Confession Confusion – A Letter From Jim

Confession Confusion – A Letter From Jim

Dear CCW family,

I’m sitting in a coffee shop writing this with all of you in mind. I have been aware over the years that a lot of confusion arises in people’s minds about confession of sins. I would like for us to think this through.

For one thing, a person without Christ might believe that confession of individual sins before God is a necessary part of what it means to come to Christ. If one believes that confession of particular sins obtains forgiveness, then the logical conclusion is that all sins must be confessed. I have heard of some people who have attempted that. Also, some religious people, especially our Catholic neighbors and friends, practice confession of sins, “venial” and “cardinal,” before a priest at their regular confessions. Assumptions abound about how much and how little God requires, if he requires it at all and how it connects with conversion to Christ.

Then, the true believer himself may struggle with various concepts on confession of sin, as I did earlier in my Christian experience. I experienced a pivotal change in my understanding on this subject several years ago and would like to share that with you by a separate link.

I have two articles then that I want to suggest for you to read. The article for the believer, “Confessionism: the Misuse of 1 John 1:9,” could be stimulating, I hope, bringing some clarity. https://www.ccwtoday.org/2023/07/confessionism-the-misuse-of-1-john-19/

Second, if you scroll down, you will see the next article designed to instruct those who are not yet sure they have become true believers and are open to gain some understanding about confession and becoming a Christian. “A Tale About Tested Assumptions” is truly a “tale,” meaning that it is in some ways bigger than life and contrived in its presentation in order to make a strong point about the completeness of the work of Christ.

I do hope you will read both articles, for they compliment each other. If you can read them with others, perhaps your spouse and family or a friend or small group, and then discuss what you find, you will likely receive the most benefit.

It is also possible to share this second article, the “tale,” with friends or relatives you believe could be helped by it to gain a better understanding of the complete work of Christ related to sins.

I do hope these articles are provoking and help you form your own studied viewpoint about such things.


CCW Movements

My wife and I drove to Neenah, Wisconsin, to speak in a large red barn about “The Life of Trust.” It was a rich experience that we will not forget with a former intern who leads this church. Several from other churches also attended. We do hope to return. We’ll soon be leading our Buffalo Ridge retreat in the KC area for pastors and leaders, an annual event. After this, I’ll be heading to El Dorado, AR for another annual event with pastors/leaders there.

Steve has been in Iowa, New York, and Pennsylvania recently for ministry, and has upcoming ministry trips in Missouri and to Michigan.

Please continue to pray for our work. We hear wonderful evidences from those who are impacted by the Lord which encourage us.

Yours with joy,

Jim Elliff and Steve Burchett


A Tale of Tested Assumptions

Jim Elliff

Quincey was an exacting man, an accountant, who wanted to follow Christ. He wished to be forgiven for his many sins, for his conscience was troubling him. He assumed that he must confess each of his sins to receive that forgiveness, and that this confession could not be just an act, but genuine. So he set out to do that.

Not all sins are of the same weight, since Jesus talked of “greater sins” and “worse sins,” so he further assumed he must index sincere sorrow to the magnitude of each sin. Some sins were like bringing a pebble before the Lord, but others like a boulder. He tried to feel the weight of each sin.

As a good accountant, he also deduced that he could not leave one sin out. All day long he wept and confessed the sins he could remember. However, by the end of the day it seemed he was no nearer to completing the task. So, he continued another day and another and another. Like mythical Hydra, to chop off one head brought two more! But then, his wife reminded him that he often did not remember what he had done from one day to the next — a particular irritation to her. So, he begged the Lord to help him remember “every” sin, and with that he recalled even more. Also, in humility, he asked his wife to help him remember what she could. She did remember many he had forgotten, but she soon tired of reminding him. He felt that he had dumped a mountain full of stones before the Lord to deal with, but was still far from through. He wondered how he could even know when he would be.

Then his wife, trying to be a help, mentioned something he had not noticed. She said, “Quincey, dear,  you may not have thought about this, but I know you wish to be thorough in confessing, with the right contrition in order to become a Christian. Have you considered that when you break one small law you break the biggest law of God at the same time?” What this helpful spouse meant was that whenever Quincy sinned he was committing the sin of not loving the Lord with all his heart, mind, and soul. This was the greatest sin since Jesus said loving him was the greatest command, and it was one committed every time he chose to do a lesser sin. He did not know how to show his sorrow for such an atrocious crime. His spiritual ledger sheet was changed again. It seemed like the level of sorrow required for that would be far more than he could accomplish. But, he would try, because he was a very sincere man and wished to be forgiven for his sins.

