- Confession is making any offense right with God and others. It's agreeing that we are guilty of the charges that have been brought against us. Making confession and asking forgiveness shows we accept full responsibility and our desire to reconcile.
- Forsaking means a willingness on the part of the offender to make restitution and accepting certain restrictions. Forsaking is like working out or the exercising of repentance.
Correction through confession and forsaking restores our fellowship and usefulness to God.
[How many times have we said or heard, "I'mmm sorrrrry! (often said with an attitude or grudge) I'm sorry, I'M SORRY! (given with great emotion and tears but it is a repeated offense that happens over and over) That's because we are remorseful from being caught and corrected but it's not followed with repentance. I have done this myself and I saw it through my kids as they were growing up too. We all do it but in what we read above it falls short of a true apology that shows genuine change. If we don't practice this kind of apology of confession and forsaking we stunt our growth in Christlikeness.
Some other thoughts that I've been thinking on is oftentimes we only think about the outward sin that we see and is obvious to us. Outward sin only reveals to us that there is an inward problem of the heart where the root of sin lies. Rebuke and correction must be applied to the root of the sin problem not to how it is manifested.
We often try to fix only the outward manifestation of sin--stop that swearing, stop that drinking/smoking, change how you dress....... These things will only last for so long if the root of the sin problem isn't taken care of first. When things are right in the heart changes will automatically manifest itself on the outside. Whatever is in the heart is revealed through our words, actions or appearance. Help me Lord, that my life would manifest a genuine testimony and not a false facade.]
Excerpt taken from Jim Berg with my thoughts added.
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