of showing love, patience, and kindness this person has been changed by the love of God, too. The same love that healed me, I now express to other women in tangible ways, such as to a Baptist woman with high anxiety and childhood trauma. She was extremely happy and relieved when I shared about the so-called “judgment of God” and burning in hell. She had no desire to serve a God that was so harsh. I have repeated the phrase dozens of times to her. “What we believe has power over us, but we have power over what we believe…”

This message that you are sharing has changed my life. I will continue to serve other women and bring this message of God’s healing love to their lives by sharing your books, YouTube videos, and The Remedy Bible app. Keep up the good work. Don’t be discouraged. God is doing a mighty work in and through this ministry!

Jill L., Midwest, USA

 

Testimony 38

Since November 2015, when I started studying Gods word from this God Is Love point of view, my life has been transformed. My troubled marriage of 15 years has been healed and my husband and I are truly happy for the first time in 15 years. Now When I read the word of God I understand it so much better and I can’t help but see Gods love radiating through the pages to humanity. Gods word is living and active and I am blessed beyond measure to be having this amazing experience. God has given me a beautiful understanding of Jn 3:16 that amazes me more and more each day. Thank you again for your ministry.

Helen D., London, England

 

Testimony 20

I just wanted to personally thank you for your teachings and insight into scripture. I came across your website via my cousin who suggested I look into “Healing the Mind” information. My youngest daughter has been struggling over the last couple of years and it all came to a head this spring. When I started listening to the “Healing the Mind” lectures my own life began to be transformed. I began sharing with all my daughters the concepts you laid out so clearly. I ordered your book and soaked it up. I just want to say “Thank You!” My walk with the Lord has been refreshed and renewed. Your obedience to the Lord is a blessing to so many.

R. K., Anderson, SC, USA