In the final week of Lent, we start to see glimmers of why we went through the wilderness. Good Friday reminds us that we will not stay in the wilderness forever. Though painful, the cross is the doorway to resurrection and the spiritual Promised Land.

A common practice during the final week of Lent and Good Friday is the act of confession. This is when we lay our sins before God and ask his forgiveness. Confession is painful, but God allows us to be this vulnerable before him, and we find his grace pouring out on us. We receive the assurance of his love.

There is another type of confession, though. That is the confession of our sins to another believer. For many of us, this is much scarier than confessing them to God. We know God wants to show us grace, but we struggle to believe that regular people will despite all of us being sinners.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer says there are several fruits to confession with another believer:

• Confession breaks the isolating effects of sin.
• Confession tears down our self-deception.
• Confession is humbling, but this counteracts our pride.
• Confession helps us experience our new life in Christ.
• Confession assures us of our salvation.

These are just some benefits of pushing through the fear of letting someone into our struggles with sin. It can be scary to be so exposed and vulnerable, yet much of God’s healing happens in community and when sin is brought into the open. As we approach Good Friday, we encourage you to confess to God and another believer.

To Practice

To confess to God, find time to be alone with God in prayer. Lay your sins before Him and ask for forgiveness. If you struggle to believe you have been forgiven, read 1 John 1:9 and ask the Holy Spirit to help you trust this promise.

To confess to another believer. Find a mature believer with whom you can speak confidentially and who you know can respond with grace. Ask them if they would be comfortable hearing a confession. Share a specific but not overly detailed confession. It is better to say I’ve been struggling with this sin this often rather than being extremely vague or overly detailed. Allow them to pray for you.

If you find yourself struggling to take this step, think about how you would act if you were the one receiving confession. Often, we would show immense grace and compassion to others but then assume no one would offer the same to us. By being aware of how we would treat others, we can better understand how other people will treat us.