Understanding Biblical Confession

My early understanding of confession came from having grown up in a predominantly Roman Catholic country. The word “confession” makes me think of the confessional box, where penitents enter from one side and speak anonymously with a priest. They begin by saying, “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” Then, they recount the sins they have committed since their last visit.

This gave me the impression that confession simply meant telling God, and sometimes others, what I had done wrong. Once I got it off my chest—and perhaps did something to make up for it—I could go back to “normal.”

Although we don’t practice sacramental confession, we can fall into a similar pattern in our church groups and Christian conversations. We show up, admit the sins we've committed during the week, and take comfort that others fail too. After unburdening ourselves, we leave feeling relieved, only to return the following week to confess the same sins.

In other cases, confession happens only after a person has been caught in sin or confronted. I’ve heard many confessions in the counseling room and in my personal life. Not all of them led to lasting change. Some people only admit their guilt in hopes of escaping the consequences. They think confession is the end of the matter, but as we will see, it is only the beginning of the path to a transformed life.

Confession Is Agreeing with God About What He Says Is True

The Greek word homologeō, often translated as “confess,” literally means “to say the same thing.” To confess our sins, then, means we are agreeing that we have fallen short of God’s standard for holiness (see Romans 3:23). When we confess that we have sinned, we are essentially saying, “Yes, Lord, you are right. I am a wretched sinner who needs a perfect Savior.”

True confession requires a biblical understanding of sin; otherwise, we will take confession lightly. We may begin to think, "If all I need to do is confess, then I can sin now and just say sorry later." But confession is more than admitting that we are sinners because God says so. It is agreeing with God about our sin because we have come to see how deeply it offends Him.

Confession is more than having the right words to say; it is words that flow from a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17). Growing up in church, I agreed that I was a sinner because that’s what I heard every week. But since I lived a morally good life, I didn’t actually believe I was one. It wasn’t until the Lord worked in my heart, opened my eyes, and exposed my sinfulness that I could confess like Isaiah, “Woe is me for I am undone!” (Isaiah 6:5, KJV).

Confession Is Not Shifting the Blame to God or to Others

If we have come to acknowledge the seriousness of our sins against the holy God, we will take full responsibility for them. Unlike Adam, we wouldn’t blame God and others for our wrongdoing (Genesis 3:12). When God asked him if he had broken God’s law, Adam blamed God for giving him a wife who had influenced him to sin. Eve likewise shifted the blame to the serpent (Genesis 3:13).

Like our ancestors, we do the same when caught in sin and forced to confess. We blame-shift and say to our spouse, “Yes, I admit to looking at pornography, but you have been busy with the kids lately and haven’t been giving me attention.” By saying this, we are also indirectly suggesting that we would not have sinned if God had only given us different circumstances.

But true confession knows that God does not tempt anyone to sin (James 1:13). It admits that it is our own lust that entices us (James 1:14), so we take full responsibility and accountability.

Confession Is an Important Aspect of Repentance

What we have seen so far about confession is also true about repentance. The willingness to acknowledge guilt and take full responsibility not only marks true confession but also signifies godly sorrow that accompanies true repentance (2 Corinthians 7:11). Though confession and repentance are closely related, they are not the same.

When God grants repentance, it produces a heart that no longer hides or defends sin. Thomas Watson referenced Augustine’s personal account before his conversion in his book, The Doctrine of Repentance. Augustine would confess his sin and beg power against it, but his heart whispered within him, “Not yet, Lord.” After his conversion, he was no longer afraid to leave his sin, and he abhorred it. That is a picture of repentance: turning away from sin and turning to God (1 Thessalonians 1:9).

As part of repentance, we confess our sins to God and others. A person can confess sin without truly repenting, but a truly repentant person will always confess. Watson wrote that confession “must come as water out of a spring, freely.” At times, the repentant person will come forward voluntarily and make things right rather than wait for confrontation.

If the person continues in sin, there is no true repentance, even if there was confession. He can say, “I repent” or “I won’t do it again,” but words aren’t enough to prove that. True repentance is lived out. It’s not just confessing, “I have been sexually immoral,” but it is turning away from anything that fuels lust, making things right with the people you have wronged, and actively pursuing holiness in your words, thoughts, motives, and actions.

Confession Is Not the Same as Asking for Forgiveness

As with our previous point, confession and asking for forgiveness are closely related but not the same. Confession doesn’t always come with a plea for forgiveness. Confession says, “Lord, I have sinned against You by looking at pornography.” Asking for forgiveness adds a plea at the end, such as: “Please show me mercy and forgive me.”

