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Moving to week 9 of 30 we will look at confession and what it really means to oneness.

Confession – Open acknowledgement of wrongs committed, based on inner conviction.

James 5:16 (NKJV) “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

As we look deep into this text, we see paramount principles to the profitability of confession. First James encourages us to confess our trespasses, “an offense against,” to one another.

In order for this to happen, there must be a relationship of trust.

To confess our trespasses is to place oneself in the posture of vulnerability.

Being open to the chance of being scrutinized. Who can we go to? Or a better question is, do our loved ones feel comfortable and free to come to us and confess their offenses?

As much as we may want to believe that they can, if we are strong enough, take a pole, see how the family feels about the relationship that we have with them.

If they feel they can’t confess or be vulnerable with us, don’t get upset. This will provide us with the opportunity to build oneness.

Next do we believe the person we’re confessing to will earnestly pray for us. That we will not succumb to the temptation to be a repeat offender. That we shall be healed from the hurt and pain of the situation.

Another factor is for us to forgive ourselves. As long as we live in unforgiveness, we will never truly be able to confess for the sake of healing. Some of us battle with inner conviction. Knowing what we need to do to make things right, but the thought of being exposed can cause us to be held captive in the cell of shame.

Again, the ability and capability to be open and transparent with a person of refuge will usher us into an environment of oneness. As we may not have this concern, do we know those who do?

Are we presenting ourselves as a person of hearing more than a person of speaking? Have we presented ourselves as a person of prey, or a person of pray?

The comfortability of others is the confirming proclamation to our presentation.

Rev. Demetrius Moffett is Senior Pastor of Orange Church of God-Embassy of Grace, 1911 North 16th Street in Orange.