Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Without Confession there is no Growth

James 5:16"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Why are we not seeing spiritual growth in most Christians? I believe it is because this passage of Scripture is being violated continually, "Confess your faults one to another."

There can be no change in us when we will not admit our sin. When we justify our abusive nature toward others, while blaming the victim for our abuse, we will only regress in our walk.

Families are breaking because haughty rebellious members refuse to admit the harm they do against others. They make up reasons to continue in contempt to be able to feel justified in their abuse, without evidence. The most damaging tactic of these people is to refuse to listen and refuse to express themselves.

Living in a state of secrecy, is not only not of God, it is the catalyst that the devil uses to destroy families. The devil uses lies in secret to ruin innocent people.

God is for openness, genuineness and honesty. The authentic believer loves openness and resolving things. The evil man loves secrets, lies and hiding.

Authentic Christians are able to accept the thoughts and feelings of others while sharing openly their own. There can be no relationship based on secrecy and pretense. Sadly those who operate in secrecy and pretense will also operate with God this way. These people will be like the man mentioned in the Bible, "thank you Lord that I am not like those others."

Anyone who refuses to be authentic and genuine will not grow, but in fact will regress and perhaps are even still lost. One of the first thing the Holy Spirit convicts a new believer of, is their phony persona, the fake self. Openness and honesty is sought after when we have been born again.

Without truth and love we cannot progress in holiness.

Ephesians 4:15
"15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,"

John 17:17
"17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth."

John 4:24
"24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

We cannot possibly worship in Spirit and in Truth, if we are operating in pretense and secrecy.

Do some not understand that God is seeing everything they are hiding? Do some not understand that a phony persona of perfection is seen by God?

Impressing men is nothing, God sees this and is disgusted by it.

John 12:42-43 "42 Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue. 43 For they loved praise from men more than praise from God."

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