The Value of Confession

 

“Have mercy on me, O God,according to your unfailing love…”

—Psalm 51:1a

One of the advantages of liturgical worship is that the liturgy contains a time in the Worship Service for Confession of Sins. In the service at the church I attend, we first provide a time of corporate confession, where we pray aloud a unison prayer that is printed in the bulletin (worship folder). This is followed by an opportunity for silent prayer, in order to confess our personal and private sins. (Personally, for sincere theological reasons, I prefer to have the time of personal confession precede the corporate confession.) Next, we hear an Assurance of Pardon from Scripture, followed by a hymn or song of praise in response to the good news of the Gospel that the Lord Jesus Christ has paid the penalty for our sins by dying in our place on the cross at Calvary.

These parts of the Worship Service have become very precious to me over the last twenty years that I have worshipped in this way. While I realize that many devoted Christians do not like the concept of a traditional, liturgical Worship Service, I have found that the liturgy greatly enhances my sense of awe in worship.

Even though I take time to confess my sins in prayer each day, there is a pervading joy that always wells up within me during the time of Confession in the Worship Service. There is something very special, something cleansing, about joining with brothers and sisters in Christ to confess our corporate and personal sins.

King David experienced this feeling, as he prayed this prayer following his sin with Bathsheba, as recorded in Psalm 51:1-4, 10-13:

Have mercy on me, O God,according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

Let me urge all of us this day to keep short accounts with God. As we recognize we have sinned, we must always quickly confess our sins and receive the assurance that our sins have been covered by the precious blood of Jesus.

Confession is truly for our benefit to keep our hearts and minds perfectly clean. May God, indeed, “renew a steadfast spirit within us” this day and every day.

 

Based on a blog originally posted on Thursday, August 6, 2015

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