Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.
It is the day after Easter. News of the most amazing event in history has spread around the globe. Everyone has been confronted by the reality of this amazing story. God in the flesh is killed by the beings he created. Three days later, the Son of God is seen alive again. Not just by one or two people but by hundreds of people who knew him before he died.
Myself and others, maybe even you, have chosen to believe in his resurrection and promise of forgiveness. Now what?
Now what, indeed.
Now, in order to escape the death trap of sin, we confess our sins. Jesus promises we will be forgiven. If a person is a follower of Jesus, he also will forgive our sins. (See James 2: 14-26 if someone claims to be a follower but does not forgive.)
James adds that we should pray for each other. He wants us well. Who among us needs to healing? It is not just those with Coronavirus!
Many hurts and wounds cannot be seen with the eye. Who had a perfect childhood? Who has a perfect spouse? Who’s work environment has never proven toxic? Who always gets their way in every relationship they were ever involved in?
Yes, even when our body is working well, we all need healing.
Application: Take James’ advice.
Food for Thought: How does hiding our sin impact our wellbeing?
If we hide our sin then we avoid the accountability that we need. Besides, ultimately our sin is not truly hidden. Hebrews 4:13; Luke 12:2-3.
Rich,
Great point! God knows!! If we choose to believe otherwise, we are only fooling ourselves.
We are forgiven sinners, but trying to hide revealed sins has monumental consequences.
Isaiah 59:2 Our sin separates us from God, He will turn away and not hear us.
Proverbs 28:13 Hide our sins, we will not succeed, confess and reject our sins, we will receive mercy.
1 John 1:9 Confess our sins, He is faithful and just, will forgive our sins, purify us from all unrighteousness.
Anon –
You make some excellent points!! Unconfessed sin – sin we are aware of but choose to hide – becomes a barrier between our Maker and ourselves. Like interest on a bad loan, it compounds our difficulties.
You got it Jeff/
Hi Ron! I thought that might be you. 🙂