Confessions: "I Lie, Cheat, Steal, Fight, and Kill"

A confession is a statement that is either written or spoken that acknowledges an offense. There is a familiar quote that says, "Confession is good for the soul."

The quote simply means that people feel much better after they own up to something they have done that makes them feel guilty. Admitting an offense is therapeutic and will make people feel better.

I must confess that I lie very often. However, I do not feel guilty about it because I lie for a very good reason. The lying I am confessing is not about telling an untruth. It is about being in a certain position.

According to Psalm 4:8, "In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." That's the kind of lying no one has to feel guilty about.

Solomon, the wisest man who lived during his day, wrote "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet" (Proverbs 3:24).

Yes, I lie.

Some people sin by stealing, whether they take a loaf of bread that doesn't belong to them or thousands of dollars from the bank. They need to confess to that type of stealing so they can move on with forgiveness and the peace of God. I have never stolen in that way. The type of stealing I have done is permissible by the scriptures.

Every type of stealing is not a sin. I steal away from the madding crowd to be with God like Jesus did on many occasions. He often withdrew Himself from around others to be with His Father (Luke 5:16). In that sense, stealing is not a sin. Instead, it is a privilege, a delight, and a benefit.

When killing involves murdering a person, it is a crime and a sin. There are times when it is appropriate to kill that is neither a crime nor a sin. For instance, you can put to death bad habits.

I kill every evil thought as soon as they come into my mind. Everyone should do the same and put to death any thought that is evil.

Cheating usually comes up in two areas. People think about cheating when a student copies off of someone's paper in school. I never cheated when I was in school. I didn't need to cheat because I was one of the smartest students in my class.

The other type of cheating is being deceptive in a physical relationship with someone. I don't have to confess to that either.

There is an area where I do cheat! I cheat the devil out of my life. The devil has every right to be in a person's life when he has been invited to do so. I don't invite the devil into my life. Therefore, I cheat him out of that opportunity.

Yes, I fight! However, I have nothing to confess about because 1 Timothy 6:12 says, "Fight the good fight of the faith." That's what I have been doing all of my spiritual life. I have been fighting the good fight of faith. I get better results that way than by fighting people.

When people hear of someone getting drunk, they immediately think about someone being an alcoholic. I get drunk without having to go to AAA because I am not an alcoholic.

On the Day of Pentecost, the apostles were accused of being drunk when it was only nine o'clock in the morning. Actually, they were so filled with the Holy Spirit that they got drunk in the Spirit (Acts 2:15).

Eli, the priest of Shiloh, thought Hannah was drunk with wine when she was praying for a male child (1 Samuel 1:12-16), Sometimes I pray fervently like Hannah. If Eli saw me, he would accuse me of being drunk with wine.

I know you are thinking there is nothing wrong with dancing. That's true. In 2 Samuel 6:14-20, David danced before the Lord in such a frenzy that led onlookers to notice the activity as he was praising and worshiping God. His wife Michal called him a fool and described his dance as vulgar. Because of her reaction toward her husband, God closed up her womb and she never bore children.

I have danced as David danced and the power of God has overpowered me. Michal would have said the same thing about me as she said about David.

Yes, I put people down. I put them down whether they are family members, friends, or even enemies. I put them down on my prayer list. There is actually nothing wrong with that, and no one needs to feel guilty for putting people down on their prayer list like I do.

If you don't know who to put down, feel free to put me down as long as you put me down on your prayer list and actually include me in your prayers.

I don't own a gun, a rifle, or any other weapon that kills people. However, I do carry a weapon. It is the Word of God, according to Ephesians 6:17.

There is nothing to feel guilty away when you carry the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

I get angry! I get angry when people abuse the word of God. I get angry when I hear preachers and teachers of the Bible give wrong information concerning what the Bible says. For example, I have heard about a preacher saying "Noah was just a man" when the Bible says, "Noah was a just man" (Genesis 6:9). That is a big difference.

I saw a popular preacher on television teaching children that Jesus took all His disciples with him when he went to the house of Martha and Mary in Bethany. The preacher said Martha spent so much time in the kitchen cooking for the big crowd while Mary sat at Jesus' feet. That is a distortion of the story found in Luke 10:38-42.

It made me angry for a few minutes after I heard those wrong teachings, but I got myself together before I went to bed based on the scripture that says, "In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry" (Ephesians 4:26).

Both Hosea and Jeremiah gave me permission to break. The minor prophet and the major prophet said, "Break up your fallow ground" (Hosea 10:12 ; Jeremiah 4:3 ).

Breaking up fallow ground is not a bad thing. Therefore, confession is needed only if you don't do it. The expression means to break off all your evil habits similar to clearing your hearts of weeds.

I grew up on a farm. Therefore, I know that you can't plant seeds on top of fallow ground. The hard ground must be broken up so the seeds can go deep into it to produce a crop. In the same manner, your heart must be prepared for the seeds of righteousness to enter.

I kneel but not in protest of anything. I kneel to pray to have daily conversations with God. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Kneeling is not the only position to be in when praying.

There are several other positions that include sitting, standing, lying on a bed, or prostrating on the floor. It doesn't matter what position you are in as long as you "communicate with God."