Decades of ministry to people in emotional bondage from past wrongs (both to them and by them) have taught me a valuable lesson:

Experiencing God’s full and complete forgiveness and freedom typically requires open and complete confession.

Consider this:

Often – because of shame, pride or emotional pain – we won’t openly and verbally confess what we’ve been internally hiding or avoiding.

However, we can’t release to Him what we won’t acknowledge.

This is critical, because God is not a thief. He won’t take what we don’t give Him.

When we finally decide to give our wrongs to Him (including not only any wrongs we suffered but any wrongs we committed in response) by transparently confessing them out loud, asking Him to forgive us, and then releasing them to Him …

He always takes them from us and gives us wholeness in return.

Many, unfortunately, want the freedom of forgiveness …

Without the vulnerability and transparency of confession.

But God, in his infinite wisdom, wants both.