Public Confession-When Should I Make?

WHEN TO MAKE A PUBLIC CONFESSION
Sermon #435; by Joe McClure; Texts: James 5; I John 1; I John 3; I John 5; II Corinthians 2

Recently, sister Kelly asked that I preach on the issue of confessing sins.

Can we prove by the Scriptures that there are some times when a repentant Christian should notify the congregation that he/she has done wrong, has repented, and wants the church to pray on their behalf?

Can we prove that the Scriptures teach that sometimes we should not make a public confession, but instead that the repentant Christian should only pray to God, asking for forgiveness of sins?

One fact that we must admit up front is that sin, or trespasses, against the will of our Lord Jesus is an imminent danger for all.

Furthermore, we should also concede that we must always be on our guard against sin in our life.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [us], and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of [our] faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

First, we should understand that, if we have a question regarding the faith, the Holy Spirit has made us a promise.

2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Just as Peter and the other apostles had been given all things that related to life and Godliness, we also have been told that those same things have been written down, so that we also can know.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

With these promises before us, the main obstacle that we face in knowing God’s divine will relates to our own inabilities in learning and in understanding what those instructions are; thus the reason for the command to study to be approved unto Christ.

As we study this topic today, keep in mind that generally, that, to CONFESS indicates that we ACKNOWLEDGE something.

When we first come to Christ, and confess that Jesus is the Son of God, we acknowledge to those present our belief.

When we confess a sin, we acknowledge or take ownership of that sin.

Turn to our first proof text regarding confession of sins in James 5th chapter.

As we read these verses, I want you to keep in mind that the time of miracles has now been fulfilled (I Cor. 13.8-10).

At the time that James wrote this book, men still were able to heal the sick by miraculous ability.

James 5:14-15 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

It seems obvious to me that the miraculous is referred to in these two verses.

Not only would the sickness be healed, but in the healing, the man’s sins would also be forgiven.

As we notice in Verse 16, it appears that the forgiveness of sins is conditional upon confessing one’s sins.

James 5. 16 Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

In this situation, who was to do the praying?

My first reaction to this question is that the righteous man is doing the praying.

However, at second glance, it appears that even those with FAULTS can pray and be considered as RIGHTEOUS.

One truth that we can be sure of is that the RIGHTEOUS man is a man that is approved of, by God.

Can you find a PERFECT man to pray on your behalf, he who has committed no sins, himself?
Also, pay close attention to the phrase ‘one for another’.

Rather than praying for oneself, the one Christian was to confess his sins to the other brother, and then have that brother pray on his behalf.

Taken in its entire context, it appears to me that the confession of the sins must be as public as the sin confessed.

If we have been guilty of a sin that is known by many, we should ask the many to pray for us, that is, after that we have repented, and shown our repentance by our change.

This said, I must add that there is no example, or direct command here in James 5.16, that would allow us to teach that one must stand up front and make a public confession of his sins to the entire congregation, although this passage of Scriptures would confirm that there would certainly be no offense in doing so.

Sin stands between you and God.

The Bible teaches us that God is light, and in God exists no darkness at all.

The Holy Spirit teaches us that we are made pure by obeying the truth and by loving our brethren.

1 Peter 1:22-23 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, [see that ye] love one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

In order that God can answer our prayers and regard us kindly, we are forbidden to be evil.

We must be righteous if we hope to have God hear our prayers.

1 Peter 3:10-12 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord [are] over the righteous, and his ears [are open] unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord [is] against them that do evil.

Whether we know where this line is or not, there is a line that we cross, figuratively, that causes us to no longer gain the ear of God when we pray.

Some have done evil and can no longer reach the Heavenly Father in prayer.

This may not be you, but it is obvious from I Peter 3.12 that there are some who cannot pray to God and expect God to forgive them, simply due to the fact that his ears are NOT open to their prayers.

What I hope to prove eventually is that there in such occasions as Peter describes that the repentant brother must have the prayers of the saints in order to be restored to the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In I John 3, we are given some more information regarding this topic, if you will turn over there with me.

1 John 3:18-24 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him. 20 For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. 21 Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, [then] have we confidence toward God. 22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. 24 And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

The Scriptures will reveal to us what is pleasing in His sight.

We are told what is pleasing to the Lord that we pray for, and if we love in deed and according to truth, we can be confident that God hears our prayers.

I John 3.22 especially confirms what James stated about the effectual fervent prayers of the righteous man, in that God hears our prayers if we have kept his commandments, and love the brethren.

We can begin then to see the importance of being right in God’s eyes when we pray; and also the importance of having those who are righteous praying on our behalf.

We can also see the importance of confessing our faults to another Christian brother or sister.

There is no teaching here that says that we must confess our faults to a particular person, other than ‘one to another’, and that it is important the one praying should be right with God.

No Christian, regardless of how righteous he is, has any power to pardon sins, but simply that he has the ear of God.

