What does confession look like?

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July 22nd
Nehemiah 9

And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God. (Neh. 9:3)

What an instructive scene we find in Nehemiah 9, as these returned Jewish exiles confess together before the Lord. We can learn at least four lessons here about confession of sin.

1. Confession grows from conviction by God’s word. We cannot read chapter 9 apart from chapter 8, in which these people at the start of this same month gathered in Jerusalem to be read and taught the Book of the Law (the Pentateuch). This chapter also begins with reading of the Law (Neh. 9:3). In this part of Nehemiah, the word goes in, does its work by the Spirit, and comes out again in the people’s prayers: this long prayer in chapter 9 basically follows events throughout the history of Israel. They have heard the word, and it has convicted them. God’s word will do that.

2. Confession is made by God’s people. It can and must also be made individually. But this scene of corporate confession in Nehemiah 9 is significant, as “the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth” before the Lord (v. 1). Our sins are part of a big story of a people needing God’s cleansing and forgiveness. Our sins affect others in the body of Christ. When we make corporate confession together regularly in worship, we present ourselves before God as his repentant and forgiven people, cleansed by the blood of Christ. We help each other to confess, to turn from sin, and to trust God’s forgiveness.

3. Confession depends not on us but on the character and work of God. This prayer begins by praising God for who he is (vv. 5–6). It repeatedly affirms his mercy and grace (vv. 17, 19, 28, 31). It recalls his acts of provision and deliverance—from slavery in Egypt, through the Red Sea, with manna and water in the wilderness, from surrounding enemies, and on and on. All this gracious deliverance points ahead to the promised deliverer, Jesus Christ, and the final deliverance from sin and death accomplished on the cross and in the resurrection. The confession of God’s people depends finally on that grace and that deliverance provided for us by God himself.

4. Confession involves saying what we turn from and what we turn toward. It’s not just a feeling of regret. These people say clearly, “We have acted wickedly” (v. 33), and they enumerate the ways. They end by making a covenant with God (v. 38; see also ch. 10), committing themselves to obey his Law. Of course, these people were not perfect after this scene—far from it! They needed the promised perfect deliverer—and so do we. Praise God for his merciful forgiveness and deliverance of us, through his Son.

Crossway blog

The Law Simply Shows Us How Sinful We Are.

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“As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” “They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow them. They don’t know where to find peace.” “They have no fear of God at all.” Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.”


‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭10‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Made Right By Faith!

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“22 We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.”
— Romans 3:22-24 (NLT)

Worthy is the Lamb

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July 10th

Revelation 5, 21

There is a reason that all the best stories end with a bride and groom living happily ever after: it is the one true story in the universe. At the end, Jesus Christ will fulfill his vows to his church, “All that I am, I give to you, and all that I have I share with you.” The glorious fullness of God will be ours forever, and we will find unending delight in our husband. This was his great purpose from the beginning of all things. Edwards writes, 

The creation of the world seems to have been especially for this end, that the eternal Son of God might obtain a spouse, towards whom he might fully exercise the infinite benevolence of his nature, and to whom he might, as it were, open and pour forth all that immense fountain of condescension, love and grace that was in his heart, and that in this way God might be glorified. 1

The final mention of the Lamb in the book of Revelation comes in chapter 21 when John is invited by an angel, “Come, I will show you the Bride, the wife of the Lamb” (v. 9). He is carried away by the Spirit to “a great, high mountain,” where he sees “the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, its radiance like a most rare jewel” (vv. 10–11). The Lamb on the throne has been married to the bride he purchased with his blood. Their new and heavenly marital city-home is indelibly inscribed with the names of his people (v. 14), the reward of his suffering. His work is finished, the union is complete, and his glorified bride is his forever. This had been his heart’s desire from the beginning (Song 2:10; Hos. 2:20). This was surely “the joy that was set before him,” which enabled him to endure the cross (Heb. 12:2). 

Yes, the culmination of history is the glory of God. Not glory taken but glory given.The whole creation suffused with his light, his creatures filled and made happy in his goodness, his bride drenched eternally in his love. We, the redeemed, can only sing,

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, 
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might 
and honor and glory and blessing! (Rev. 5:12) 

To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb 
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever! (Rev. 5:13)

1. Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, vol. 25,