SEPTEMBER 19, 2014
On
Being Known
Read: James
5:16-20
I acknowledged my sin to You . . . . I said, “I will confess my
transgressions to the Lord,” and You forgave the iniquity of my sin. —Psalm 32:5
One of the most
difficult inner conflicts we have is our desire to be known versus our fear of
being known. As beings created in the image of God we are made to be
known—known by God and also by others. Yet due to our fallen nature, all of us
have sins and weaknesses that we don’t want others to know about. We use the
phrase “dark side” to refer to aspects of our lives that we keep hidden. And we
use slogans like “put your best foot forward” to encourage others to show their
best side.
One reason we are
unwilling to risk being known is that we fear rejection and ridicule. But when
we discover that God knows us, loves us, and is willing to forgive even the
worst thing we have done, our fear of being known by God begins to fade away.
And when we find a community of believers who understands the dynamic
relationship between forgiveness and confession, we feel safe confessing our
sins to one another (James 5:16).
The life of faith is
not about showing only our good side. It’s about exposing our dark side to the
light of Christ through confession to God and also to others. In this way we
can receive healing and live in the freedom of forgiveness.
Lord, help me to
expose my sin,
Those secret wrongs
that lurk within;
I would confess them
all to Thee;
Transparent I would
always be. —D. DeHaan
The
voice of sin may be loud, but the voice of forgiveness is louder. —D. L. Moody
Insight
In James 5, James
defines and describes the deep and intimate connection that should exist
between Christian brothers and sisters. Confession (5:16) requires deep
openness and revealing of that which we would rather hide—our sins. But James
says that confession of sin is to be met with prayer, not judgment. He goes on
to say that the healing mentioned in verse 16 is related to the covering of
sins in verse 20. Confession must be coupled with a change of action. Without
change, confession is merely a response to guilt feelings. Godly sorrow for sin
leads to a different direction in life. When we hear others’ confessions, we
help each other to continue on the path of righteousness.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
