Erroneous Ideas of Confession
579
If Satan could by any means spread the impression that Seventh-day
Adventists are the offscouring of all things, he would be glad to do it.
God forbid that he should have occasion! God will be better glorified
if we confess the secret, inbred corruption of the heart to Jesus alone
than if we open its recesses to finite, erring man, who cannot judge
righteously unless his heart is constantly imbued with the Spirit of
God. God knows the heart, even every secret of the soul; then do not
pour into human ears the story which God alone should hear.
There are confessions of a nature that should be brought before a
select few and acknowledged by the sinner in deepest humility. The
matter must not be conducted in such a way that vice shall be construed
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into virtue and the sinner made proud of his evil doings. If there are
things of a disgraceful nature that should come before the church, let
them be brought before a few proper persons selected to hear them,
and do not put the cause of Christ to open shame by publishing abroad
the hypocrisy that has existed in the church. It would cast reflections
upon those who had tried to be Christlike in character. These things
should be considered.
Then there are confessions that the Lord has bidden us make to
one another. If you have wronged your brother by word or deed
you are first to be reconciled to him before your worship will be
acceptable to heaven. Confess to those whom you have injured, and
make restitution, bringing forth fruit meet for repentance. If anyone
has feelings of bitterness, wrath, or malice toward a brother, let him
go to him personally, confess his sin, and seek forgiveness.
From Christ’s manner of dealing with the erring we may learn prof-
itable lessons which are equally applicable to this work of confession.
He bids us go to the one who has fallen into temptation, and labor with
him alone. If it is not possible to help him, because of the darkness of
his mind and his separation from God, we are to try again with two
or three others. If the wrong is not righted, then, and only then, we
are to tell it to the church. It is far better if wrongs can be righted and
injuries healed without bringing the matter before the whole church.
The church is not to be made the receptacle for the outpouring of every
complaint or confession.
I recognize, on the other hand, the danger of yielding to the tempta-
tion to conceal sin or to compromise with it, and thus act the hypocrite.
Be sure that the confession fully covers the influence of the wrong