There are many things we recognize as vital in the Christian life. We rightly acknowledge the need to read the Bible regularly, pray to the Lord, meet with other believers, and give generously of ourselves and resources. However, one area that may be overlooked in the Christian life is confession to God.
The moment we place faith in Jesus for salvation, we receive the forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7). We are forgiven and redeemed, but we can still sin. At those times when we do stumble and sin, we need to practice confession.
Not only is it necessary to restore our relationship with the Lord since sin disturbs our closeness to Him, but confession also encourages us to be humble, honest, and aware of our need for God’s grace in daily life.
Acknowledging Sin in Our Lives
When we confess our sins to God, we are acknowledging that we have broken His holy law and standard (1 John 3:4). The Lord already knows what we did, since He is all-knowing (Psalm 139:1-4; 1 John 3:20). However, confessing the sin to God allows us the opportunity to see the sin as He views it.
Sin is an ugly and destructive thing. Not only do we often hurt ourselves and others when we sin, but our sin is ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4).
Believers hurt the Lord when they choose to do wrong, turning away from His righteous decrees. Sin is an affront to God’s holiness, which is why we should take wrongdoing seriously.
Therefore, confession requires an attitude of humility and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s convicting work. A reaction that mirrors that of a child being forced to say, “I’m sorry I hurt you,” will not suffice with the Lord.
He desires an authentic, heartfelt confession. We can offer such a confession if we take time to meditate on how God views sin, regularly practice self-reflection, and keep our hearts and minds seeped in Scripture (Psalm 119:11).
Maintaining an Open and Honest Communication with God
In addition to helping us recognize the sin in our lives, confession encourages us to maintain open and honest communication with the Lord.
When a person receives the gift of eternal life by trusting in Christ for salvation, an essential part of eternal life is having an everlasting relationship with the Lord (John 17:3).
Believers can never lose the gift of salvation, which is a result of grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), but they can experience times of disconnect with God because of sin in their lives.
Confession is essential because humans want to hide their sins from God like Adam and Eve tried to do in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:8-10).
We actively go against this natural, but sinful, inclination when we are open to telling the Lord about the wrongdoings we have done, recognizing that we have broken His law.
Honestly, telling God about our faults, instead of trying to conceal them, enables our relationship with God to stay strong.
Like human relationships, which require honesty and openness, our relationship with the living God requires us to be forthright with Him.
Confession is important in the Christian life because it helps maintain an honest relationship with the Lord. Admitting our sins to God restores the closeness in our relationship with Him, which had been hindered by sin.
Seeking the Lord’s Forgiveness
Everyone sins, including believers (Romans 3:23). Scripture reminds us that, “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth” (1 John 1:8).
We will all sin at times. The difference is that believers will not want to hide their sins but seek God’s forgiveness.
Directly after the verse in 1 John that reminds us that we all sin, the Apostle John tells us that if we confess our sins to the Lord, He will forgive us (1 John 1:9). It is in His nature to do so because He is faithful and just. In this verse, then, we see that confession is tied to forgiveness.
We must confess our wrongdoing to God, acknowledge sin’s ugliness in the eyes of the Lord, and ask for God to forgive us.
His forgiveness brings us a restoration of our relationship with Him and His loving grace that erases guilt. Confession is significant in the life of a believer because it is through admitting our sin, turning away from our wrongdoing, and turning to God that we receive forgiveness.
What Does Confession Look Like in Everyday Life?
When we understand the importance of confessing our sins to the Lord, we will want to incorporate the practice into our everyday life. But how do we do that?
Scripture encourages Christians to walk by the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). By being attuned to the Holy Spirit’s guiding and convicting work, we will stay spiritually sensitive to sin in our lives.
If we make it a regular practice to read the Bible and listen to the Spirit, then during the times we sin, we will be more aware that we have done wrong and need to repent.
Instead of waiting a long time to recognize that we did wrong, we can quickly recognize the need to confess and ask for forgiveness.
During personal times with the Lord, when we regularly pray and read Scripture, we can incorporate a time when we examine ourselves and reflect on our actions.
Asking God to help us see areas in our lives that are sinful can soften our hearts to His conviction and prompt us to confess (Psalm 139:23-24).
The key is to listen to God’s Word and to stay attentive to His convicting work. In this way, we can make confession a normal part of our Christian walk.
Do I Need to Confess to a Priest or Others?
In Roman Catholicism, confession to a priest is a common and traditional practice. Some Christians may find the practice helpful to confess their sins to a priest and hear a human voice offering assurance that they have been forgiven. However, confession to someone in the ministry is not required for believers.
As Christians, we have the perfect High Priest, Jesus Christ, who is our mediator (Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Timothy 2:5). Because of what Jesus did on the cross, we have direct access to the Father (Matthew 27:51; John 14:6; Hebrews 4:16).
Furthermore, the Lord is the only One who forgives our sins (Isaiah 43:25; Mark 2:10; Luke 5:21). 1 John 1:9 specifically talks about confession and forgiveness in the context of a personal relationship with the Lord. We confess our sins to Him, and He forgives us.
Regarding confessing to others, Scripture does encourage us to confess our sins to one another (James 5:16). Believers should consider confessing their sins to those they have sinned against, to ask for forgiveness from that person.
This does not affect God’s forgiveness, but it does allow the possibility for a restoration of relationship with the other person.
In thinking about confessing to others, Christians need to exercise discernment and recognize that they do not have to confess their sins to others in every circumstance.
Group confession among people in a church setting could easily become harmful and lead to unneeded divisions and gossip.
Sins that we have confessed and received forgiveness for, based on the blood of Christ, do not need any further comment from others or forgiveness from a priest.
Why Does This Matter?
On the cross, Jesus died to pay for our sins. In Him, we are washed clean and declared righteous. Since salvation includes an everlasting relationship with God, sin can come between individuals and the Lord in terms of relationship (but not salvation). During those times, believers need to confess and receive forgiveness from the Lord.
Confession is crucial because it encourages us to acknowledge sin for what it is (an affront to God), to maintain honesty in our relationship with God, and to receive forgiveness, which brings us back into closeness with our Savior. We do not have to confess to a priest or others, but confession to God is vital in the Christian life.
For further reading:
What Is the Biblical Way to Confess Your Sins to One Another?
If We Confess Our Sins, Will We Be Forgiven from All Unrighteousness?
Is Public Confession Necessary for Salvation?
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/tommaso79
Sophia Bricker is a writer. Her mission is to help others grow in their relationship with Jesus through thoughtful articles, devotionals, and stories. She completed a BA and MA in Christian ministry, which included extensive study of the Bible and theology, and an MFA in creative writing. You can follow her blog about her story, faith, and creativity at The Cross, a Pen, and a Page.
