Concerning Confession

Confession is a voluntary and sincere declaration of sins committed, without shame and reservation, but with self-reproach and contrition to the person who has been appointed by the Church to forgive sins.

Confession must be voluntary and sincere in order for it to be true and effective. A rushed and insincere confession is fruitless, since it is not a revelation of the heart, an expression of deep remorse, and an indication of yearning for treatment. Confession must be performed without embarrassment and reservation, but with boldness and self-reproach, because boldness is an expression of the abandonment of sin and a disposition to expose sin; bashfulness confirms that there exists a lack of courage.

Confession must be carried out with contrition of heart. This confirms a true change of mind and expresses sorrow for the transgression of God’s commandments, Whom one is seeking to propitiate. Confession without contrition of heart confirms the lack of a deep feeling of guilt for the transgression of the Divine Law.

Confession containing these indicators of true repentance and change of thought is true and perfect and bears its life-saving fruits. Accordingly, the person who wishes to confess is obligated to proceed to his spiritual father and to open up his heart in order to reveal its unknown and hidden depths, without embarrassment or reservation, but with boldness and contrition of heart, and to seek to satisfy the Divine Righteousness and to propitiate God, so that he may cure his soul and achieve salvation.

They who have sinned and do not confess due to embarrassment hand their souls over to death on account of shame. These people suffer identically to sick people who do not rush to the physicians due to embarrassment: vanquished by the disease, they are quickly sent to Hades.

The person who has sinned is obligated to confess his sins so that he may be saved. God, through the Prophet Isaiah, commands: “Do thou first confess thy transgressions, that thou mayest be justified, {because} I am He that blots out thy transgressions” (Isaiah 43:25).

The holy Fathers advise the following to people who are ashamed and do not proceed to life-saving confession: “Shame, if we can call what results from confession shame, brings forth glory and grace.” As the wise Sirach also says: “for there is a shame that bringeth sin; and there is a shame which is glory and grace” (Sirach 4:21).

Do not refuse to confess your sin, so that through this present shame you can i) avoid the shame to come in the next life - because this is also part of the future torment - and ii) show that you truly have despised sin, having made a spectacle of it and triumphed over it as worthy of abuse. The Fathers encourage us to hasten, because God has confined salvation within this life. Behold what the divine Chrysostom says: “No confession and correction exists in Hades for those who have departed. For God has limited conduct and action to this life; while in the next life, the examination of the actions.” This same divine Father teaches that it is impossible to escape the disgrace of our shameful deeds, because if we do not confess here due to shame, we will be humiliated there in front of many myriads of people. Behold the words of the divine Father: “We do not want to feel embarrassed here in front of one person; then what will we do there in front of so many myriads? Think about how the court of God will be; think about all the sins you have committed. Even if you forget the sins, God never forgets; but He will set everything before your eyes if you do not proceed to obliterate them now through repentance and confession.” And again: “Many of the people who sin say I am full of shame. How can I approach God? How can I beseech Him? They suffer from satanic piety. Have you no boldness? Approach then on this account in order to acquire much boldness. For, is He Who is about to reconcile with you a person? He Who desires exceedingly to free you from your sins is God. You do not desire your own safety as much as He yearns for your salvation.”

The wise Sirach exhorts: “Be not ashamed to confess thy sins” (Sirach 4:26). And Job says: “or if too having sinned unintentionally, I hid my sin; for I did not stand in awe of a great multitude, so as not to declare boldly before them” (Job 31:33-34).

St. Basil the Great says that we are obligated to confess boldly with our mouth because we have sinned with our body. Behold his words: “Have we sinned when we rendered our body parts slaves to sin to work injustice? Let us confess with our mouth, using the same instrument towards the dissolution of sin. Have you ridiculed someone? Bless. Have you been greedy? Repay. Have you become drunk? Fast. Have you been arrogant? Humble yourself. Have you been envious? Console. Have you killed? Suffer martyrdom or things equivalent to martyrdom; mistreat your body through confession. And then, after the confession, you are worthy of chanting to God with a ten-stringed psaltery.”

Behold what the Fathers advise to them who put off their repentance day by day: “As you delay and avoid con-fessing your thoughts, you benefit nothing; rather, you affirm with your action that the enemy has revealed a secret to you, and that you are afraid to confront and fall away from his love. O, may you reveal this to spiritual men.” The wise Sirach exhorts us saying: “Before Judgment examine thyself and in the day of visitation thou shalt find mercy” (Sirach 18:20). And the Lord says: “’lake ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh - at evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning - lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping. And what I say unto you, I say unto all: Watch!” (Mk. 13:33-37)

They who approach confession out of habit and under pretense, they who insincerely confess their own sins and on account of shame condemn the sins and make excuses, they who justify themselves and accuse others, these people foolishly mock God. But God can not be fooled because He knows everything. They who conceal their sins suffer similarly to sick persons who conceal their ailments and do not convey a true history to their physicians on account of bashfulness.

To such people David provides himself as an example, saying: “Mine iniquity have I acknowledged, and my sin have I not hid” (Ps. 31:5). And again: “For I will declare mine iniquity, and I will take heed concerning my sin” (Ps. 37:18). And once more: “I will confess mine iniquities before the Lord against myself. And Thou forgavest the ungodliness of my heart” (Ps. 31:5)

Solomon remarks: “A righteous man accuses himself at the beginning of his speech” (Pr. 18:10. And again the Proverbs say: “{a man} being easily discerned, exposes his own sins in the public assemblies” (Pr. 26:26). The person who has sinned cannot afford to lose time if he pities his soul, but he should immediately repent and approach confession, thereby finding much power to ward off sin. The holy father Neilos says: “the spiritual teaching knows how to disperse the smoke of evil that has been deposited in our souls.”

