Stephen Michael

The movie “The Wizard of Oz,” traumatized me when I was a young boy. Everything goes well until the old, wicked witch enters the scene. My younger brother and I would dart to our bedroom to hide from her ugliness, pointed fingernails, hat, chin, and mostly a sinister laugh while yelling, “I’ll get you, my little pretty.”

When Dorothy enters into Emerald City to see the Wizard, she encounters a rude awakening. “Who is this image named Oz, and what is he, or it like?” She thought.

However, her little dog named Toto spoiled the undercover acts of the man who portrays the Wizard. The roaring voice thunders, “don’t pay any attention to the man behind the curtain.” The secret is now revealed.

Thus, behind the curtain he is revealed to be no more than a mere man, who knows how to push the buttons, turns the knobs, while yelling into a microphone. The request from the paupers goes on deaf ear while they shake with fear of the great and mighty Wizard of Oz.

This old movie is timeless, yet it portrays man’s sinister way to hide truths, now there is an updated version. Both speak volumes of today’s “man behind the curtain.”

Confession and repentance have been hidden behind a veil by clever preachers. They know it’s there but never spoken of. Today in politics, education, social, and unfortunately, the church has become places of mystical thought, “do as I say, and do not look behind the veil.”

“For God has done everything necessary for our divine foregiveness and pardon. There is nothing more God needs to do to guarantee the forgiveness of our sins. Everything rests, then, on our willingness to confess them.” (A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of Christian Maturity)

• Confession in the Greek means; “Homologeo” Strongs; (3670) “To acknowledge, to agree or confess in the fullness of God. Profess the same things i.e. agree with God.”

First, we agree with God that He is sovereign and we’re not. All of our self-righteousness is worthless within ourselves. God will bring us to confession, with a broken and contrite heart. It’s the humility and full endorsement to boldly proclaim that Jesus is Lord. Thus, it produces a sincere mature Christian and releases him into a true relationship with Christ. Now, we see Christ as He is.

This is the first step to Christian maturity, as AW Tozer says, “I find that God is more willing to forgive us than we’re ready to repent. It’s the glue that binds us to Christ, sealed by His blood on the beams of hope.”

It’s clear what Jesus was teaching about confession. He could have said, “Come, agree with me, and I will show you great things.” A true look to the cross paralyzes our thoughts to a God of beauty, mercy, and triumphed over sin. After all, at the consummation of all things, it will be the last enemy to be destroyed, and we should rejoice.

Confession is good and necessary for fellowship with God; however, we flee from it. Why? Because our pride of self is most important to us. It’s the enemy within, a trick of Satan.

The Wizard behind the curtain wailed, “don’t pay attention to the man behind the curtain.” While God lovingly reaches out to deliver us from the evil one, nothing is ever hidden, but He reveals and illuminates, while every spot and wrinkle are exposed.

Also, confession relieves our burdens and opens the window to heaven. Now, joy and peace indwell us as we go about this earthy life.

Remember the story of David, whose confession was only after being confronted by the prophet Nathan, “You’re the man.” He spoke. While David was labeled, “a man after God’s own heart,” but he had to confess and repent. Yet, this example should excite believers to confess often. I’m sure David did while being relieved from this burden, and he probably was glad it happened.

However, the covenant relationship between God and man was not a joint venture. We didn’t enter into an agreement with God, but He laid down the conditions and we must obey. The conditions were of His Divine sovereign right to do so, “You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 (nasb)

“And then I will declare to them, I never knew you; Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness.” Matthew 7:23 (nasb)

Secondly, repentance is to take action because of our confession, by verbally repenting of our sin, change direction and accept the free gift of forgiveness and remember it no more.

Repentance is not an intellectual exercise; it’s a sincere moral and spiritual transformation. It delivers one to a better course of life and now clears up the confusion of the evil deeds that we once did; now we know. We agree that we’re guilty before God and now have accepted the invitation to come to Jesus and be pardoned from eternal judgement.

Repentance in the Greek means; Metanoia, Strongs (3341) “To change one’s mind, to repent. To turn from sin and turn to God.”

Today’s church has replaced confession and repentance to a verbal cliché; “just say these words after me and you will be saved.”

Years ago, I listened to a young lady to reflect upon her action of accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. She was to be baptized as her family sits with anticipation of the ceremony. The waters are stirred, immersed, and then her public testimony. The congregation waits for an inspirational word from this repented sinner. She said, “I really don’t feel any different, but I’m happy that I did it.”

Does this sound like true repentance, no confession, no fear of being in the hands of the living God and doomed for judgement? Jonathan Edwards preached the fiery sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God.” His scripture verse was, “In due time their foot will slip.” Deuteronomy 32:35, (nasb) One excerpt reads, “The Devil stands ready to fall upon them, and seize them as his own, at what moment God shall permit him.”

Maybe, every non-believer should be required to read or listen to a similar sermon and meditate on the peril of their soul without true repentance. Jesus said, “all must repent or perish.”

Now, confession and repentance work together to accomplish the full turning away from the evilness of this world and to follow God.

“That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God is raised from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 (nasb)

Finally, confession and repentance are duties of every believer. We don’t fully understand why, as for me, I surely do not. However, Satan hates the confession of the repentant sinner.

So, let’s be wise in our walk with God, and make confession and repentance a daily occurrence, we’ll see what God will do in our lives.

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:2 (nasb)