The motive?

As a pastor it’s pretty common for me to talk to someone who has come to me to confess a sin or some kind of ongoing struggle. There are often tears as he or she admits the truth. I know it’s a difficult and humbling thing to do, because I’ve been there as well. But one of the questions I’ve learned to ask is, “Are you confessing this to me because you got caught?” That is almost always the case.”—AHA Student Edition electronic edition

<idle musing>
Ouch! If that is the case, then is the confession one that leads to repentance and new life? or does it just assuage the conscience? I suspect that in most cases it is the latter...that's why we have repeat offenders—I would say it is cheap grace, a license to sin even.

That's the final excerpt from this book. I highly recommend it; as I've said multiple times, reading it has answered my long-time question of why some people repeatedly run through the same cycle of awakening but never really break free. In my experience it is usually step three—do something now that is the stumbling block.
</idle musing>