Imagine how people would respond if I introduced myself by saying, “My name’s Ken and I’m a sinner.” Acknowledging my status as a sinner is theologically accurate. It’s also prerequisite to the repentance and faith that ushers me into the kingdom of God. Yet it would probably trigger a reaction.
In an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, people introduce themselves as alcoholics. This is a statement of fact: a fact that shapes behaviour to protect sobriety that brings life and freedom. If that fact is forgotten or denied, the alcoholic risks descent into self-destruction. It’s not about igniting feelings of guilt and shame, it’s a confession of a simple truth. While not a pleasant truth, it’s the foundational confession that’s prerequisite to life.
Confession and accountability have gotten a bad rap in recent decades, because of their capacity to evoke feelings of guilt and shame. These feelings have come to be perceived as harmful, and any action or process that may induce them has come to be seen as manipulative and perhaps abusive. Although writers like Brené Brown have pointed out the value of guilt as a kind of internal system warning of integrity outages, shame is almost universally understood as destructive: a sense that we’re flawed and deserve rejection. While both are intensely uncomfortable, our studious avoidance of anything that make evoke them robs us of the opportunity for confession and repentance that will bring us life and freedom.
Being a sinner is not how we like to think about ourselves. When we invite someone to pray a prayer of salvation, it often takes the form of ‘asking Jesus into their heart’, glossing over any call to confession and repentance. This sets the fledgeling believer up for a spiritual walk absent of the repentance and renewal that lead to fullness of life. Our liturgies may include opportunities for confession and absolution, but we tend to sail through them with little or no opportunity for self-examination. We’re on the verge of practicing a post-confession Christianity.
More than merely absorbing theological information, Christian formation a process of change toward Christ-likeness. Paul describes it as putting off our attitudes and behaviours at variance with the ways of Jesus, and putting on those more consistent. ‘Putting off’ inevitably involves acknowledging and forsaking – i.e. confession and repentance. Ignoring or glossing over the discipline of confession has set the church up for immaturity.
The protestant church has largely ditched the practice of confessing our sins to others. Hebrews teaches that we have Jesus as our great high priest and we can approach the throne of grace without mediation of an Earthly priest. We can now keep our confessions private. Yet I wonder if we’ve missed something.
The twelve steps of AA includes compiling a ‘fierce moral inventory’ – detailed account of one’s ‘sins’ – and then confessing the entire list before a trusted ally. Having another listen to a heartfelt confession is powerful.
In forming believers toward Christ-likeness, the process of discipleship must include regular rhythms of self-examination, confession and repentance. When sins are confessed to another, there’s opportunity for the hearer to remind their friend that God forgives their sins. There’s also opportunity for prayer, for mentoring and some accountability.
In seeking to form disciples in the ways of Jesus, the Christian minister who models regular, reflective and appropriately shared confession equips believers with a powerful discipline that augurs toward Christian maturity.
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