Using David’s sin with Bathsheba as an illustration, David Powlison answers the commonly asked question, “how specific should my confession be (particularly with sexual sin)?”
Summary:
- There should be no doubt about the nature of the sin — it is crystal clear what happened and allow the reality of the sin to be faced.
- There should be no “gory details” that elicit morbid imagination — there is a certain generic quality and specificity that is appropriate.
- Does the forgiver have enough information to forgive the actual sin and pray wisely for the confessor?
- Who the forgiver is spiritually will also make a difference in how this unfolds — if the forgiver can respond appropriately to an appropriate amount of candor then it will be resolved more quickly; if the forgiver struggles with his/her response, then the confessor may need a wise counselor to help guide the process so that he can confess so as to help the forgiver so the forgiver doesn’t himself/herself stumble spiritually.
(HT: Tim Challies)
Words of Grace 