It is too easy for believers to take a light view of confessing our sin. It’s true that the confession of sin is taking God’s side against ourselves.  It is true that confession is saying about our own sin the same thing God says about it, but there is a deeper element to confession of sin. The deeper element is searching our own heart.

The difference between confessing sin and searching the heart is kinda like the difference between tilling or plowing the ground. Tilling is dealing with the surface.  Plowing is going deep and turning the ground over.

The surface part of confession is recognizing our sin when it happens.  The turning over of the ground, the plowing part, is recognizing that there is a deeper root problem within that produces the surface sin.

For example, when we get angry about something, what produces that anger?  I’m not talking about righteous anger.  I’m talking about the thing that pulls our trigger.  Are we proud or impatient?  Are we prone to road rage?  Are we judgmental and condescending?  Are we biased toward others?  We should be asking God to show us what produces our anger.

Is it enough to till it under by naming it as sin?  If we are hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we will plow the depths to find the root cause for that particular sin.  What bubbles to the surface should be called what it is, but there should also be a concern about what is producing the bubbles down deep in the heart. 

I am convinced that we take for granted our thought patterns.  Why do we think the way we do?  Is it because for as long as we can remember it has been this way?  What settled that thought pattern?  Was it the culture?  Was it something that grandma or grandpa always said?  Was it an attitude fostered in our community or in our school or church?   Is it the result of family pride?  Is it a biblical thought pattern?

Plowing the depths is indicative of a hunger and thirst for  righteousness.  Judicially Christians stand justified before God dressed in the righteousness of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  As we experience spiritual growth and practical righteousness, we should find ourselves increasingly concerned about how indwelling sin affects our deepest motives.

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  Psalm 139:23&24

…let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…