While James 5.16 deals with faithful Christians who need the prayers of their fellow saints, I want to now move on to the type of sin that requires the prayers of the saints.

Those who have separated themselves from their fellowship with God, and then repented of their sins, need the prayers of the righteous.

1 John 5:13-17 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
16 If any man see his brother sin a sin [which is] not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it. 17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

There is an important clue in this passage.

Notice especially the words that say, ‘If any man SEE his brother sin’ (I John 5.16), thus pointing out to us that this is a public and visible sin, at least to one other brother.

Turn now in your Testament to the 1st Chapter of I John.

There you can see the results of praying faithfully for forgiveness of sins.

1 John 1:3-10 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship [is] with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. 5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Every child of God should have the greatest desire to maintain a close relationship with the Father and with Christ, his Son.

If you are absolutely sure that you are walking in the light, then you should be confident that you have the ear of your Heavenly Father when you pray, and that you will have your soul cleansed from sin when you repent and confess your sins.

There is no evidence that I John 1.9 refers to a public confession of sins for the Christian who walks in the light, one who is in fellowship with God.

A point that you might think about is that with any system of absolute laws, no one is capable of always giving 100% compliance.
Sometimes we just don’t understand what is required of us. Sometimes we overlook something that the law requires. Many times we sin without guile, without any intention to displease God.
Walking in the light forgiveness of sins is like that to some extent.

Others know the law, are totally aware of the law at the time, and refuse to obey it, with forethought.

Such a person decides to reject the rule of law, and in our society, if the offense is great enough, the offender will be taken out of society, and put into jail.

The corresponding parallel might be seen in the Christian who one day decides that he is no longer going to submit to the laws of Christ; and for such an offense, that person is removed from the light, and is removed from fellowship with God, and with the church.

Now, once again, I want to refer you to the text of James 5, looking at verses 19 and 20.
As we read these verses, it might make us stop and think that no one lives in a vacuum, but some parts of our life are more visible than others. In the situation of James 5.19, the brethren were aware of the person’s sins.

James 5.19-20>> 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.

I find it very interesting that the Holy Spirit chose the word ‘convert’ here.

James 5.19-20 must refer to the Christian who has fallen from grace, and has separated himself from the faith of Jesus Christ. He needs to be converted, and restored to the faith.

Notice that the person in question errs FROM the truth.

Note that in V20 that once away from the truth, he needs someone to convert him back to the right way.

Note that he is called a SINNER.

Also notice that the possible result is that he might SAVE A SOUL FROM DEATH.

From these words, we can deduce that the one referred to is spiritually dead in his sins, and unless he repents and confesses his sins, he will die eternally.

Notice that the way that the sinner is now following is referred to as HIS WAY, not God’s way, nor Christ’s way.

The word CONVERT here means to RETURN TO THE WORSHIP OF THE TRUE GOD.

I want you to pay attention also to the phrase HIDE A MULTITUDE OF SINS.

This phrase concerns me as regarding its meaning.

If the brother in error has sinned in such a way that everyone is already aware of his sins, how can those sins be hidden, or covered?

Does this Scripture refer to his past sins of which he repented of, or does it refer to future uncommitted sins that are prevented by his conversion?

How does a faithful brother cover up the multitude of sins when he converts his erring brother?
We find a similar passage used by Peter:

1 Peter 4:8>> And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

This language may have been from the book of Psalms.

Psalms 32:1 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

It does appear that the person’s sin is kept private, or hidden from anyone in the church; but instead indicates that God forgave him of his sins.

Realizing our own weaknesses, as we consider the sins of the one who has fallen, we should love the repentant sinner who confesses his sins before the church to the extent that we do not hold his sins against him, sins that God has forgiven him.

Fervent charity will move us to make every attempt to convert the one who has fallen away from the truth.

We see this same charity in the writings of the Apostles when they had to rebuke sin within various congregations.

Turn your Testament open to II Corinthians the 2nd chapter.

We can see an example of this kind of charity expressed by the Apostle Paul in II Corinthians 2.

2 Corinthians 2:1-11 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me? 3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is [the joy] of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you. 5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 6 Sufficient to such a man [is] this punishment, which [was inflicted] of many. 7 So that contrariwise ye [ought] rather to forgive [him], and comfort [him], lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm [your] love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I [forgive] also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave [it], for your sakes [forgave I it] in the person of Christ; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.

I believe that we can get a good idea of the type of CHARITY or love that it takes to hide the sins of the unfaithful brother or sister who repents and confesses their sins, and is transformed from darkness to light.

In the case of the sinner that Paul has in mind in II Corinthians 2, you might note in V6 that he was punished by many, or probably by most of the church, if not all of them.

Here we must note that there are sins that separate one from Christ, and are such that demand that he must also be withdrawn from by the congregation.

