CHAPTER FIVE

Confession Follows Self-Examination

 

The Learner III seeks to support all that are interested in freedom, restoration, and full recovery from the bondage of addiction. We desire to participate in helping those that are hurting and in need of accountability and counsel. Our hearts reach out to those that struggle with the loss of control in their lives due to dependency. look forward to assisting you in full recovery and restoration.When we discuss confession, first we have to understand that there are many who do not do well at this part, some simply because they are so introverted and shy that they hold everything in, maybe so that only they know? Maybe! But often it’s only because they lack the social boldness to share. Others however, are so open that everything comes out and sometimes they regret this later.Confession, no matter what type of person you are, is vital to recovery, without it there will be no place to start, because without confessing there is no admitting, and we must admit that we need help, we must admit that we have a problem, and we must admit that only God has the power to cleanse us and restore us back to who we were meant to be. For many, including myself this is the hardest part of life, it requires a willingness to trust, a willingness to become vulnerable, and a willingness to be real and openly discuss with another. If you are like me, you will need more grace to do this part, so let us start this chapter like all others with grace to participate in this “scary” to some chapter!

Amazing Grace

Amazing grace how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found
Was blind but now I see

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

Thru many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
Tis grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Then when we first begun.

 

 

Welcome to chapter five of Addiction Recovery.

 

I am grateful that you have made a decision in your life to live a new way. This will require honesty, willingness, and a total surrender of yourself to a greater power (Jesus) that is able to make a difference in your life. I pray that you are blessed as you participate, and that in these coming weeks a change will become very noticeable to you.
Let us begin chapter five. Read the following and then join me in the short prayer below.

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that I can be here in your presence, Father I confess to you that I need your help, I confess that I need the help of others, I have tried on my own, but have been unable to do it alone, please Jesus lead me as I follow you and learn to trust again, Jesus help me to examine myself completely and confess those areas that I need help with, thank you Lord, in Jesus name, amen!

Chapter Five- Confession Follows Self-Examination
We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another person(s) the exact nature of our wrongs.
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16
“So that you may be healed” Again we see here that confession is a prerequisite to healing, do you want to be healed? Confess all that is wrong in truth. Confess your sin, confess the whole truth about your addiction!
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9

See here, look closely, not only will your sin be forgiven, but more than that, God will cleanse you from all unrighteousness, God will take away the effects of your addiction! The addiction will be removed and a cleansing will take place! All that you found in your examination will begin to disappear!
Have you forgotten what your search has found?
Take a trip back to Galatians five and also ask God to search with you. Take time for a few moments as look at yourself, soul searching.
What manner of Person?
Here we are to make an inventory of ourselves and then admit/confess to God and to ourselves, and even to others, the exact nature of our wrongs. This takes courage; this takes honesty, brutal honesty, and bravery. No matter how difficult this may be it is a must!

“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves, for if there be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: for he beholds himself, and goes his way, and strait-way forgets what manner of man he was. But whoso looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:22-25
This talks about our examination and what we found, what we confessed, and what we asked God to help us with, that we should not forget it, that we should not return from whence we were after God has cleansed us and restored us. This is meant to be a reminder that God is working a process in you and at its completion you will be healed, but…
DO NOT FORGET! Don’t forget where you came from and return again to this pain!

After we looked in this so-called mirror that exposes us and our addiction and the condition of our heart, and how it is depressed, and cast down, this is what truth often does at first before it changes and blesses us by healing us.
Ok, so sometimes it’s hard to confess our faults to God and to others because we just don’t know what will happen to us when we do. Because of this we tend to believe that we can get by without confessing the truth. But this is never true, healing starts with confession, and the chastening of the Lord is his hand of love unto our life.
Read Hebrews 12:1-11
1. Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.
4. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.
5. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him.
6. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
7. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not?
8. But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9. Futhermore we have had Fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of the spirits and live?
10. For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
Now how can we read this and not talk about God and his love for us? See God wants that we are blessed, but sometimes it requires first that we are corrected.

If you will allow him to correct you, then you will be blessed, if you endure and do not quit.
After reading this what questions do you have?
Answer the following questions:
Why must we confess our faults to God and to others?
What happens when we do confess all about our addiction?
What happens when we forgive others, and what happens when we refuse to forgive?

 

Memory Verse:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1John 1:9