This took many, many days of prayer and fasting and weeping over his sins one by one along with this bigger one. He was becoming depressed. It seemed that things were getting worse every day.

He eventually went to his shelf and pulled out his Bible. Inside his Bible was a piece of paper with some notes from one of the pastor’s teachings. He read these underlined words, “It is awful to sin against God by doing what he said we must not do, but often the worse sins are caused by not doing what we should do.” He felt with this quote that the mountain of rocks which should be brought to God doubled or tripled for he had only confessed sins of the first category. This took the breath out of him and it was several minutes before he was normal again. What a miserable man he was.

Then a friend happened to mention to him that he had heard it said that everything done before deciding to become a Christian is sinful — everything. “If the root is wrong, the fruit is wrong,” he said, quoting someone he had heard. “Everything is done with a bad heart before being a Christian making what proceeds from you also bad. Jesus himself said this.” This sadly made much sense to the sincere man. He thought, “Yes, my heart has been entirely selfish until now, and this is why I am so concerned to get things right. So could it be that even what I called good during my life up until now was not truly good before God? Wasn’t it not just self-righteousness at best? Even my supposed good deeds are sin! What will I do?”

The days were longer and harder and his sadness was increasing to the point of breaking the man from exhaustion and fear. He could not sleep and concentration was becoming impossible. It is at this point that one does not wish to learn any more. But, there was one more lesson brought to him unexpectedly by an earnest friend and neighbor. He came over to his house with some special coffee for both of them, and a croissant made by his wife, to entice the sincere man to eat and rest for even just a minute. His neighbor tried to change the subject away from sin, but was unsuccessful, for a man of such conviction as Quincey cannot let things go when his life depended on continuing. Trying to be understanding, the neighbor said, “I know this must be hard on you. I remember reading about Adam and Eve who experienced a huge loss just by committing one sin — a little one it seemed — just eating a piece of fruit the Lord forbade them to eat.”

It may have been intended to show sympathy, but it only made things worse. “One sin!” “One sin!” “Just one sin!” He fell to the ground realizing he was hanging over the cliff merely by his quivering fingers. “If Adam lost it all by one sin,” he cried, “what about the tens of thousands I have committed?”

He was now in a mental stupor, and shuffled outside to sit in the noon sun in front of his house. He felt he could not continue seeking Christ because the pressure was too great. In fact, it was impossible. He stared into space, unable to even imagine what all of this meant.

At this time a young man who belonged to the church Quincey had recently attended walked by in front of his house, singing to himself, with shameless happiness all over his face. As the exacting man heard him coming, he scoffed in his heart, for sad people do not like happy people. He mused, “He is young and could not possibly know the pain of becoming a Christian. He isn’t serious or he would be like me.”

“Good afternoon! Are you well?” Quincey dutifully mumbled “hello,” not even looking at him.

“You know, I am so happy today thinking of Christ and what he has done for us. Think about it, Jesus bore all our sins on the cross and has forgiven us for everything we have done or will do. He was raised to prove that this was accomplished. We are as forgiven as we can be! I read in the Bible today that he remembers our sins against us no more and there is no other price to be paid than what Christ has already paid! I’m overwhelmed just thinking about this!”

At this, the young man said, “Oh, please excuse me. I must run to my appointment. I didn’t realize the time. I will see you in church Sunday.”

For several moments Quincey was pensive. Then slowly, his eyelids opened wide, and he leaned back. Tears began to flow and his hands went up to the Lord as if they were full of helium. He then looked up to the sky and a full-faced smile appeared as if he could do nothing else. Then he began walking briskly around the porch not caring if the whole world saw him, with joy unlike he had ever known throughout his entire life. 

Quincey finally believed the gospel.


Would you like to know more about what it means to believe in Jesus?  Listen to this free short audio book called Pursuing God: a Seekers Guide. https://www.ccwtoday.org/free-audio-video-books/#pursuinggod]

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