Our Roman Catholic friends have maintained a great tradition. They continue to provide opportunities for us to confess our sin to a priest in the privacy of a confessional booth. This is a great provision and comes from James 5: 16-17 which advises us to "...confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another... ."
Although James is one of my favorite books and though I have preached on the James 5 passage, it only recently occurred to me what a great verse this is, because it is a deterrent to sin. Yes, you read that right, it is a deterrent.
How so?
Think about it. Do you really want to have to tell another human about your sin? I sure don't. I have done it, and I don't like it at all. I haven't always confessed to another person, though I do confess to G^d. But the public nature of confession to a person makes a strong deterrent to me--and likely to you.
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9.
Let us think of the need to confess our sin, and let us live with purity, and with the knowledge that G^d indeed forgives.
We are forgiven! Praise the L^rd!
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