Spheres of Repentance

Let’s talk about the spheres of repentance, an essential part of the repentance process. Imagine a big green circle on the screen; we’ll call this the sphere of offense. This represents the realm in which the sin was committed. When you sin, it’s crucial to identify everyone within this sphere.

Firstly, all sin is vertically against God. Every sin is ultimately against Him, so He is always in this sphere. Then, consider everyone else you’ve sinned against, which includes those on a horizontal plane, like your spouse or child. This circle, therefore, represents the sphere of offense.

As you progress through repentance, you also need to identify the sphere of confession. The rule of thumb is that the sphere of confession matches the sphere of offense. Once you identify whom you’ve sinned against, these are the people to whom you must confess. To confess means to agree with God’s moral authority and His Word, acknowledging your sin and seeking His forgiveness.

In our example, you would confess to God and then to those within your sphere of offense. Next, you identify the sphere of forgiveness, which mirrors the spheres of offense and confession. Now that you’ve agreed you have sinned, you seek transactional forgiveness. You ask God for forgiveness and do the same with those you’ve confessed to.

Remember, you don’t need to confess your sin to everyone, only those within the sphere of offense. Identifying the correct individuals is crucial for promptly reconciling your relationships.