Confession of Sin: Lines Four and Five

Confession of Sin:

Line Four: “in thought, word and deed”

Line Five: “what we have done and what we have left undone”

In the last few blogs, we have discussed the first three lines of the confession of sin. These blogs are just my interpretation and opinion. If you haven’t read them, take the opportunity to do so and then come back and read this one.

Line three reads: “We confess that we have sinned against You;” today we look at line four: “in thought, word and deed.”

Thought: When we think evil thoughts, we have sinned. When we silently judge other people, we have sinned. Just because we don’t say something out loud, doesn’t mean it’s not sin.

Word: The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. (James 3:6) Enough said.

Deed: This one should be obvious, but not always. When God tells us to do something and we don’t – or the opposite – He tells us not to do something and we do it anyway, we are disobedient and that is a sin.

Which brings us to line five: “what we have done and what we have left undone.” It is exactly what I said above. We’ve done those things He has said not to do, and we have not done those things that He has said to do. When we do those things He has specifically said not to do, that is rebellion. God takes a very harsh position on rebellion. In I Samuel 15:22-24, we read

22) “Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,

As in obeying the voice of the LORD?

Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,

And to heed than the fat of rams.

23) For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,

And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,

He also has rejected you from being king.”

24) Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have

transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your

words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

I believe I can say with all confidence that there is not one person who reads this blog who would want to be in the position of rebellion. But when we deliberately go against God’s word and his instruction to us, we are rebelling.

You might want to confess that sin tonight – before you fall asleep.



© 2010 Edwina E. Cowgill