Sometimes, we confess and ask the person we have offended for forgiveness just to end the tension and shame after confrontation. Perhaps we have learned to say "sorry" after every confession out of habit and don’t mean it. Or we say it with a hint of self-righteousness, thinking, “I have sinned. I’m only human like you. You can’t expect me to be perfect, so you'd better forgive me.”

But God is not like us humans. He knows if we genuinely recognize that our sin is ultimately against Him (Psalm 51:4). He knows and sees our heart posture when we ask Him and others for forgiveness (Luke 18:9–14). When we ask for God’s forgiveness, we are begging for His mercy. That requires complete humility and a readiness to accept the consequences (Luke 15:21), which is also a characteristic of godly sorrow.

Confession Is Key to Fellowship with God

At the point of salvation, we are saved when we confess Christ as our Lord and Savior (Romans 10:10). We agreed with God that we are sinners and only Christ can save us. Yet that confession doesn’t end when we become Christians. Although we have been justified, we still battle with sin and must continue to confess it to the Lord (1 John 1:8–9).

As believers, we don’t confess our sins in order to be saved again. Rather, we confess them to maintain fellowship with our Heavenly Father. When we harbor unconfessed sins, we distance ourselves from God and lose the joy of our salvation (Psalm 51:12). Pride and self-righteousness keep us from recognizing our need for God. As the psalmist says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18).

Believers who desire a close fellowship with God will honestly confess the specific sins He graciously exposes. Watson makes the point that a true penitent confesses specific sins. They don’t merely say, “Lord, I have sinned,” but “Lord, I have lusted after a woman that you have not given to me as my wife.” True confession names the specific sins that the Holy Spirit convicts us of rather than giving a generalized admission of guilt.

Confession Is Not Just for Emotional Relief

We saw earlier that confession is not something that only happens at the point of salvation. Yet many professing Christians go through life with little or no practice of confession. Whether because of pride, a misunderstanding of grace, or plain ignorance, they fail to heed the Bible’s warnings against concealing sin. Proverbs 28:13 says, “He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.”

Psalm 32:3 describes the emotional and physical anguish that comes with keeping silent over sin. David knew firsthand what it felt like to live a double life while hiding his sins of adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11; Psalm 51). He described feeling God’s hands being heavy upon him day and night. His guilty conscience plagued him and He did not have peace. But when he confessed his sins (Psalm 32:5), he experienced the blessedness of forgiveness and restored fellowship with the Lord (Psalm 32:1–2).

The joy and peace David experienced did not come from merely getting something off his chest. They were the result of being restored to unhindered fellowship with God. We should therefore practice confession not because we are seeking emotional relief, but because we desire communion with our Heavenly Father. God does not call us to confession for cathartic purposes. He calls us to confess because He desires that we walk closely with Him.

Confession Is a Regular Practice of the Believer

Another impression I got from the Roman Catholic practice of sacramental confession was that only "major" sins called for confession. I assumed it was only for those who have sinned grievously and overlooked the fact that confession is meant to be a way of life for every believer. As Martin Luther writes in his Exhortation to Confession, “Therefore, when I admonish you to confession, I am admonishing you to be a Christian.”

Scripture commands us to confess our sins to one another and pray for one another so we may be healed (James 5:16). We not only confess our sins to the people we have wronged, but with wisdom, we also confess our sin struggles to mature believers who can help us fight against sin and keep us accountable (Galatians 6:1–2). As members of the Body of Christ, we are called to encourage one another daily so none of us will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13).

Confession not only benefits us and strengthens the church; it also brings glory to God. In Joshua 7, Israel suffered because of Achan’s hidden sin. When Joshua was imploring Achan to confess his sins, he said, “Give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me” (Joshua 7:19). Achan confessed his sin and named it specifically. He wasn’t spared from the consequences, but God was glorified through the display of His holiness and justice.

Come to the Throne of Grace

Watson observes that under the first covenant, sin brought death; but under the covenant of grace, those who confess their sins receive mercy. This is all because of Jesus Christ, our High Priest, who mediates between us and the Father (1 Timothy 2:5). Because of His finished work on the cross, we can confidently approach the throne of grace to find mercy and receive grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Let us not take this privilege lightly.

As we have seen, confession is not the end of the matter but the beginning of a transformed life. Christian, when was the last time you confessed your sins? What motivated you to confess? Since then, have you been pursuing holiness, or have you returned to the same patterns of sin?

Christ does not require us to perform works of penance in order to earn forgiveness. Instead, He calls us to come to Him with contrite hearts, confessing our sins. Every time we practice true confession, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, just as He has promised (1 John 1:9).

Stephanie Colinco is the Educational Content Manager at Accountable2You. She holds degrees in biblical counseling (MABC, TMU; DEdMin, SBTS) and loves using her training to serve women both globally and at her local church, Grace and Truth Church Cincinnati.