James 5:13-20, “publicly confessing sin” [Listen]

Our culture today is desperately looking for real meaning, purpose, hope and relationship. This is GOOD NEWS for us here today – we have that to share. We have that to share in the person of Jesus and we should have that to share in our fellowship. God’s design is that we live meaning, purpose, hope and relationship! The problem is that much of what passes for Christianity today is nothing more than a different version of the world’s priorities and values. In the end it’s about the money, it’s about the “club”, it’s about self – how can we spin the Bible so that we can live for this world’s priorities and still talk like my loyalty is to Jesus and the Kingdom.

We have many today who complain about the church not being the instrument God intended. At the same time, however, often those that complain are unwilling to give their lives for the King and lead the way toward the way things should be. God’s plan for those who have been made right with God through faith in Jesus is that they would dedicate their lives to his fame and his mission. We are meant to be a people that participate in God’s vision (salt & light – Matt 5).

Philippians 2:14-15 (NIV)
¹⁴ Do everything without complaining or arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe

Three weeks ago we talked about “the great commission” and how it is our calling to move the gospel of Jesus forward in this world. Two weeks ago we talked about how God has entrusted to each of us great wealth (money, spiritual gifts, time, talent, purpose of life, etc) to be used for God’s glory. Because our talent is God’s property, using it wrongly is tantamount to theft. And last week we saw how Jesus, in the face of the religious norm, engaged those who needed him.

Today I’d like to talk about our health as we pursue God’s vision. I’d like to talk about one of the roles we should be playing in each others lives. We’re going to look at an often ignored biblical reality in the development of those who would follow Jesus so we can move toward the image of Jesus so we can better do the work of Jesus – the public confession of sin.

James 5:13-20 (NIV)
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

I have said repeatedly that we should be earnestly praying for and with each other, we should be supporting each other, we should love each other. In Romans 15:1 Paul says we should, “bear with the failings of each other” not for our own benefit but for the benefit of the other person.

The thinking that confessing sin is ONLY a necessary reality between God and the sinner is wrong (vs 16)! Yes I should absolutely confess to God and the individual I have sinned against. However, I am NOT living the gospel with you, as God intended, if I am not willing to live in community with you as God intended. God intended that we give of ourselves to each other, that we be open with each other so that we can be instruments of healing and grace for each other and thus better messengers of the gospel.

Confession is the open declaration of something. It is right that we publicly confess Jesus, for example. When we speak of confessing our sin we are declaring who we really are and how we have fallen short of God’s mark – so we can be healed.

We have a great example of confession and humility in the gospel of Luke:

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV)
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Church is only partially defined by what happens here on Sunday mornings. If, when you think of church, you think of Sunday morning as the definition; you’re in trouble. God has designed the local fellowship of God’s people to be God’s people being God’s people for God, for those around them, and for each other.

The public confession of sin:

1. conditions the church to better participate in its mission – making disciples. It helps us learn how to deal with the human condition in a healing way.
2. helps us curtail the masquerade. It helps us be real with each other. It seems like the longer you participate in a local fellowship the more likely it is that there is pressure to live up to some “I’ve got it all together” image.
3. allows us to expose our sin so we can put it behind us. It helps others put it away as well. I think there are those here who have not found full freedom from sin restoration with God because they have not taken the step of public confession. They are not getting the support, care and prayer that we as God’s people are here to give.
4. is an indicator that, not only are we confessing; we are repenting. Confession is not the same as repentance. It is one thing to confess, it is another to despise our sin and want to change direction. Most do not go through public confession if there is no repentance.

1 Peter 2:24 (NIV)

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Galatians 6:1-2 (NIV)

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other’s burdens (sin), and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Proverbs 28:13 (NIV)

He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

If you are not in a discipling relationship with someone where you can confess sin, I would encourage you to actively connect in this way. We must be real with each other so we can be healed and be agents of healing.