Signing the Treaty
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another,” James 5:16
Confess – The essence of the Greek word for confess (exomologeo) is “to speak out the same word”. Confession is not saying, “I’m sorry.” An apology carries no lasting commitment. Confession is a binding agreement, like a legal contract, in which I acknowledge that what you say in true. So, when I confess my sins, I am entering into a contract, a treaty, with God that what He says about my sins is true. I agree that they are sins (not annoyances), that they have affronted and insulted His grace and that He is willing to forgive them. All of this is bound in the word “confession”.
In like manner, when I confess my sins to you, I am also entering into an agreement. I agree that what I did was wrong, that I am responsible for what I did and that I need your forgiveness. I am offering a treaty to you. Therefore, confession is an act of surrender. Confession says that I need a treaty with the one that I have made my enemy. Confession is deadly serious. Without confession, there is only war.
Confession implies three things: that I admit the truth, that I promise to honor the truth, and that I agree to the terms of a treaty of surrender. Apology without admission is useless pretense. Apology without promise is hypocrisy. Apology without surrender is arrogance.
Imagine the shock when James instructs believers to confess (to enter into treaty agreements) with other sinful and fallen human beings. Confess to God, of course. He will treat me fairly (does this strike you as pretension?). But confess to him or to her? “Never. Just look at them. Why, they’re no better than me. Why should I have to tell them about my sins?” Without a treaty, there is only war. Confession is the merit badge of a soldier of the Lord. It is the insignia of those who have joined forces under the King. Without confession, I live a life alone.
Our culture prizes noble perfection. We are possessed by faultless projection. The last thing we can tolerate is public humiliation for private failure. But this is idolatry. This refuses to see the world as God sees it, teaming with hopelessly lost sinners estranged from each other and their Creator because they will not agree with His words. The ancient meaning of confession is open, public acknowledgement.
Who governs your confessional? The god of image or the God of illumination?
