It is no degradation for man to bow down before his Maker and confess his sins, and plead for forgiveness through the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour. It is noble to acknowledge your wrong before Him whom you have wounded by transgression and rebellion. It lifts you up before men and angels; for “he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.” But he who kneels before fallen man and opens in confession the secret thoughts and imaginations of his heart is dishonoring himself by debasing his manhood and degrading every noble instinct of his soul. In unfolding the sins of his life to a priest corrupted with wine and licentiousness his standard of character is lowered, and he is defiled in consequence. God is degraded in his thought to the likeness of sinful humanity, for the priest stands as a representative of God. It is this degrading confession of man to fallen man that accounts for much of the increasing evil which is defiling the world and fitting it for final destruction. {5T 638.1}

Vi bør passe på at vi ikke giver plads for tvivl og vantro og at vi i vor fortvivlelse ikke klager over Gud og fremstiller ham forkert for verden. Dette er at sætte os selv på Satans tvivlende side. "Stakkels sjæle," siger han, "jeg ynkes over jer, I græder under synd; men Gud har ingen medynk over jer. I længes efter et glimt af håb; men Gud lader jer gå fortabt og finder jeres ulykke behageligt." Dette er et frygteligt bedrag. Lyt ikke til fristeren, men sig: "Jesus døde for at jeg kan leve. Han holder af mig og vil ikke have at jeg skal gå fortabt. Jeg har en medfølende himmelsk fader; og selvom jeg har misbrugt hans kærlighed, skønt de velsignelser han nådigt har givet er blevet, formøblet, vil jeg rejse mig og gå til min Fader og sige: »Jeg har syndet, ..... jeg er ikke længer værd at kaldes din søn, lad mig gå som en af dine daglejere!« Lignelsen fortæller dig hvordan vandringsmanden vil blive modtaget. »Da han endnu var langt borte, så hans fader ham og ynkedes inderligt og kom løbende og faldt ham om halsen og kyssede ham.« Sådan viser bibelen Guds villighed til at modtage den angrende, tilbagevendte synder.