Confession (February 2020)

In the office when I’m catching up on administrative work, I listen on my phone to the Montgomery County Police Dispatch. The scenarios vary, however, the dispatcher’s words to the police officers are overwhelming about humans acting suspiciously or doing wrong to other humans.

For instance, police were recently called to McDonald’s. An individual was stealing food from other people’s tables. In another call, a man was sitting in his car across the street of his ex -wife’s home, defying a restraining order. Another call reported a back door to a property was pried open and the owners were frightened to enter

Many years ago, I was a chaplain at a high security juvenile facility in Golden, Colorado. What began my journey to pursue other avenues of ministry was, I believe, hearing repeatedly the stories of humans defending themselves. Humans dismissing their actions that negatively impacted other humans and ultimately affected their relationship with God.

We see this defensiveness in the political arena from both sides. We see this in the news, social media, the church, and simply in everyday life. It shows up in me. Looking back, the very thing that drove me nuts in the jail is the very thing I did, and still do. The only difference was the incarcerated humans that I ministered to have an earthly judge sentence them.

Waiting at a red light, I do not notice it has turned green and the driver behind me honks- I get mad at that “aggressive honking” human. I’m quick to justify my position for not going instead of simply acknowledging, I blew it.

In the garden, Adam quickly blamed Eve. The Apostle Paul had an excuse for his terrorist activities within the Christian community. King David had “Sociopathic” tendencies in his dismissal of what he was doing to Bathsheba’s husband. Jonah, on the other hand, refused God’s assignment in preaching repentance to the Ninevites, justifying his actions- because in all honesty he hated the Assyrians.

Truth be told it is our dismissal of truth, and justification of our sins, that delays our freedom. Coming clean and admitting the truth before God is what sets us free. I recently had dinner with a man who at one time had an addiction to pain pills. He said it wasn’t until he said the words out loud, “I am an addict” that it became real. This honesty led him on his journey to freedom.

I used to think that when I confessed my sins before God that somehow the sins would magically leave me alone. I realized later that some had let go, but there were others that patiently waited for me to return. Sin desires that we dismiss its’ presence over and over. I am reminded of the words of the Apostle Paul and I paraphrase, “The things I don’t want to do I do and the things I want to do I do not do.” (Romans 7:14-15) Who can help me from this dilemma and power of sin? Only, J-E-S-U-S.

Jesus’ power over sin frees us from death, but while we live in the here and now this power is not an immunity from sin but a power (Holy Spirit) to walk away from sin. We have power to admit our sin to ourselves and to others. It starts with coming clean, no excuses, no justification, just a pure nakedness of our soul before the living God.

God’s grace,

Pastor Rich Edwards