“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” — 1 John 1:8-10
Have you ever heard the expression, “Confession is good for the soul?” Well it is. In 1973, noted psychiatrist, Dr. Karl Menninger, founder of the famous Menninger Clinic in Topeka, KS, shocked the psychiatric community with a best selling book, which debunked many of the psychiatric theories of that day. It was called, “Whatever Became Of Sin?”
After many years of experience in his field, Dr. Menninger came to the conclusion, that mental health and moral health were identical—and the reality of sin, which had all but disappeared from contemporary vocabulary, offered the best hope to the suffering, struggling and anxious world for treatment and prevention. Here’s an excerpt from Dr. Menninger’s book stating his observations and his challenge:
“In all of the laments and reproaches made by our contemporary seers and prophets, one misses any mention of ‘sin.’ Does that mean that no sin is involved in all our troubles—sin with an ‘I’ in the middle? Is no one any longer guilty of anything? Guilty perhaps of a sin that could be repented and repaired or atoned for? Is it only that someone may be stupid or sick or criminal—or asleep? Wrong things are being done, we know; tares are being sown in the wheat field at night. But is no one responsible, no one answerable for these acts? Anxiety and depression we all acknowledge, and even vague guilt feelings; but has no one committed any sins? Where, indeed, did sin go? What became of it?”
Sin, in the Bible, is an interesting word. It literally means, “to miss the mark.” It’s similar to someone shooting at a bullseye and missing the whole target. Now let’s face it. We all “miss the mark.” But here’s the good news. When we do, what does God tell us to do about it? He wants us to confess our sin—to Him. How do we do that? Well, just tell Him you’re sorry, and mean it. Tell Him that you’re going to do your best not to do it again. If you’ve offended someone in the process, maybe you should tell them you’re sorry, too. It’s amazing what that one little word will do. And the result? “He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Remember, confession is good for our souls and so is the forgiveness that comes with it. Maranatha!
Pastor Don
