Owning our mistakes

You have probably heard of the concept of confession in the church. However, Biblical confession goes deeper than just admitting a mistake made. It's about acknowledging what God says about said action is true; that sin dishonors God, is bad for your soul, and sometimes harmful to others. True confession is the first step to repentance. Yet, true repentance is more than just a change of action, but a change of heart. Without a change a heart we can't experience true spiritual transformation, and are not truly walking the path of a genuine disciple. These are central truths of the Christian creed that the church universal needs to reexamine and embrace again.

Why do I say that? Scripturally speaking, God often uses sinful people to discipline His people. We historically see this playing out with the Philistines, the Babylonians, the Romans, and others.

Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua. -Judges 2:20-23

Let's face it, unrighteous people are attacking the church and the faith from every side right now. The great irony of it is that nonbelievers are using many of the same unloving and Pharisee like tactics that the church has mistakenly used far too often. Things like critical correction, mockery, forcing ideas down people's throats, hating those who believe differently, and shaming people into submission. So one must consider the possibility that God is allowing this to test and disciple his church for our lack of Christ likeness.

The question is, how are we as the church going to respond to this possibility? Will we play the victim as the world does, forsaking Christian confession and repentance. Or will we take a long hard look at ourselves and hold ourselves accountable by addressing these proverbial planks in our eyes. If we don’t, we do not have the right to point fingers, or even have the wisdom to know how to correct properly as a true disciple should. (Matt 7:1-5)

Example speaks louder than lecture. So let us set a good example by examining our hearts and transforming accordingly.

The Visual PARABLEist

click to enlarge

because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in. -Proverbs 3:12

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” -Luke 19:10

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with their brother or sister will be in danger of judgment. If they say to their brother or sister, ‘You idiot,’ they will be in danger of being condemned by the governing council. And if they say, ‘You fool,’ they will be in danger of fiery hell. -Matthew 5:22 

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.  -Isaiah 29:13

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? -Romans 2:1-4