Momentum (Christ – centred, Spirit – empowered, Mission – focused)
A few weeks ago, I made a “life confession” to two godly friends. I felt vulnerable and emotionally naked as I shared my sins, my fears, and my temptations, but these precious men of God spoke words of forgiveness, affirmation, and grace into my soul.
As we neared the end of this intense journey, I was asked the question, “Do feel God has something further to bring to your attention?” I braced myself at that moment. I was sure that God was going to uncover what I had forgotten, or remind me of how much my sin had hurt Him, but in that delicate moment I was enveloped in an amazing silence. It was a loud silence, it was a safe silence, it was a liberating silence—it was God affirming that He was not condemning me and was completely pleased with me.
Many of us live with a tightly sealed room in our soul that contains our darkest thoughts and most horrific sins. The problem is that hiding sin creates darkness, and darkness destroys the soul. The Apostle John declares, “If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:6-7).
Shortly after my “life confession,” I felt completely free. My ministry has a new energy, and the voices of accusation are muted. Toxic shame has been stomped into silence by the boots of confession and forgiveness. I recognize that this is an ongoing discipline, but my soul is more alive and more empowered than it has been for years.
Every revival begins with repentance and confession. Secrets must be exposed in order for revival to thrive. The great revival that broke out in Canada during the early 1970s was a time of radical confession and repentance. Many of our Alliance churches had their altars filled with people who were under such conviction that secrets were confessed and the anointing of God’s Spirit fell with a mighty, cleansing power.
I want to encourage you to find a person with whom you can do a total life confession. Choose someone who is loving and truthful, who has demonstrated loyalty and maturity. Choose someone who will never use the information against you and who you know is cheering you on. Do not delay! Rob Reimer affirms, “God cannot cleanse our excuses. God cannot pardon our denials. God cannot cleanse that which we will not confess. God cannot heal that which we will not admit. There is no freedom without forgiveness and there is no forgiveness without repentance.”
It is time to walk in the light.
Please find the original version in C&MA website