Going To Confession

QUESTION: Is going to confession important?

ANSWER:

Going to confession is not important, but confessing our sins to God is very important. God has made it possible for us to come to Him directly for the forgiveness of our sins. This means we don’t need to go to confession to confess our sins before a minister or priest. We can go directly to the Lord in prayer.

“But if we confess our sins to him [God], he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong” (1 John 1:9).

God has given us free access to Him through His Son, Jesus. We can approach Him, seeking an intimate relationship with God. This means we do not have to go to confession to meet with Him, because He has created a meeting place where He can shower us with His mercy and grace.

“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it” (Hebrews 4:16).

It is important to note that the privilege of approaching God freely and directly was bought with a great price through the blood of Jesus. The privilege was not gained by any minister or priest to which we have to go to confession. It was Christ’s sacrifice of love on the cross that bridged the gap between a just, holy God and us. When we trust Jesus for our salvation, God sees us through Christ and wipes away all of our sins. It was Jesus who bought our freedom to approach God.

“For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

God desires that we live a pure life before Him. He has given us the Holy Spirit, who helps us when there is something in our lives that shouldn’t be there. We examine our motives, our attitudes, and our thoughts for sins against God and man. When we find unflattering things in our lives, we don’t have to go to confession to confess them. But it is important that we go straight to the Lord in prayer to confess our sins, making this a daily exercise.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (Psalm 139:23-24).