Particular Sins Particularly

“I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; in his word is my hope.”

Psalm 130:4, 1979 The Book of Common Prayer

When you confess your sins, it’s important to do what the old theologians called confessing your particular sins particularly. That means that, as far as you are able, you should confess to God the individual actions that you have done wrong.

• “God, forgive me for being impatient with that waiter.”
• “God, forgive me for the way I treated my sister.”
• “God, forgive me for how I gossiped about my co-worker.”
• “God, forgive me for the gestures I made to that person I was upset with in traffic.”

If you forget some of them, don’t let it paralyze you. In our tradition, we ask God to forgive us for the sins we have done and those we have left undone because there are some that we will never know. It’s not that you have to let God know what your sins are – it’s that you need to take accountability to yourself in naming those things that you have done.

It may also mean that you need to take accountability before those whom you have sinned against, as well. We’re all familiar with non-apologies. Usually it involves someone apologizing “that others were offended” or blaming the injured party. True repentance means acknowledging that you have hurt others and need to be forgiven.

What happens when we confess our sins? The Apostle John tells us that “[i]f we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9, NIV)

God is not surprised by our sins. He doesn’t hear our confession and say, “You did what, now?” He knew all of them before you confessed them, just like He knew all of them before He sent His Son into the world that the world might be saved through Him. He has promised to forgive and to redeem His people.

“In his word is my hope.”

Psalm 130:4b