Confession Is Good For The Soul
Romans 10:8-10 (NIV) —
‘But what does it say? 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.’
Some of us have had experience of the regular practice of confession, followed by a formal absolution – a ‘clearing of the slate’ until the next time when the burden of sin becomes too much. This can, I would suggest, somewhat miss the point of confession being good for the soul.
A more positive format, I suggest, is to look at the power of confessing ‘Jesus is Lord’. When we utter these words as a heartfelt response of gratitude and praise for what Jesus has done in each of our lives; when these words leave our mouths and become a declaration of who Jesus is, the Light enters any present darkness and we are built up in faith, strengthened in our identity in Christ and immediately realigned with the truth that is in us.
Confessing where and in whom our salvation lies puts flesh on the bones of our identity and swells faith within us. Confessing to each other, and over each other, that Jesus is Lord leaves us ‘armoured up’ to face the day and any situation we will encounter there.
Let’s give it a go, shall we? Let’s encourage each other to confess regularly who we are in Jesus, in our quiet times, when we are out-and-about and when we meet to strengthen and encourage each other. Confession is more than good for the soul; it is vital in rooting ourselves in the truth of our identity in Jesus in every moment and in every situation. Let’s encourage each other to confess in confidence the truth we have been called to – that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Prayer - Jesus, help us to confess our salvation through your death and resurrection and to proclaim your lordship over our lives, so that we become unwavering in the certainty of our identity in you.