From Shame to Shared Honesty
If conversation passes on the news,
and communion celebrates it,
confession is where we trust what is true beyond what we hear, have been conditioned to think, or feel in the moment.
Not because God needs it.
Not because we’re earning anything.
But because we’re learning to see and trust in reality.
Confession ≠ Forgiveness
Let me be clear: You don’t confess to be forgiven.
You confess because you know you already are.
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
—2 Corinthians 5:21
“He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness… he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.”
—Colossians 2:13–14
“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”
—Ephesians 1:7
In short:
You’re already clean. Jesus is your “righteousness, holiness”. (1 Cor 1:30)
So being honest about your struggles isn’t for God’s sake—it’s for yours.
It’s the freedom found in the act of saying, to anyone you are with:
“I’m done pretending. I believe grace is still bigger than my mess.”
But What About 1 John 1:9?
Ah yes—the verse that’s often turned into a spiritual guilt loop:
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
At first glance, it sounds like a condition—
like God won’t forgive you unless you say the right words.
But just two verses earlier, literally, John writes:
“The blood of Jesus… cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
He’s not describing a transaction.
He’s describing a relationship—
what it means to walk in the light.
John’s writing to people who know we have already been forgiven.
He’s not calling them to visit a priest in a booth (as if that was even a thing in the Bible ), or handing them a daily ritual to stay forgiven.
He’s saying:
Trust what’s already true.
Confession isn’t how you get clean—it’s how you stop hiding that you are, and learn to live free.
What Does It Sound Like?
“I’m still trying to prove I’m enough, and I’m tired.”
“I’ve been carrying guilt for something grace already covered.”
“I’m struggling to trust this good news.”
No drama. No shame. Just honesty.
And when someone confesses to you?
Don’t fix.
Don’t coach.
Don’t quote Scripture.
Just say: “Me too. And that doesn’t change who you are in Jesus.”
The key is remembering:
Confession isn’t weakness—it’s courage.
You don’t have to wait for the perfect space.
You can create one—by going first—wherever you are.
Get honest instead of performing.
Freedom spreads when someone finally drops the act.
Reflection & Practice: Living the Story
Take a few moments to sit with this:
Where are you still trying to prove you’re enough?
What part of your story are you tempted to polish before sharing?
What would it look like to tell the truth instead?
Who’s a safe friend that could remind you what’s already true?
Then, remeber:
You don’t confess to be forgiven.
You confess to remember: you already are.
This is an ongoing way of life for living free.
And by going first—
you help others step into an ongoing story that changes…
Everything.
Right where you are.