Chapter 2: Empathy Through Confession
As mentioned in the introduction of this book, each of the five parts includes a practical discipline or habit designed to help you internalize the focus of each component of The Wordsmith’s Wheel. While many spiritual disciplines heighten our focus on God’s empathy, the practice of confession uniquely removes the clutter and helps us fully engage at “the well” with Jesus.
When the word confession is used in Christian circles, it often conjures an image of shame-filled admissions of mistakes. While confession does require a deep level of honesty, the habit itself comprises three distinct layers. When practiced together, these layers can help us better understand God’s heart for us and for others.
A Critical Note Before We Continue
In the spirit of confession, I have something to confess: The rest of this book may leave you frustrated or confused if I tiptoe around the importance of this point. More importantly, I would not be fulfilling my role as a Christian if I did not make this clear:
If you do not believe in Jesus, you are spiritually dead. Yes, physical breath may still pass through your mouth and into your lungs, but on a deeper, eternal level, you are cut off from the only true source of life.
Sure, there may be some psychological benefits to the surface-level ideas of empathy, engagement, explaining, embodying, and equipping. However, if you do not truly understand what I mean when I reference the Gospel, then I am wasting your time.
For those who are well-versed in this story, I ask for your patience. For those with minimal or even a foggy understanding of the Gospel, please slow down and take the time to internalize this message. While there are many wonderful methods of explaining this beautiful story, one of my favorites (and perhaps the most succinct) can be found in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus:
“And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:1-10 ESV).
While thousands of pages could be dedicated to studying each line of this incredible passage of Scripture, my goal is to succinctly communicate the story of the Bible through five key themes: Creation, Separation, Consecration, Salvation, and Invitation.
1) Creation: God is one God in three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), and He is the Creator of all things. While this certainly includes the oceans, continents, wildlife, vegetation and the night sky (see Genesis 1), the crown jewel of God’s creation is you. You are “his workmanship.” When you read about the environment and conditions that God created for Adam and Eve, the first humans, it is evident that God desires perfect relationship with us, living in an environment devoid of evil. Well, when we look at our world today, it is clear that this is far from an adequate description of our world. So, what went wrong?
2) Separation: In Genesis 3, Eve and Adam are tempted by a crafty serpent who causes them to question God’s Word. While Eden contained many trees, God specifically identified two trees tied to His instructions:
“And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil… The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”” (Gen. 2:9, 15-17 ESV).
When the serpent tempted Eve, he led her to question God’s clear instruction:
“But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:4-5 ESV).
In this moment, Eve succumbed to the temptation that has infected humanity ever since. Rather than trusting God as Lord, Adam and Eve chose to act as the gods of their own destiny.
God’s rebuke of the serpent is both firm and prophetic:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:15 ESV).
God’s decision to banish Adam and Eve from Eden is often viewed as a harsh example of His wrath. However, when we understand His reasoning, it becomes one of the clearest examples of grace in Scripture:
“And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them. Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.” (Gen. 3:21-23 ESV).
In this beautiful act of love, God introduces three key themes essential for understanding why Christians can have unshakeable hope:
The Offspring: “…he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Gen. 3:15c ESV).
The Sacrifice: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them…” (Gen. 3:21a ESV).
The Tree: “…take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever…” (Gen. 3:22b ESV).
From the moment Adam and Eve gave into temptation and were banished from Eden, they became “dead in their trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1 ESV). As their descendants, we are also born into sin. Yet God always provides a way out. Rather than allowing them to remain in Eden and risk eating from the Tree of Life—thus living forever in their state of sin—He sent them out of the garden. This act initiated the journey of God’s people, beginning in Genesis 4 and continuing through the end of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament.
3) Consecration: After an incredible increase in sin and lawlessness, which was punished by a worldwide flood, God made a covenant with a man named Abraham:
“Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Gen. 12:1-3 ESV).
This “great nation” would come to be known as Israel, and they would eventually become enslaved to the Egyptians, only to be freed by God working through a man named Moses. Through Moses, God gave Israel a list of commandments to clarify His standard for holiness. When this standard was not met, a sacrifice had to be made at the tabernacle, a special structure created and consecrated for the rituals of the High Priest. God's presence resided at the heart of the tabernacle, in what is known as the Holy of Holies, guarded by a veil. In order to enter this sacred space, an animal sacrifice had to first be made on behalf of the sinful community:
“Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” (Heb. 9:22 ESV).
Sacrifice was required to maintain a relationship with God, but these sacrifices only had a temporary effect. Much of the Old Testament depicts God’s people repeatedly trying and failing to uphold His standard. They all “lived in the passions of [their] flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Eph. 2:3c).
The tabernacle was mobile because it needed to travel with the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness. Eventually, it would be replaced by a permanent temple, where God's presence would also be guarded by a veil. The disobedience of the Israelites would lead to captivity and oppression by foreign enemies, and by the end of Malachi, it seemed as though all hope was lost.
4) Salvation: In this midst of Israel’s plight, God would inspire a prophet named Isaiah to make the following declaration:
“And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:13-14 ESV).
