Dirty Hands - the Discipline of Confession

As a child I was forever the object of inspection, for... 'dirty hands.'  At the time I would think, 'why just my hands? Why not my feet, toes, or whatever?'.... but that was just me being rebellious.  Truth was I didn't want anything inspected.  I thought the whole business was a waste of time - adults being, you know, adults.  But inspect they did.  Before each and every meal - sending me, more often than not, straight to the sink to correct what was absolutely not allowed at meal-time, DIRTY HANDS.  To this day a dinner roll without the slight taste of 'kitchen-sink soap' just doesn't taste right.    

Readying for last Sunday's message on the discipline of Confession, I thought about all this.  You know what?  The metaphor works!  Our church is often rendered powerless because it comes to worship and work with 'dirty hands.' We are even offended at the suggestion to wash - specifically confess our sins.  Imagine that!

Now most of you know that I keep a personal journal that is merely a collection of thoughts and commentary on experiences as I live them.  Well one day last week an entry was made that I thought it might be good for you all to read a part of...

Confession is all but absent from the evangelical church today, I think, because we have overstated our lack of need for a priestly confession through someone other than Christ.  In so doing we have wrongly abdicated our responsibility and privilege to confess, even to Christ Himself, let alone anyone else.  Our confession unto eternity has us 'in' but our confession for every day, because it is  absent, pushes us 'out' of any real fellowship. The result? Our faith is plagued and hindered with our unconfessed sin.  We are saved but dirty, and, coming to work or worship with dirty hands leaves us an embarrassment - even to ourselves.  Satan has had his way with us.  We are right where he wants us - crippled!  Sam Dennis Journal, 27 August 2008

John wrote to Christians - if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us... and to cleanse us.' James wrote to the same - 'confess your sins one to each other and pray for each other that you may be healed.' And didn't Paul call on the church at Corinth to practice some self-examination before coming to the table? (1 Cor. 11:28)

In all of this confession is designed by God as our help.  It is his method for men to come to Him.  The means is in His Son, but confession - this step - is up to us.  We confess that He is God.  We confess that we are sinners.  We confess faith/trust in His Son.  We confess that we are His.  Confess it! We are to confess!  

Pastor Sam