Mook on Confessing sin (or how God is not like a puppy)

You may have heard it said there is nothing God uses more in your sanctification than marriage, and I agree.

It’s not that marriage brings out the worst in you – it just reveals it!

I see all my sin and self-centeredness and selfishness and pride…  and filth and yuck!

And last week? Well, I saw a lot of it!

Soo forgave me and she accepts me, but it was still hard.

I could still see the grief and pain on her face. I still felt distant. I still felt bad, I still felt awful.

Then I was talking to Halle… and I thought, maybe this is why we like babies and puppies so much.

See, a baby may cry for a few minutes in the middle of the night, or may not particulary like how you hold them, but… they don’t really reject you.

And a dog, well they may whine for some food while you’re eating or may dislike a spanking, but they always like you.

Even if you upset a baby or a puppy- they seem to have short memories.

They like cuddling with you. They give little smiles.

And they don’t talk back.

They don’t say “but…” or give you looks to let you know how disappointed they are.

And I began thinking, maybe this is why I like God so much.

I tell Him all my sin, and He forgives me. He embraces me. He doesn’t hold my sin over me. I don’t feel guilt or shame at all.

And while some of those things are true, I think I discovered I may need to take a new look at confessing sin…

1.     God hates sin. He abhors it.

It’s not a mistake, that He just looks over. It’s not something He can just say “What? Don’t worry about it”

I think that is how I usually picture the whole process in my head.

Like the sin doesn’t bother him that much.

2.     Sin grieves God

This goes with the above. Just because I can’t see the grief & disappoinment and sadness, doesn’t mean God isn’t grieved. Eph 4:30 exhorts us: Do not grieve the Holy Spirit.

Our sin causes God pain.

3.     God really is gentle with us, gracious with us. He forgives us & accepts us.

And this is not something to take lightly. He knows all our faults and all our sins (Psal 139). And He loves us anyway. He accepts us. He holds no record of wrongs (I Cor 13) and all fear is cast out (I John 4). He doesn’t deal harshly with us.

In the book Prodigal God, Tim Keller makes some observations on the story of the prodigal son. When the Father comes toward the son, he doesn’t say “Ew, you stink. Go wash up and I will give you a big hug.” Nor does he give him a big hug and then say wash up now and take my coat it stinks now too. He embraces him. He wants him to clean up, but not because he is disgusted by him

4.     He really does want repentance

Throughout the Old Testament, God rebukes His people. They offer sacrifices- but they are vain. Jesus rebukes the religious leaders likewise. They worship, but the hearts are far away. Words, even words of confession, are in vain if our hearts and actions aren’t impacted.

We are called to repent
When the women caught adultery is not stoned, Jesus says "Neither do i condemn you" but He also adds "Go, and sin no more."
Jesus lived among the sinners, but He never condoned what they did and certainly did not enable them to sin

5.     God longs to show mercy

Even in all His anger in the Old Testament in Jeremiah and elsewhere, He is looking for opportunities to show mercy and grace and love

6.     All of this is possible because of Jesus.

Though God hates sin, He punishes our sin on Jesus. Though sin grieves Him, He looks at the righteousness of Jesus. And Jesus stands us an advocate for us.
Thru the death of Christ, we are free from all condemnation- all guilt, all shame. Jesus took all our shame, all our guilt upon Him on the Cross! We are accepted, loved.

Jesus is now living in us and sent His Spirit so we can repent and turn to God. Jesus provides the example for us how to live and the Holy spirit is making us more like Christ

And we are shown just how much God longs to show mercy, when the Father sent His Son, and the Son freely gave His life for us

So, while God is gracious, kind- and all I need to do is confess, I am already forgiven. I shouldn’t take my sin so lightly.

I am not just talking to a wall. I am not talking to the air. I am certainly not talking to a puppy. And while Ricky Bobby may pray to baby Jesus- He is not a little baby, He is King of Kings, God Almighty. He is meek & mild, ferocious & wild. He is a gentle thunder. He is the lion & the lamb – a lion-like lamb and a lamb-like lion (as John Piper would say).

We don’t just confess to get things off our chest, and not to feel better about ourselves.

We confess to renew our relationship with God and allow the holy spirit to work in our lives and make us more like Christ and to relish in the mercy & grace & kindness & goodness & love of our Lord.

Lord, be glorified!

Mook on Recongizing our wretchedness and embracing our awfulness

7, 8 years ago i came to realization: the more people get to know me, the less they like me.

i probably felt it before, but i knew it then. The more people got to know me, the less they liked me.

They began to see the opinions and not just the easy-to-get-along with guy. They saw the serious side, not just the fun side - or vice versa. They had to deal with me and my depression, not just my laughter.
Yes, the more time people spent with me, the less they wanted to. The more they got to know me, the less they liked me.

And for years i have been battling that.
i conferred it with friends. Some verified it, other tried not to give in, just to prove me wrong.
i tried to "escape" the lie. - No, it can't be true! People like me!

But i've realized, this is a losing battle.

