Confession of Sin

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Luke 15:11-32

And he said, A certain man had two sons:…

And you will see how these words, in the lips of different men, indicate very different feelings.

I. The first case I shall bring before you is that of the HARDENED SINNER, who, when under terror, says, "I have sinned." And you will find the text in the Book of Exodus, the 9th chap. and 27th verse: "And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked." But why this confession from the lips of the haughty tyrant? Of what avail and of what value was his confession? The repentance that was born in the storm died in the calm; that repentance of his that was begotten amidst the thunder and the lightning, ceased so soon as all was hushed in quiet.

II. Now for a second text. I beg to introduce to you another character — the DOUBLE-MINDED MAN, who says, "I have sinned," and feels that he has, and feels it deeply too, but who is so worldly-minded that he "loves the wages of unrighteousness." The character I have chosen to illustrate this, is that of Balaam (see Numbers 22:34).

III. And now a third character, and a third text. In the First Book of Samuel, the 15th chap. and 24th verse: "And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned." Here is the INSINCERE MAN — the man who is not, like Balaam, to a certain extent sincere in two things; but the man who is just the opposite — who has no prominent point in his character at all, but is moulded everlastingly by the circumstances that are passing over his head. To say, "I have sinned," in an unmeaning manner, is worse than worthless, for it is a mockery of God thus to confess with insincerity of heart.

IV. THE DOUBTFUL PENITENT. Achan (Joshua 7:20). Achan is the representative of some whose characters are doubtful on their deathbeds; who do repent apparently, but of whom the most we can say is, that we hope their souls are saved at last, but indeed we cannot tell.

V. I must now give you another bad case; the worst of all. It is the REPENTANCE OF DESPAIR. Will you turn to the 27th chap. of Matthew, and the 4th verse? There you have a dreadful case of the repentance of despair.

VI. And now I come into daylight. I have been taking you through dark and dreary confessions; I shall detain you there no longer, but bring you out to the two good confessions which I have read to you. The first is that of Job in 7th chap., at the 20th verse: "I have sinned; what shall I do unto Thee, O Thou preserver of men?" This is the REPENTANCE OF THE SAINT.

VII. I come now to the last instance, which I shall mention; it is the case of the prodigal. In Luke 15:18, we find the prodigal says: "Father, I have sinned." Oh, here is A BLESSED CONFESSION? Here is that which proves a man to be a regenerate character — "Father, I have sinned."

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