Finally, the offspring of the woman that God warned the serpent about in Genesis 3 was here. His name, Immanuel, literally means "God with us." Jesus had come.
Remember, God set a standard for His people that had to be met. In His divine providence, God knew that the only one who could fulfill His standard was Himself. Jesus lived the life we could not live. He was perfect in every respect, similar to the spotless animals required for Old Testament sacrifices, but so much better.
Forgiveness of sin requires the shedding of blood, so Jesus did the unthinkable: the one who never sinned took on the penalty for our sin. He allowed Himself to be falsely accused, beaten, and murdered on a Roman cross. He was both the ultimate High Priest and the sacrifice. His tragic death unfolded on a Friday, only to be overcome through His resurrection on Sunday. In this incredible triumph, the implications of the themes God set in motion at the end of Genesis 3 become clear:
The Offspring: Jesus is God’s Son, His offspring, and He came to this earth so that we could be adopted into His family.
The Sacrifice: God sacrificed an animal to clothe Adam and Eve in Genesis, giving them reprieve from their shame. Jesus sacrificed Himself, clothing us with His blood, forever paying our debt and securing our eternity.
The Tree: In Eden, eating from the Tree of Life would cause the consumer to live forever. Jesus allowed Himself to be crucified on a cross, built from a tree, forever securing life for us.
Paul articulates this reality beautifully when he writes:
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” (Eph. 2:4-7 ESV).
5) Invitation: So, what does all of this mean for us? Do you remember the veil in the tabernacle, and later in the temple, which could only be entered by the High Priest, separating humanity from God’s presence? Something amazing happened at the moment of Jesus’ crucifixion:
“And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.” (Matt. 27:51 ESV).
The veil that prevented God’s people from entering His presence was removed. Jesus, who is God, the High Priest, and the sacrifice all in one, forever fulfilled the sacrificial system, granting us access into God’s indescribable presence.
Yes, this means our relationship with our Creator has been restored and secured, but it also means that we have a job to do:
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph. 2:8-10 ESV).
You and I have been invited to co-labor with God in fulfilling the reason for which we were created: Glorifying Him by telling others about Him.
This is why I am so passionate about the message of “The Way of the Wordsmith.” It is a message of life and death. If we can learn to clearly articulate truth to a world that is still listening to the lies of the serpent, the implications are eternal.
Now that we have a firm understanding of what we mean when we reference the Gospel, let’s continue with a basic overview of three layers of confession:
1. Eternal Confession: A One-Time, Permanent Choice To Surrender
“For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Rom. 10:5-10 ESV),
It is essential to emphasize that eternal confession is a one-time decision that leads to a permanent relationship with our Creator. The book of Hebrews makes it clear:
“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Heb. 10:14 ESV).
In other words, Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross fully paid humanity’s debt. Romans 10:9-10 affirms this truth, emphasizing that salvation comes through believing and confessing the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. His responsibility was the cross; our responsibility is confession of the cross. By this one confession, we secure our status as sons and daughters of God.
When we sin or make mistakes, we are not expelled from God’s hand or family. Confession is not an act of re-earning salvation. The moment we place our faith in Jesus, we are fully secured in His love. So, what does this mean for the mistakes we make? Does God no longer care about sin?
2. Transgression Confession: A Daily Choice To Repent
“Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.” (Prov. 28:13 ESV).
If eternal confession secures our relationship with God, then daily confession strengthens our fellowship with Him. When we confess our sins and shortcomings, we are practicing repentance. To repent means to turn or change one’s mind, to recognize that our actions are not aligning with our identity as children of God.
Confessing sin requires us to acknowledge our brokenness, heightening our awareness of our need for an empathetic Savior. Since He allowed Himself to be tempted in every way we are tempted, He understands the difficulty of living a life of obedience. However, unlike us, He never faltered, which gives us hope in the midst of our failures.
While there is incredible power in confessing your sins to God through prayer, there is also tremendous benefit in confessing your sins to trusted friends. We are designed to live life in community, and your vulnerability paves the way for authentic accountability and meaningful, God-honoring friendships.
3. Identity Confession: An Ongoing Reminder of Identity
“The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:9-13 ESV).
In addition to eternal and daily confession, there is a third layer: confessing your identity as a child of God. If you believe in Jesus, then you are God’s child. This means that you have a perfect heavenly Father, who has already defeated the enemy who wants to trip you up.
Every day, when you remind yourself of who you are in Christ, you position yourself to live in freedom. You no longer need to be bound by sin or shame because you know Jesus’ finished work has released you. By daily confessing your identity in Christ, you remind yourself of God’s empathy for you, which enables you to extend empathy to others.
Conclusion
As you practice confession, let it be a reminder of God’s immense love and empathy for you. Confess your sins, struggles, and even victories, as each of these brings you closer to God. Declare the truth of who Jesus is and who He has made you to be. In doing so, you not only embrace the greatest act of empathy the world has ever known but also begin the process of extending that empathy to others, living out The Way of the Wordsmith in your own life.
