Good Morning.
When a man or woman commits any sin that men commit in unfaithfulness against the Lord, and that person is guilty, then he shall confess the sin which he has committed. (Numbers 5:6-7)
This passage begs the question: “Can a person truly repent if there is no confession of the sin?” Furthermore, if there is no repentance, can there be forgiveness? The passage establishes that the person is guilty of sin and suggests that, if there is to be forgiveness and restoration, there must be a confession. In fact, one Jewish commentator believes that the general command of repentance is rooted in confession and a willingness to admit our wrongdoing. Saying “I’m sorry” isn’t always enough to right a wrong, but admitting one’s guilt is the first step to forgiveness and restoration.
There are people in this world who find it extremely difficult to say, “I”m sorry.” They will twist themselves into knots and jump through every hoop imaginable just to avoid having to admit they were wrong about something. Then there are those who will overuse the “I’m sorry” excuse to the point that it becomes meaningless. The point is, being sorry over our sin should begin in our heart and not our head. When we are truly remorseful over a transgression, it should naturally produce a confession of our error and a desire to be forgiven.
The old saying is, “Confession is good for the soul” and, frankly, I agree. But it is only good for the soul if the confession is genuine and if it is followed up by action that demonstrates a change of heart. So then, let us always be quick to admit our wrongs and seek forgiveness and restoration, willingly working to make every wrong right. And let us remember the words of Paul when it comes to confession:
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Yeshu and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
Recent Comments