Confession Should Be as Public as the Sin
A Few Thoughts on this Unhelpful Principle
This morning, a friend and I sat down for coffee and a bagel to read through 1 John together. We both recently purchased Scot McKnight’s translation of the New Testament called The Second Testament, and I have personally really enjoyed it… if you couldn't tell from previous posts.
As we were reading, we came to 1 John 1:9, which says, “If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NRSV). McKnight’s translation says, “If we openly agree [with God] about our sins, he is allegiant and right so that he releases us from our sins and cleans us from all wrongdoing.”
When we talked about the vulnerability and transparency involved in true confession, Corri said, using her best “preacher” voice, “Your confession should be as public as your sin.”
Oh boy.
Did the hair on the back of your neck stand up, or was that just me?
I think this is a bad idea for several reasons; here are four:
It is rooted in shame.
It emphasizes the individual.
It promotes secrecy and hypocrisy.
It prevents healing.
It breeds distrust.
It is Rooted in Shame (1/5)
In the first few chapters of Genesis, we read about a garden in which Adam and Eve lived and enjoyed a peaceful life. One thing that stands out to us about their living arrangement is that they wore no clothes. If you are reading this, it is beyond likely that I don’t want you to see me with anything less than swim trunks, and for reasons you probably understand, I still might be uncomfortable with that (is my church camp gang here? BCC? MCC?).
So while I don’t think we should turn our Sunday morning assemblies into nudist colonies, I do believe that we should have a “naked” or “unmasked” relationship with our brothers and sisters in Christ. What I mean is that we should be able to share anything with them because they are our adopted family in Christ.
If we understand Paul’s argument in Romans 1-3, then we should all realize that each person has struggles with the flesh, but all of us have been equally justified by the grace of God through faith.
This rule for confession keeps things nice and pretty on the outside because it lets us hide the stuff that really bothers us while correcting anything that might “bring shame upon the Lord’s church.” It’s basically saying, “Keep the dark secrets and struggles hidden, but if gives us a bad name, then bring it forward publicly so everyone knows we aren’t like that.”
It Emphasizes the Individual (2/5)
Another problem with this rule of confession is that it emphasizes the individual. One way of viewing sin I have come back to over and over is that sin is a “culpable disturbance of the peace intended for creation.” Sin, then, never just affects you as an individual, but it affects the world around you. This means that sin is way bigger than your personal relationship with God.
Confession, then, in this context means more than just personal healing, but it is also a way to participate in the renewal of all things through Jesus Christ - the healing of the nations.
It Promotes Secrecy and Hypocrisy (3/5)
When we confess the public sins and hide the private sins, it enables us to live double lives. When we’re with certain friends we can behave in a particular way, but when we’re with other friends, like our church friends, our language and behavior may be completely different.
Of course, this is natural.
I’m not going to talk about video games to some of my friends, and I don’t get into deep biblical discussions with others.
But when we are image bearers with some people and not others, or maybe in private, then we aren’t really living out the Way of Jesus.
This rule of confession enables us to not be ourselves… and get away with it. It enables us to put on our “Sunday best” once a week and clothe ourselves in the world’s clothes the rest of the week (Romans 12:1-2).
It Prevents Healing (4/5)
Related to the last point, confessing things that everyone knows about and holding back the things you do in private prevents healing. In the past, I, like many men and women in the age of the internet, have struggled with pornography. Its availability coupled with the secrecy and shame involved in sex and modesty make pornography seem like a “safe” alternative to fulfilling lusts with sex.
But, as we know, porn is not a victimless crime. Young men and women are coaxed into modeling jobs only to find themselves pressured into having sex on camera. It teaches bad habits and gives unrealistic expectations to both sexes. And it can change how we view the opposite sex, as a tool to fulfill desires instead of as a person to love and to seek mutual-pleasure with.
But since confession should be as public as our sins, many people go through life without ever telling anyone about the sins they struggle with the most.
James wrote, “Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective” (James 5:16, NRSV).
How can we expect to find healing if we try to fight our battles alone?
Now, be careful with this. Some use transparency as a way to control others. They may use it to blackmail you later… “You better do what I say because I know what you did last summer…”
But if you find people that you trust, then mutual-transparency can be life-giving and can bring healing to you and the world around you. You don’t have to do this alone.
It Breeds Distrust (5/5)
Finally, this rule of confession breeds distrust. While it may not be explicitly said, one may get the impression that church leaders don’t want to hear about all of that stuff. And if church leaders or members don’t want to hear about it, then the only people to turn to may be people who don’t get where you’re coming from as a person of faith.
The very people who you should be able to go to don’t seem safe.
That’s awful.
Unfortunately, some people want a church where everything is nice and neat. Everyone has on their “Sunday best” (and I don’t mean their clothes), and nobody overshares.
I think we should be prudent, but there shouldn’t be such a thing as TMI among believers. If we are going to participate with Jesus in the transformation of the world, then confession is a necessary step we must take, but it should be mutual.
One of the ways leaders may encourage this level of confession is by doing it themselves. Actually, this isn’t just a “may;” it is a must. If the leader isn’t confessing sins, which they definitely have, then the congregation has no reason to either and people who are suffering live without the healing available to them in Christ.