The second sermon in the "‘Liturgy for Life’ series.
Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:5-2:2
Confession | Why should we spend time regularly confessing our sins as a part of our Sunday liturgy? and as part of our personal liturgies? John gives us three reasons:
We confess our sins whenever we truly recognize and acknowledge who God is. There is a biblical logic to our regular order of worship. Tt goes like this - when we recognize and acknowledge who God is in his holiness, glory and greatness (which is what the call to worship is calling us to do), we recognize and acknowledge v5“God is light and there is absolutely no darkness in him.” When this happens we recognize and acknowledge all the ways we have sinned and fall short of the glory and holiness of God. This pattern is repeated throughout Scripture when anyone gets even a glimpse of God’s glory.
We confess our sins because it’s the truth. Light is an image of God’s pure moral holiness. Light is also an image of how fellowship with God reveals what is true and exposes deception, lies and things that are in the dark. When we encountered God, light is shone on things we want to hide or that are hidden to us until He shows us. “Walking in darkness” in this passage doesn’t mean not having any sin or never sinning - it means living in a way where we don’t see or admit our sin. The word confess simply means “to say the same thing”. Confession is telling the truth about our sin; it’s bringing it to the light.
We confess our sins, so that we have fellowship with one another. v7 states something surprising. Confession gives us fellowship with one another. How? Confession of the truth of who we are before the glory and holiness of God enables us to be ourselves as we are with one another. Our pride is cut down. We don’t see ourselves as above others but as sinners in equally in need of a Savior. Here is the starting point for true relationship. The masks come off. Judgment, competition and suspicion can be left behind. We give others the grace we know we so desperately need ourselves.
Assurance | Confession is just one side of a two-sided coin. Every time our liturgy includes confession, we always follow that confession with “words of assurance”. Why? Here are 3 reasons from the text:
We need assurance because confession without assurance is a misrepresentation of the gospel. Assurance without confession is self-deceit (ie not living in the light) but confession without assurance is self-condemnation. It is not living in the truth of verse 9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. Amazingly, John doesn’t say if we confess our sins, He is gracious and merciful to forgive us. Here’s what he is saying - If Jesus has already taken the judgment and condemnation our sins deserve (see 2:2), God cannot and will not condemn us, judge us or punish us for the sins Jesus has already died for! To do so would make him a liar and unjust! Thus, to call for confession and not give assurance is to misrepresent God and the gospel of Jesus.
We need assurance of forgiveness, because we can’t give it to ourselves. Many of us try to be our own advocate when we sin or fail. We tell ourselves, “it’s ok, everyone makes mistakes, we are all sinners, right?” etc. This may help us to move on but it doesn’t give us any of the liberation and joy of real assurance. John tells us we need an advocate outside our ourselves – and that is who Jesus is. He speaks for us and to us reminding us that He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins. He is sufficient to cover, cleanse and forgive all our sins – none of our groveling, attempts to atone or punish ourselves are needed.
We receive assurance so that we may not sin. Does constant assurance of forgiveness time and time again lead us to not to use it as a “free pass” to sin? It will for those who don’t really confess and don’t really understand the promise of assurance. If we see and confess sin for what it is –what breaks our fellowship with God and others, what leaves me alone in the dark, in lies and self deceit AND we see Jesus for who He is – the One who took what my sins deserve, so that we have what he deserves – a 100% unbreakable assurance that God, the Father loves us, approves of us, delights in us and is committed to our ultimate and greatest good… if that is what we taste in confession and assurance, why would we turn back to sin? The rhythm of confession and assurance leads us into a turning away from sin and its dead-end emptiness and a turning to Jesus in his loving fellowship. In this is the power for change – week after week and day after day.
Reflect or Discuss
What about this sermon most impacted you or left you with questions? How do experience our weekly time of confession and assurance?
“To not make time for confession on Sundays is like saying we don’t expect to really meet God in his holiness, glory and greatness” Do you agree? How does the pattern in Scripture of people meeting God support this statement?
If confession is telling the truth about our sin, why is this important for us to do regularly? Why can’t we just do it alone?
Have you seen how confession actually strengthens your fellowship with someone? How so?
It was said Christians need to practice “non-selective” confession. ie confession of all the bible calls sin. Do you agree that we avoid confessing sins that may “score a point” for those who see on the “other side” or “opposing side” of disagreements?
Do you struggle more with assurance without confession? How do we know when our confession is more for us and not for God? Or do you struggle more with confession without assurance? How is not accepting assurance a way of trying to be our own Savior?
Why is it not enough for us to tell ourselves we are forgiven (ie being our own advocate)? How does knowing Jesus is your advocate help us not wallow in guilt or despair?
Describe how the regular practice of confession and assurance can lead us not to sin.
Your Daily Liturgy
In this series, we will be encouraged to “take ownership” of our daily liturgies (patterns, habits). Saying, “I’m so busy”, “I go with the flow, “I just go about my day” are examples of not taking ownership of the shape and structure of our lives. How can the shape and pattern of my daily life be built around the gospel of Jesus Christ?
How can confession and assurance become a regular part of your daily liturgy?
Why would it be important for you to include this as a regular personal habit?
How might it make a difference for how you experience challenges and failures of each day?
Some ideas include – nightly prayer of examen, daily time in the “C” of A.C.T.S. based on the passage of scripture, developing the habit of confessing your specific sins vs blanket prayers of confession, the practice of having “short accounts” with those close to you – confessing sin, no matter how small, as quick as possible, from a genuine heart.
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