There's a certain sorrow that accompanies any serious discussion of sin. Our sin distances ourselves from God and hurts not only ourselves and the people around us, but darkens the world as well, as it distorts God's plan for Creation.

Last week, our class read the chapter on confession in Foster's book, Celebration of the Disciplines. I grew skeptical when he declared that "The followers of Jesus Christ have been given the authority to receive the confession of sin and to forgive it in His name." I had never come in contact with the idea that Christians are actually commanded by Scripture to confess their heart sins to each other, not just because we need to get it off our chests, but as a vital part of ministering to each other and bringing to light the forgiveness extended to us by God through Jesus' sacrifice. As I pondered the chapter, I realized that though I regularly confess to God, I still continue to carry feelings of insufficiency and guilt.

The more I read, the more convicted I was to practice the act of confession in my own life. I purposed to remind myself that even though I do still sin regularly, as a child of God, that sin no longer needs to be carried around by me, but has already been removed to the shoulders of Jesus, and He has conquered them and borne the guilt, shame, and punishment I deserve. Through His power, I am seen as pure, clean, and sinless in God's eyes! For the first time in years, I was held in true wonderment at how and why God would work such a miracle. This truth has been taught to me since before I could remember, and had grown stale in my mind, but I have been reminded of its potency through the simple act of declaring to myself, "You are forgiven. God has removed your sins as far as the east is from the west - they are forgotten by Him. In His eyes, you are already restored."

As part of this discipline, I made a point of sharing this discovery with some of my close friends. As they privately related some of their struggles, I reminded them that God has freed them from all sin so that they no longer need to carry that guilt. The work has already been done. As I spoke, they stilled, and I saw peace enter their eyes. God's truth is powerful!

 Yes, Christians sin - we're only human. But our sin no longer carries the sting of death because though we deserve the punishment for it, our sin is already conquered. Even as powerful as sin is, it cannot change God's love for people, and only it only serves to highlight His goodness.