Omologeo = Confess

We talked about the act of confession on Sunday. I have decided that I really like the Greek translation of some of theses words. Several weeks ago it was Hupotasso the Greek word for Submit. We served this up smothered in gravy with a side order of home fries. This past Sunday we talked about an equally difficult concept. Confession, in the Greek it is translated as Omologeo the southern pronounced aaaaama-o-leeeeg-eh'-oooooo. It sounds like an expression of surprise. You are walking down the isle at the Wal-Mart and you run into an old high school friend and you say “aaaaama-o-leeeeg-eh'-oooooo I cant remember the last time I saw you!” I know, I know a bit to corny, but somehow I don’t think Omologeo works as food metaphor.

What does it mean? Our pastor, during his sermon this past Sunday pointed out a few of the meanings:

To say as God says
To acknowledge
To recognize
To admit
To confess

For me it means to open ones self up to the sin within my heart and lay it down before the Lord. The very first bible verse I ever memorized was:

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

I remember thinking how wonderful it was to be purified. It still is a wonderful thought that even now after I have been walking this path with Christ for nearly twenty years, I have not reached a point in my life where I am no longer in need of purification. I will always need to be purified from all my unrighteousness.

For in the book of Romans Paul writes that:

RO 3:9-13 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. 10 As it is written:
"There is no one righteous, not even one;
11 there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one."

Paul hit the nail on the proverbial head with a great big hammer. We all have a bent toward sin. So if we all have a bent toward sin them we all have a deep need for confession. I think however there is a huge difference in having a deep need for confession and actually being able to confess.
I have a son who would rather cut of a body part than confess, some people look at confession as a sign of weakness. Some people have a deep fear of opening oneself up to scrutiny. Some are so full of pride that they will not yield over to any authority period.
The act of confession is for me another component in the process of becoming more like Christ. Remember my first memory verse:

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

There is that “If” word. God knows so very clearly the inherent character He created us to have. We are all capable of the very best, of worshiping God with all our hearts, of giving God our very best, of devoting out lives to him in every way, but we are also capable of turning our lives over to the world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air. There is always gong to be a choice.
If we/I choose to confess God will be faithful and just and purify us/me from all unrighteousness.

I can just as easily choose to remain in my sin. No one will know except me (and God) The sad reality is that it is our unconfused sin that keeps us from knowing the full joy of what God has in store for us. But the good news is that everyday we have a brand new opportunity to keep looking for areas in our life that may hold some hidden sin or maybe some not so hidden sin.
I know all to well the areas in my life that I struggle with, and I can bet that you probably have a few of your own.

1 John 1:9 is a wonderful place to start. When we have moved from the infant formula to something a bit more solid we read above and below and we find out the full truth of this verse.

1JN 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

So lets be real! I cant claim to be without sin, if I do then I am great big liar! But I can claim my sin, confess it and be purified from it. Praise God!

I could claim that I have not sinned but then that makes him out to be a liar.

I do not want to stand before God at my time of judgment and have him ask me why I called him a liar.

I want His word, His wonderful, wise, healing, purifying and life giving word to have a firm place in my life.

PS 103:12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Let us all remember that once we confess our sin God in his infinite wisdom has the capacity to never look on it again.

It truly is as far as the east is from the west in His Heavenly realm.