Confession, prayer, intimacy and healing (I)

Have you ever wondered what kingdom come, will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven would look like, in relationships? For me, the best picture is of Adam and Eve before the fall. It is also related to, a probably by now familiar, verse from James 5:16. “Confess your faults one to another, and pray for one another that you may be healed.” We confess to God to be forgiven (1 John 1:9) and as here, we confess to one another to be healed. Healing can of course be physical, but this morning we are looking at healing from shame, and the healing of relationships. Before the fall both Adam and Eve were naked, and they were not ashamed. After the fall they were ashamed, they hid from each other and from themselves. They also immediately entered into the blame game (Genesis 3:7, 8, 12, 13). It’s a picture of the vast majority of our relationships today!

If confessing one another’s faults is healing, confessing the another person’s faults “You did this” – “Well you did that” is likely not! But if we are to obey this command from James, we have to get past the blame, we have to get past bringing up the past over and over. We have to start to see the faults hidden from ourselves and others, and we have to extend grace, mercy and forgiveness to the other person. We need to get to the place, where we value the relationship so much, that we are willing to be truly naked in terms of openness in vulnerability. And we have to start “considering ourselves” in the ways we have been discussing in the last couple of days. If all this sounds scary, it likely is, it is also hard work, but it is kingdom work. It is us doing our part in bringing heaven down-to-earth.

At the start of His ministry, Jesus told as “The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). In saying that the kingdom is at hand, He is saying that the kingdom is here, but not yet in its fullness. In other words the kingdom of God coming on earth, is a process. Our cooperation is required, and our part is to repent, to put to put off the old man and to put on Christ (i.e. Colossians 3:8-10). And also to believe the good news that when we do our part, God will do His. It is here, that all things are possible, including the kingdom of God coming in our marriages and in our relationships. What I am saying, is that coming to the place where we can confess our faults to one to another, rather than confessing one of the faults is likely a process. It is kingdom work, and it is our highest calling. How otherwise can the World know that we are Christians by our love?

Father, we need Your help! We need your help to die to self, we need your help to be ongoing living sacrifices! But Father this is truly the only reasonable response to all that You have done for us in Christ. We surrender again this morning Lord. Keep us close to You, search our hearts. Let the process start Lord with me, with us. And we will give You the honour and glory and praise in Jesus Name Amen