And really, i should not be surprised by it.

Why should i be surprised by this?
See, as people get to know me more, the more they see of my filth. That is, my sin.
i can hide my sin a lil bit, but not for long.

Every part of me has been stained by the fall.
i am not utterly completely bad, but i am totally depraved.

Not only that, but i am the product of living in a fallen world.
And people who respond are also fallen.


So... the more people get to know me, the less they tend to like me.

Now, Soo and some other friends perhaps will fight against this. She will affirm and tell me all the things that are good about me.
And it is true, some people like me - even after they get to know me.

But this is just like putting white snow on top of a big pile of poop.
The sin is still there. My fallenness is there.


i know, i know, i've shared this before.

but i'll say it again.

Instead of ignoring all that yuckiness and looking for good. i need to recognize my wretchedness and embrace my awfulness and see how difficult it is to love me. i am not lovely or lovable. i am disgusting and a mess.


The wonder isn't how easy it is for people to stop liking me or get upset with me. The wonder is that i am loved at all!

This is The Gospel.
i need the Gospel.

i am wretched, but God saved me.
i am awful, but i am liked.
i am disgusting, but God delights in me.
i am difficult, but the body of Christ deals with me and helps me.

We need the Gospel in our community. We need to extend the Gospel to others. And we need to embrace the Gospel.
Stop making much of ourselves and start making much of God and His Gospel.

the thing about forgiving sin

What should we do when someone sins?
Americans feel Christians are extremely judgmental. Yet, many other cultures feel Christians are sacrilegious.
How are we to respond to sin? How are we to act?

Most of us are primarily concerned about what others may think of us, rather than dealing with the actual sin. We’re more worried about how we may be perceived than what will help the person. We’re more worried about doing everything right to feel good about ourselves, rather than doing right to honor God.

We have replaced being loving with being nice.

Sin needs to be confronted with the Gospel.
Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Jesus came that sin may be forgiven.

But we do a horrible job forgiving sin.

We rationalize sin, understand sin, diminish sin, ignore sin, marginalize sin, accept sin. But do we really help people understand they are forgiven.

Most people aren’t looking for forgiveness. To be forgiven of sin, they need to understand they in fact did sin. They want us to say what they did was ok, it was understandable, it was acceptable. They are seeking understanding , acceptance.

But what people want and need truly is: Forgiveness.


The other day one of my friends became very angry with our bus driver. There was not enough space in the car for everyone. We tried to make it work, but it was a safety hazard and a traffic violation. He wouldn’t take us. My friend got very angry.

He realized soon he was very bitter and resentful and treated the driver in an unloving way. He said things that were rude, accusatory and insulting. What he did was wrong.

My lovely wife, perhaps the most gracious person I know, wants him to know it is ok. She tells him, “he was very rude. He could have treated you better.”

While this is a true statement, is that what we need to tell someone when they sin?
In our attempts to be gracious and help people feel better, we justify their sin.
Then they leave like they didn’t really do anything wrong. Any person could have done it. IT was a mistake. I don’t need to worry about it or think about it anymore. In fact, that other person was wrong, and it is their fault I reacted the way I did.


Does he leave the situation understanding the Gospel? Does he receive forgiveness?

How should we respond when a person sin?

I am no expert in this. When someone sins around me, I like to look the other way. I may try to change the subject per say- get us thinking about something else. Or I just sit there stunned, not sure what to do to avoid the awkwardness.

I don’t like awkwardness. I hate tension. I like when things are easy. I like when things are cordial.
These are my idols.
Cordial isn’t love. It is not God’s standard.

And I think the right thing may not be received well. Some may eat it up and fall in love with the Gospel, but don’t be surprised if many get angry at first.

1. Call sin sin. Sin needs to be acknowledged. IF there is no sin, there is nothing to forgive. There is no need for the Gospel

2. We can empathize, and even say how we may even feel the same way or do the same thing. Let them know we understand their situation and/or their feelings. “That was tough” “I can understand why you would feel that way”

this is not a step by step process, either 1 or 2 could be done first

3. Point to a better way. Point to what God calls us to: love, purity, kindness, giving, sacrifice, holiness, etc. Show how Jesus lived this out, and point out that the Holy Spirit wants to change them

4. Give the Gospel. The Gospel is not simply for a non-Christian to hear so they can accept Christ. Non-Christians and Christians alike need to hear the Gospel every day!
a. God hates the sin, and Jesus died for it
b. Christ has bore the penalty and the shame of that sin
(Romans 8:1 is a personal favorite: There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus)

5. Forgive them and let them know you love them, think highly of them, forgive them and are confident that (if they have accepted Christ) God is at work in them to make them more like Christ.
(God will never leave us or forsake us.;
He who began a good work in you, will complete it, etc)


We want to communicate kindness & love.
We want to give grace & offer forgiveness.
We need to confront the sin, and apply the Gospel to our sin, so we may rest in the love & kindness of God, rely on the Holy Spirit and rejoice in Christ.