I recently heard a sermon from Chris Hodges from Church of the Highlands in Alabama and from it gained tremendous revelation.

I have heard that verse many times over the years and never fully considered its meaning.  There are some things that seem to be universal.  Feelings that all of us share.  There are universal joys, sorrows, victories and defeats.  Regrets about our pasts are something else that many of us share.  I certainly have regrets about choices and decisions I made particularly in my youth.  I, as many of us have, have asked for forgiveness from the Father over and over again.  After each confession the shame subsides for a period of time.  Even though, once we have confessed our sins, He is faithful to forgive us…often times thoughts creep in and shame and regret are not far behind, which begins the cycle of confessing to the Lord all over again.

The key to breaking the cycle is in this verse…”Therefore confess your sins to each other…SO that you may be healed.”  As long as we keep our sin or struggles a secret, then the enemy is able to use it to accuse us.

• What will your children say when they know this about their mother?
• How can you minister to others knowing all the things you have done?
• What kind of a person are you?

Yet, a powerful and amazing thing happens when we open our mouth and we confess with our lips the wrongs we have done and the redemptive love of Christ…we are free.  The power of the sin and the power of his accusations are destroyed.  He can blackmail us no longer.

Forgiveness is given only by God and we confess to Him to receive it.  But as this verse states, confess our sins to one another so that we may be healed.  When we confess our sins to someone we trust, we break the cycle and nullify his power to accuse us.

Freedom and healing are directly related to us taking Him at His word and trusting the process.  He is faithful.

“They overcome him by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony.” Revelations 12:11

My love,

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