Grammar Matters: A Confession about Confession

Can I make a confession? Confession makes me uncomfortable every Sunday.

Jesus calls His disciples, the future leaders of the church to boldly proclaim forgiveness of sins in His name. Yet, most Sundays, I leave Jesus’ name for the end of the forgiveness instead of doing what He tells me. Here’s what I mean.

“Your sins are forgiven.”

I usually conclude each Sunday’s time of confession with those words. It’s simple and true. Jesus even uses this phrase on occasion. But I could do better if I had any guts. I don’t have to be so passive. I don’t have to be so vague about the subject of the sentence.

“Jesus has words for you today: I forgive you.”

I say the first and more passive version most of the time, because I don’t like the idea of actually saying what Jesus commanded me to. I don’t feel worthy to speak on Jesus’ behalf even though that’s what God’s people have called me to do. My discomfort with pronouncing forgiveness puts me in bad company. The Pharisees were equally uncomfortable with any human forgiving sins.  

“Who can forgive sins but God alone!?!”

Luke 5:21

The Pharisees are right. Only God can forgive sins, but—newsflash—Jesus is both God and Man. When we don’t tell people personally and directly that God forgives them, when we remain vague and impersonal, I think we make God’s forgiveness just as vague and impersonal. The good news of the gospel is meant to be personal. The beauty of the gospel is found in the reality that God took on flesh so that He might redeem His creation. When we make confession and absolution bland, passive and vague, we are really denying the humanity of Christ.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.

Colossians 1:15-17

A professor at seminary once gave me great advice.

“Do what the text does. When it commands, be commanding. When it asks questions, question your people. When it gives hope and comfort, speak sweet words of hope and comfort. Stop wimping out. Start doing what God has called you to do.”

So, my encouragement to you is to not just read the Bible, but do what the Bible does. Place yourself within its crosshairs, as a hidden character in the story of scripture. Read its commands as commands for your life. Question yourself when it asks questions. Declare and pronounce truths to your soul when it announces the truth. Let the story of scripture not be some ancient historical fiction that has nothing to do with you, but let it be the story, framework, and foundation of your life. Amen.