Bonhoeffer Chapter 5

    This book by Bonhoeffer has been very eye-opening and a wonderful read. This week’s reading was about the confession of our sins within a communal setting. I relate so much to this chapter and even more to this specific quote on page 112 which says, “In confession the break-through to community takes place. Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community.” I can not even count the number of times that I hid my sins from other members of the body of Christ. I had the chance to confess but resisted. That is a huge problem within the Christian community. We do not want to be honest with each other about our wrong doings. It is like we expect each other to be perfect. That is the exact opposite of the true gospel. It is a common misconception within the church, and it needs to be shattered.

    If we hide our sins and do not confess them, we will continue into a pattern that looks like this: Sin, feel guilty and ashamed, sin again to cover up the shame. Then you start the whole process over again. I have done this in my life so much. My struggle with lust and pornography has been in my life since I was 11 years old. It has been a long time. Throughout that time, I have confessed my sins and I have also hidden them. Over the past year, I had the opportunity to join a small group that specifically addresses these exact struggles. Now when I struggle, which has decreased so much over time due to the goodness of the Lord, I have a group of other Christian brothers who I can go to. They can also reach out to me even on days we do not meet for group. It has become somewhat difficult with Covid trying to meet in person, but we have done our best and still zoom, call, and text each other. This group has given me the chance to confess my sins and not live in them by myself. I have had the opportunity to let go of myself and my thoughts that I could do it alone.

    Bonhoeffer also says this on page 112, “Since the confession of sin is made in the presence of a Christian brother, the last stronghold of self-justification is abandoned. The sinner surrenders’ he gives up all evil. He gives his heart to God, and he finds the forgiveness of all his sin in the fellowship of Jesus Christ and his brother.” This quote got to me, because we often think that we can beat sin on our own. Or we say, “I got this with God’s help”. But, realistically, we are fooling ourselves and not truly placing it in God’s hands. We act as if we are justified by our own actions and what we do, not in Jesus. We should embrace the body of Christ which is a blessing and a weapon that is forged against the enemy to defeat sin. We have an opportunity to defeat Satan every day. The war has already been won, but there is still a battle to fight. How will you fight it? Alone or with your brothers and sister in Christ?