Psalms 32:5-7 TPT “Then I finally admitted to you all my sins, refusing to hide them any longer. I said, “My life-giving God, I will openly acknowledge my evil actions.” And you forgave me! All at once the guilt of my sin washed away and all my pain disappeared!
6 This is what I’ve learned through it all: All believers should confess their sins to God; do it every time God has uncovered you in the time of exposing. For if you do this, when sudden storms of life overwhelm, you’ll be kept safe. Lord, you are my secret hiding place, protecting me from these troubles, surrounding me with songs of gladness! Your joyous shouts of rescue release my breakthrough.“
There is context here. Some people confess only when they get caught in the storm and not before it is exposed. Some people confess just not to lose their ground, reward, or position and not from a real repentant heart.
Even King Saul said he repented when Prophet Samuel exposed and called him on his disobedience. But his repentance was not sincere; he was more afraid of embarrassment from the people. Saul even threw a tantrum and ripped Prophet Samuel’s garment as he was trying to convince Samuel otherwise.
Scripture says to confess your sins to God. Telling people you messed up or you can’t believe you did that is not confessing but can be self-pity. Confessing is admitting openly your sins and testifying that you are a liar, thief, adulterer, scammer, stooge, bully, manipulator, etc., and testifying the details. A repented person will stop blaming other people and realize that they themselves are the sinner. A person who has repented does not show the old man/woman anymore.
People can confess out of fear but not genuine Godly sorrow. If you are crying because life sucks, you are crying over your idols and not realizing God’s love. If you know God’s love, you will, in the end, break forth in Great joy regardless of life’s tribulations.
Do not be deceived! And the earth is not flat.
Pastor Steve Kim