Categories of Sin (part 2)

This is continued from an earlier post.

 I think fear and pride are the main things that keep people in the body of Christ from sharing their struggles honestly. The antidote is Jesus' huge love. His love took him to the cross where he paid for all our sin, so we can be forgiven whether our sins are "big" or "small." Living in the knowledge of Christ's love frees us to share our weaknesses with others without fear of disapproval. 

Now, I don't think we should go around introducing ourselves to everyone, "Hi, I'm Bob, and I'm a compulsive gambler. What are your sins?" Instead, it is important to cultivate a few deep relationships within the local church. I think small groups are helpful for this, but just showing up every week is not sufficient. We can get to know our small group members on an individual basis, spending time together outside of church activities, really listening in conversation, praying for each other frequently. With time, we will learn to trust each other as God helps us look at each other with his eyes of love.

Then, we will be free to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another, that we may be healed. We will see that the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working (James 5).