What is Sin? This is a question that we first need to understand. In today’s society, we have been taught tolerance. Tolerance in itself is not bad but when it compromises or contradicts the word of God. How can we know what sin is if there is no defined right and wrong?

In our nation, we have state and federal laws, these are defined rules that are enforced. So everything knows and follows these laws, even if they don’t agree with them they are aware of the consequences. As a nation, we have the breakdown of some of these laws, because we don’t want to offend anyone. One example is back in 2020 we were have routing in some of our major cities and no one in the media and seemingly law enforcement did not what to call this movement out or enforce the law on the leaders.

God has given a set of instructions on how a society should operate. Most Christians will call these instructions “The Law”, the Hebrew people call it the Torah (the first five books of the bible). Modern churches have taught that the Law was done away with when Jesus Christ came and died for us. I have not seen anywhere in the new testament where Jesus condemned the Law. He did come against other man-made rules that were added to the Law. By ignoring the Law the church has allowed many sinful practices to enter the kingdom. We can find out what is sin, what is right and wrong, it can be found in the Torah (Law). Jesus summed up the entire Law with one statement.

Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 12:29-31 ESV
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/MRK.12.29-31

This statement might sound contradicting to what was just written, but we need to have tolerance for those who are not in the kingdom and love them unconditionally. It is like a person in another country we don’t expect or force them to obey our laws, but once they come to our country we expect them to obey. This is the same with unbelievers we love them as God loves them. God loves us and gave us a way to enter His kingdom now we need to follow his laws.

As I studied this week I was looking for what happens after a person sins what was required by God in the Torah (Law) and what was taught in the new testament. In Leviticus chapters, four and five are where Law talks about sin offerings. And there were different requirements for what level of responsibility a person had in the community. Whatever social status you were or if it was unintentional or not the one that committed the sin were to take an offering to the priest. The priest would know that it was a sin offering, in turn making a confession of sin. What does the new testament tell us to do after sin?

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

James 5:16 ESV
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/JAS.5.16

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 ESV
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/1JN.1.9

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour we become part of the priesthood. So after we have committed a sin we need to go and confess to one another.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

1 Peter 2:9 ESV
https://my.bible.com/bible/59/1PE.2.9

The important part of confessing our sins to one another is finding the right person to confess to. This person is not just any believer. You should be able to trust them with confidential information that would not be used against you or harm your character. I always look for a person that is mature in the Lord, This does not mean older, but most of the time it will be. They should have spiritual wisdom and possibly experiential wisdom as well.

Confess My Sin is not explaining all that happens but acknowledging the sin. When I confessed my addiction to pornography, I could have just told my wife that I had sinned, with our naming it, and left it like that. I would have done what the bible instructs us to do, but I don’t think that would have had the same effect as speaking out the name of the sin. It is like when a kid was caught doing something and you ask them to apologize and they just say “Sorry”. Then they are asked what they are sorry for, by naming it they both know what they did wrong and can change that behavior. “Name it do not explain it” if I did not name my sin I don’t know if I would have been set free.

The action of confession is a powerful tool and God’s way of escaping from the trap of sin. Take time daily to ask God if there is any sin you need to confess