The demons desire to destroy us, but when we repent and confess they are unsuccessful, thus fulfilling the scripture that says: “the desire of the sinner shall perish” (Ps. 3:9). Saint Neilos also notes: “It is a great achievement never to agree to sin; however, if through beguilement of the enemy some mistake was made, one should flee to God with hope which is better. For people are inclined towards the opposing evils.” St. Basil the Great says: “For the person who wishes to be saved, there is no need for a suitable time; if the thief had neglected, he would not have been saved in a moment; but having believed only, he won the inexhaustible treasure of the kingdom.”

Job states: “if he should purpose in his heart to turn to the Lord, and declare to man his fault, and shew his folly; He {God} will support him, that he should not perish; and will restore his body as fresh plaster upon a wall; and He will fill his bones with marrow. And He will make his flesh tender as that of a babe, and He will restore him among men in his full strength. And he shall pray to the Lord, and his prayer shall be accepted of him; he shall enter with a cheerful countenance, with a full expression of praise: for He will render to men their due” (Job 33:23-26).

Didymos says: “repentance for the sins committed makes the mind of the one who repents clean.”

Saint John Climacos asserts that “wounds displayed in public will not grow worse, but will be healed”. Nothing gives such strength to the demons and to our thoughts against us, as much as mulling unconfessed thoughts in the heart. Such and so many are the benefits that stem from prompt and sincere confession.

Still, the Prophet Isaiah commands that we be extremely prepared: “Seek ye the Lord, and when ye find Him, call upon Him; and when He shall draw nigh to you, let the ungodly leave his ways, and the transgressor his counsels; and let him return to the Lord, and he shall find mercy; for He shall abundantly pardon your sins” (Isa. 55:6-7).

St. Gregory the Theologian also teaches the method of rectifying the sins committed. He says: “Surround yourself with ashes, tears, sighs; achieve restoration through confession and a more honorable conduct. God rejoices at nothing as much as a person’s correction and salvation, on behalf of which every word and every mystery take place.”

However, confession also demands the discovery of a proficient and experienced physician. Behold what a holy Father says concerning this unavoidable necessity: “Just as people do not reveal their physical ailments to everyone or to just any ordinary person, but to them who are experienced in treating such diseases, similarly the confession of sins should be made to them who are able to provide treatment.” Therefore, we must be careful to search for experienced physicians who are capable of healing the wounds of the heart that has been injured by sins. This is an urgent matter due to the sharp character of the wounds and the various passions. It is a pressing concern due to the impending danger. Just as the unskillful physician sends many people to the gates of Hades, similarly, the incompetent and imprudent spiritual father sends many souls to Hades. O, what a terrible evil for someone to find death while seeking treatment. Who can calculate the magnitude of this great misfortune? Who is capable of mourning this type of loss? It is necessary for one’s eyes to be transformed into faucets of tears in order to weep for this misfortune worthily Woe!”

Woe to them who claim to be spiritual fathers and who assassinate the souls of those whom they confess. Woe unto them who demand money for the forgiveness of sins, instead of contrition, humility, and the propitiation of God through a true and virtuous lifestyle. Woe to them who seek to sell the forgiveness of evil deeds in return for recompense. Woe to the hypocrites who feign piety in order to deceive others and profit, those who preach piety in order to make money. Woe to them who promise prayers and supplications on behalf of those who have sinned in order to receive silver. Woe to the soul merchants who sell the souls of Christians to the demons in return for a few coins! Woe to them who teach the lie! Their portion will be with their father the Devil, the father of lies.

Beloved Christians! God is in need of nothing. He is in need of no one because He lacks nothing. Therefore, do not offer foreign prayers and supplications in order to satisfy the Divine Righteousness that has been offended by you, in order to propitiate the enraged God. By these alone you benefit nothing. Have you sinned? Do you feel the burden of the sin? Does your conscience reproach you? See to it that you are alleviated. See to it that you extinguish the reproach of your conscience. The spiritual father is the only physician. Request the medication rather than prayers and supplications. But even if you ask for these, still, do not overlook the medication. Just as when we fall ill, as the Apostle James teaches, we ask for the prayers but we are also anointed with the oil (cf. Jas. 5:14). Similarly in this case, seek the medication, and if you are wealthy, then give to holy men to pray on your behalf, while also praying with them. The prayers of those who pray with you should be an expression of your fervent desire to propitiate God. However, the payment and the prayers of others will be of no benefit to you if you are negligent, because you have in no way improved yourself morally.

Beloved, we are speaking about ethical rebirth. We are speaking about Christian conduct. We are speaking about a virtuous and modest way of life. This is about intimacy with God. We are talking about perfection and holiness. Because having become such persons, we become participants of eternal life. Therefore, if we do not struggle, we have accomplished nothing. Then, the prayers of the spiritual fathers are useless, the supplicatory canons of the salaried are useless, the forty-day Liturgies are also useless, when they are performed on behalf of an unrepented person who has not propitiated God and who still lives in sin. We are saved through contrition of the heart and true confession.

SOURCE : Repentance and Confession - Saint Nektarios