Let me give you just a couple of several Scriptures that show this point:

Romans 16:17>> Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
2 Thessalonians 3:6>> Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

If a person has rejected the teachings of the Scriptures and refuses to repent, and then is withdrawn from, how can the congregation restore him or convert him back to the faith if he does not publicly confess?

In V4, Paul makes a reference to his former letter that he had written to them. Notice in V4 that when Paul had to rebuke Corinth, that he did it with great anguish in his heart, and with many tears.

If we ever have to censure a sinner in the congregation, it should be done with that same kind of love that Paul had toward Corinth.

If we approach a brother or sister in error, if we have fervent charity toward that brother or sister, we will anguish over what we have to say.

Such great love will hide a multitude of sins, whether former sins or those that will be left undone in his/her future.

I want you to remember that we began our study of this topic by considering the verse from James regarding confession:

James 5. 16 Confess [your] faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

In V16, one Christian shares his faults to another Christian, or Christians.

A growing Christian stumbles many times while he is growing spiritually.

I won’t list them all here, but you should know some of the things to which I am referring.

I will give one example: Let us assume that you have been studying to show yourself approved to Jesus Christ, and have come to the realization that you are not as patient with others as Christ would have you to be. With this fault, you go to a brother or sister, and share your weakness, and ask them to help you grow in this area, and ask him to pray for you. If we do not know one another’s spiritual needs, how can we pray one for another?

As we came to the end of our study in James, we see a different approach to sin.

There in V19, we see that one brother is involved in converting the sinning brother or sister back to the right path of truth.

James 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;

A similar passage is found in the letter to the Galatians.

Galatians 5:26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

Galatians 6:1-2>>[1] Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. [2] Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Are you perfect?

Of course not, as no man is perfect on this earth, and all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

We all need one another.

Sometimes, we may need to be restored if we are overtaken in a fault.

This was a trespass or an offense against the will of Christ that was OBVIOUS. The brother was OVERTAKEN in his fault. It had taken up a place in his life. It was not just an incidental mistake, or a sin out of ignorance, that once he became aware of it, he repented of.

The restoration was something that could be accomplished by a more spiritually minded brother. To RESTORE is the very similar to the concept of CONVERTING the brother who has erred from the truth in James 5.19.

We need to be more concerned with the overall spiritual welfare of the church. We are a body, and if one part of the body is sick, the entire body is sick. You might not think that you should be concerned with the sins or faults of others in the church. You might think that you should only be concerned with your own righteousness. In our Scriptural reference here in Galatians 6.1-2, Paul pointed out that the restoration of the brother overtaken in a fault was help for that brother in bearing his burden. If a brother or sister is spiritually in need, or has something lacking in their faith, we need to realize our own responsibility toward one another.
By love, we serve one another.

Now, I want to switch gears, so to speak, and direct your minds to consider whether there is a difference in private sins and in public sins, as I mentioned at the beginning.

There is a distinct difference in stumbling and in falling from grace.

There is a difference in being dead in ones sins, and committing a sin that will not be imputed to you.

Consider, if you will, the following question.

If a Christian falls from grace; if he is separated from fellowship with the church, and he wants to be restored to the faith, or converted; how can he make this known to the church?

Would a private prayer to God be sufficient?

Then, after asking God to forgive him of his sins, should he then expect the congregation to once again offer him full fellowship as a faithful brother, without ever making a public confession?

If we were forced to do the following, can we imply that such a person would be required to confess their repentance to the church before they could once again have COMPANY WITH HIM?

2 Thessalonians 3:14>> And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

Considering those sins that are considered to be capital sins, such as are revealed in I Cor. 5.11, could we EAT with such a person without knowledge that they had repented?

1 Corinthians 5:11>> But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

Finally, we have the example given of the man who wanted to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit. This was wrong, and the man was told to repent and pray to God that the evil thought would be forgiven him.

Acts 8:20-24 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and [in] the bond of iniquity. 24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me.

In conclusion, I must state that I could not find definitive proof that one must walk forward and stand before the congregation to make a public confession, at least no examples or direct commands to do so.

I have shown that should one choose to do it that way, the person would not be doing anything in contradiction to what we have studied in James 5.16-20.

I have shown that the Scriptures infer or imply that in many instances, public confession is necessary when a sin is public in nature, or when a person has fallen away from the truth into error, and repents.


Dear Reader, if you believe that you are separated from Christ's fellowship, and if you believe that you have fallen from God's grace, that He may not hear your prayers, you may want to ask others to pray with you for your forgiveness, or you may wish to make it publicly known to your prior assembly, and ask for the prayers of all and that you may be publicly received back into their fellowship.
If you have never been in fellowship with Christ, today is the day of salvation, and you should obey the gospel of Christ, and be added by the Lord to His church. Repent while God gives you sufficient life, and submit to baptism in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins that you may enjoy the vast and glorious promises of God.