When we hear the word “confess” during the days of the season of Lent, the image that comes to mind probably includes recounting sins in a private session with a priest. The Sacrament of Penance – or Confession – is one of the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church. In the New Testament, James encourages believers to “confess their sins to one another” (James 5:16). By the second century, church leaders encouraged confession and penance for “big” sins of apostasy, adultery, and murder committed after baptism. By the 8th century confession was a practice spread throughout the church. The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) made confession to a priest obligatory within a year of committing the sin.
Perhaps your idea of confession does not come from the Catholic Church at all, but from a persistent lawyer in a television series. On a witness stand before a judge and jury, the guilty party breaks down and admits participation in the crime, only after evidence, witnesses, and intense cross-examination by a gifted lawyer.
Perhaps there are threads of biblical truth in both of the images. Scripture emphasizes the importance of confessing sins both to God and to others. Confession leads to healing, forgiveness, and spiritual growth. Let’s look at a handful of Scriptures to further enhance our understanding of the biblical doctrine of confession.
A Biblical understanding
Let’s build our understanding on a couple of Old Testament concepts. Solomon warns, “whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). The Psalmist writes, “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” (Psalm 32:5). Confession needs to be directed to God, but Solomon seems to also include confessing to others to find mercy and prosperity.
The principles of confession can be found in the Law. In Leviticus, we read, “when anyone become aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned” (Leviticus 5:5). In Numbers we are told, they “must confess the sin they have committed. They must make full restitution for the wrong they have done, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the person they have wronged” (Numbers 5:7).
New Testament clarification
The New Testament certainly deepens the teaching of the Old Testament. James tells us to “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
This is such a powerful verse of Scripture on prayer and confession, but is so often misunderstood. Let’s examine it a piece at a time. In the minds of many, the most important word in the verse is the word “healed.” They see the verse as a gateway toward physical healing. The verse seems to also be teaching that only a really righteous person’s prayer is going to be effective.
But we know better – the Bible teaches us. Isaiah wrote, “We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind” (Isaiah 64:6 NLT). Indeed, as it is written, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10 NIV).
I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.
Psalm 38:18 NIV
But believers do not stand on their own righteousness. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3 NIV). “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV).
Of what do we really need healing?
What kind of healing could James be talking about? What kind of healing has a connection to sin? Of course, the obvious answer is the sickness of our sin. Does the Bible ever use the image of being healed from the sickness of sin by the cross of Christ? Yes! Again Isaiah says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him. And by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV).
Peter emphasizes the same thing when he writes, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24 NIV).
So let’s think a little more about the word “confess.” What do we need to confess, and how do we go about doing it?
The word we translate “confess” is the Greek word ὁμολογέω (HOMOLOGEO). The word literally means “to say the same thing.” When we confess, what are we saying the same thing as?
We are saying the same thing that God says about our sin.
Disagreement with God arises about our personal sins. We tend to believe two things about our own sins: that our sins are not that bad and that we justify the reason we chose to sin. My sin – even just one of them – condemns me to hell. My sin – is my choice and responsibility – regardless of the circumstances. I need to admit my sins and own them. I confess that I fall short of the glory of God.
We confess that we need a savior.
If we under-estimate the depth of our sin, we over-estimate the value of our good works. Somehow we imagine that God is keeping score each day: today it’s Good Works, seven; Sinful Acts, six. I confess that the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus our Lord.
We confess that we will forgive just as God has forgiven us.
Finally, when I understand how gracious God has been to me when he forgave my sin, how can I do anything but be gracious to others who have sinned against me? How often do I need to forgive someone else? I confess that I will forgive seventy times seven.
We confess by the words we say to God, by the words we share with each other, and by the actions we take as we represent God to a world that doesn’t understand grace.