To confess or not to confess that is the question? It often seems logical in our minds to question whether it is necessary to continually confess our sins to God. The Bible teaches that remorse over sin, daily confession, and a continual attitude of repentance are marks of a healthy Christian life. Confession of sin is not an option. It is a necessity. There are two dangers for Christians regarding how they deal with sin. The first is just going through life, never thinking of sin, or considering its effect and consequences. This way of life for a believer does not please our Lord and can indicate a lack of understanding of the seriousness of sin. The second danger is an attitude the opposite to the first. One can fixate and focus on their wretchedness to the point of being overwhelmed by guilt even though God has forgiven. Both extremes do not acknowledge God as being a Holy God who takes sin seriously, and God the forgiver of sin. The former attitude is characterized by a lack of continuous confession of sin and the latter does not see forgiveness from God is a possibility.
In the New Testament, the word “confess” means to “agree or say the same thing as.” So, when we say the same thing as God about anything such as our behaviour, sin, or the Lordship of Jesus, that is confession. God has expressed His displeasure over our sin, and we ought to agree with Him that we are sinners and that sin is bad. God, through his word, exhorts believers to confess sin for several reasons; Here are a few.
1. God hates sin
Genesis 3 shows sin as rebellion against God. Someone who is genuinely saved does not continue to live in sin (Rom. 6:2). The idea that we can have Christ as our Saviour and not our Lord whom we live in submission to is not biblical. A Christian cannot live on their own terms. Isaiah 59 shows us that sin causes separation between us and God. We must agree with God that sin is bad. Sin must be exposed, admitted to, and continuously put to death (Rom. 8:12-13). Habakkuk 1:13a says,
“Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,
And You cannot look on wickedness with favour.”
2. Right Fellowship with God
Secondly, sin is so bad it separates us from God in our fellowship with Him and takes away the joy of our salvation (Ps. 51:12). Confessing our sin to God is the only way to restore this relationship and joy (Ps. 32:3-5). Believers have the secure position before God of having all their sins forgiven in full based on Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection. This means that God looks at believers through the finished work and righteousness of Christ. However, a believer's practical experience or walk often contradicts his or her position. Sins committed after justification do not jeopardize the believer's positional forgiveness, but adversely affect the believer's enjoyment of that position and his or her fellowship with God. To restore the joy of fellowship, believers are to confess sin to God. He promises to forgive and cleanse from the guilt of those sins. 1 John 1:6- 10 says,
“if we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”
3. Personal Holiness is Vital
The second reason God exhorts believers to confess is because of personal holiness. There is a call that God gives to his people in 1 Peter 1:14-16 to “be holy for I am holy.” This statement is linking our condition regarding sin to our relationship with God. In the text, Christians are encouraged not to be stuck in the old way of sin but to live changed, holy lives. One of the major ways a believer grows in personal holiness is by ‘agreeing’ or confessing to God that sin makes us unholy. Confession of sin for a believer is different from an unbeliever in that an unbeliever confesses sin for salvation, but the but the believer confesses sin for personal holiness.
4. A Clear Conscience is a Blessing
The Bible stresses the importance of having a clear conscience before God. (1 Corinthians 4:4; 1 Peter 3:16). A clear and clean conscience, based on what God says, is important in affirming that God has really saved you. Hebrews 9:14 affirms that what Christ did on the cross settles our conscience regarding your sin. A believer should not only feel bad about his or her sin but confess and repent from it. If one does not confess sin, God’s heavy hand can be on the believer and the Lord. Confession brings about the blessing of a clear conscience. Speaking of this in Ps. 32:3-5, David writes,
“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD.” And you forgave the guilt of my sin.”
5. Corporate fellowship with God is Important
Finally, the Bible exhorts us to confess sin because of the importance of corporate fellowship. How frequently do we bewail our sins together as a church on Sunday morning? Regular corporate confession of sin is an essential element of worship. It is in the weekly corporate prayers of confession that we experience the power of the gospel and prioritize the purity of the body. It is here that we find adolescent kids and intellectual Ph.D.’s humbled together by their sin at the foot of the cross. It is here, like Daniel and Nehemiah, we confess the sins of the body of Christ. God is faithful to Himself to forgive our sins and He is just, having already made full atonement for your sins through the sacrifice of His beloved Son (1 John 1:9).
The five brief reasons above show that confession of sin is a priority for a believer. It is vital. Confession of sin is something that should characterize every maturing believer. A believer who does not live in continuous confession does not hate sin as God hates it, does not desires the right fellowship with the Father, does not take seriously their personal holiness, will not enjoy the blessings of a clear conscience, and does not take into account the purity of the corporate body.