Grace in Practice

Robert Capon on the Purpose of Confession

Some Lenten wisdom from the boss, via the Prodigal son chapter in Kingdom, Grace and […]

David Zahl / 2.12.16

Some Lenten wisdom from the boss, via the Prodigal son chapter in Kingdom, Grace and Judgment:

“Confession has nothing to do with getting ourselves forgiven. Confession is not a transaction, not a negotiation in order to secure forgiveness; it is the after-the-last grasp of a corpse that finally can afford to admit it’s dead and accept resurrection. Forgiveness surrounds us, beats upon us all our lives; we confess only to wake ourselves up to what we already have… We are not forgiven, therefore, because we made ourselves forgivable or even because we had faith; we are forgiven solely because there is a Forgiver.”

RFC’s Between Noon and Three contains a pretty amazing zinger on the same subject: “Confession is not the first step on the road to recovery; it is the last step in the displaying of a corpse.”