Evaluating 40 Days of Community

[*NOTE: Quotes from the 40 Days of Community Workbook are blockquoted.]

"We're Connected to Grow Together...By Confessing to Each other"

This chapter is very good, so I have nothing to offer other than to add a few comments.

The purpose of confession is not disgrace, but grace.

This is an excellent point. Whenever we confess our sins to God, the Bible says that He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Being forgiven and cleansed in this way should form a deep love within us for God and for others which is the motivation for us to forgive and offer God's cleansing to others as well.

It's also important to note that this forgiveness has to do with fellowship, not sonship. ... In other words, you don't need to confess your sin to get back into God's family--you're still a family member--you confess to restore your fellowship with God.

If we are true believers, we will live a life that is open to God's inspection. If we've abandoned ourselves and crucified self and been risen in Christ, though we still sin because we live in bodies of flesh, our lives will be characterized by a desire to know the truth about ourselves and God, we'll be submissive to God's will for our lives, and we will desire to confess all sin to God as soon as we become aware of it. Then we must make the decision to avoid temptations and to turn from evil. If we don't do the latter, then we evidence that we have not been truly saved. This needs to be made clear to people so that no one lives with false hope in the promises of God without repenting of their sin. Yet, in Christ, all our sins are covered--past, present and future, known and unknown. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Yet, as John states in his epistles, if we abide in Christ and He in us, then we will naturally shun evil, confessing our sin and live wholly for Jesus Christ our saviour.

So, where in the church could this ever happen? Most confession won't and shouldn't take place in a corporate worship service. It is not likely to happen in the typical Sunday school class where the focus is usually on Bible study. The one place in church life where James 5:16 has the best shot at being practiced is in a small group. It must be in an environment that is safe and marked by unconditional love.

This is where I believe that Rick makes up his own plan. I can see how this can result in the stifling of the Holy Spirit from working in people's lives during corporate worship and the study of His word. When we worship corporately, we desire to draw near to God and to come into His presence. Whenever we truly come into His presence, our sins are exposed as we must remain broken before Him so that everything we are glorifies Him and not ourselves. The two places where conviction of sin and confession should be occuring is during times of worship when we draw near to God and come into His presence and when we are studying God's Word. Can we honestly be worshipping Him as He desires if we are not doing so in spirit and in truth? Can we truly worship Him if sin remains before our consciences unconfessed? When we are convicted by the Holy Spirit, the most appropriate response is immediate confession of our specific sins to God (though not necessarily blurting them out to all those around us). And confession is not the same thing as asking forgiveness from God, but is the admittance of wrong and a desire to change.

During the study of God's Word, we need to apply it to our lives right then and there and allow God to do His work in our hearts, repenting of our selfishness and renewing our desire to follow His will. Our fellowship with one another should merely be a continuation of our corporate fellowship. Here we also confess to one another and hold each other accountable to God's Word in love. We should be willing to be open with one another and desire to share what God has laid on our hearts for the edification and building up of one another.