Text: Luke 23:39-43
Memory verse:
”There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.“
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Some people or denominations believe that you have to confess your sins to another person for you to be forgiven.They claim that it is not possible to be truly repentant and forgiven for something without telling anyone you did it. Also, many peoples’ troubles in life have been traced to their sins of many years past, but which they didn’t confess to anyone. While these may be true in some cases, yet confession to another person is not an absolute necessity.
The common scriptural reference to such belief is James 5:16, ”Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed…”. Now, where confession to man is absolutely necessary is when you sin against another person. You shouldn’t first go to God without getting things right with that person. This is what Matthew 5:23-24 says.
You see, confession is necessary because your action has an effect on you (Psa 32:3). It has also inflicted pain or harm on another, and you can’t just ignore it and then go ahead to make peace with God. Confession is necessary to heal the pains and wounds that the offense has created in both of you.
Even then, while confession to God can not be negotiated, confession to another can not be said to still be absolute. For one reason or the other, you may not have the opportunity to make such confession or the wounds would have been healed over time by God’s grace, the broken relationship restored and it becomes unwise to open it up again. For such sensitive confession, wise counsel should be sought. However, it is important that we know the purpose of confessing to another person instead of being mechanical about it.
According to our text, one robber was crucified with Jesus on the cross. As a thief, he had offended and hurt so many people when he became a Christian, and he had no time to confess to those he had hurt and to make things right again. Yet, he went straight to heaven half an hour later, as Jesus said: “Today you will be with me in paradise.”
Friends, don’t live under any kind of condemnation nor allow anyone to chain you, as long as you are no longer walking in your old life of sin and offenses (Rom 8:1). Clear the air with God in a vertical relationship, as the blood of Jesus is potent enough to cleanse you absolutely. Then, if possible, clear the air with man in a horizontal relationship.

Prayer points
1. Father, I trust the power in the blood of Jesus to cleanse me from every sin, and I rebuke the spirit of condemnation in Jesus’ name.
2. Father, I receive grace to confess my sins to anyone I have hurt and to restore broken relationships in Jesus’ name.

Today’s declarations
1. While confession to God is necessary to be forgiven, confession to man is not absolute.
2. Where possible and necessary, I make confessions to those I have hurt, and I restore severed relationships.