Before Confrontation

Confession and repentance are crucial parts of a believer’s life, not just at the beginning when one becomes a Christian. Here is a basic reminder that always applies no matter what grade you get to: don’t depend on someone else to tell you that you’ve sinned.

I listened to a pastor, the sort of pastor who loves the Bible and the truth and the gospel, introduce his sermon text as one that he realized might be used against him. He admitted that the passage made him feel uncomfortable and acknowledged that his listeners might wonder about his application of it. That admission seemed to open the door of humility.

But the closest he got to saying he had ever disobeyed the passage was in his comment about being uncomfortable. Then he said: “If you were to approach me and point out my past failings I would regretfully have to agree with you.” I didn’t take him as saying that he would regret his agreement more than regretting his sin, but I did wonder, why make someone else point it out?

Accountability is a good thing. Spiritual friends and fellow members of the body, mothers and fathers and siblings, should not fear asking you or confronting you about sin. There are times when we don’t see our sin; we can have blind spots. But there are plenty of other times when we know we were sinning before we see how the other person responds, even if they don’t respond negatively (because they aren’t sinning).

Humble yourself, rather than be humbled. Think of how many times we could avoid Matthew 18! Confess your sins to one another (James 5:16), and when possible, do it before you need to be confronted.