When we look into the scriptures we find different kinds of confession. During this Bible study we’ll be looking at a few selected passages of Scripture that will describe the different kinds of confession found in the Bible.
Confession can be a difficult thing. But when we realize the function and power of confession, then we will be more willing to engage in it as an ongoing spiritual discipline and as a point of growth and grace. Typically, we think of confession as related to sin. Prior to an individual being saved by faith, the soul languishes in guilt and ignorance. The consequences of not living in the right relationship with God, are spelled out throughout the Holy Bible.
Confession of Sin to Salvation
Essentially sin is living in separation from God. When an individual is ignorant of God, of His love, and His requirements, they are living in sin. This does not seem to be so for “good people” and some struggle with this reality. But living in right relationship with God is far more than being just a good person. It is an awareness of the great love of God and the power of his judgment. When we understand these things and understand the character of God then our sin becomes apparent. Having been born in sin because of the fall in the Garden of Eden, each individual is responsible for either accepting or rejecting God. The Apostle Paul articulated the reality that everyone is aware of God and the need to respond to His grace and love.
Romans 1:18-20
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Proverbs 28:13
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Here we see that everyone is responsible for confessing their sin. Once God hears this confession of individuals they are put into a right relationship with God. It is important to understand that we do not earn a relationship with God, we simply accept it as a gift called salvation. Until this step of faith is made, or after someone has turned their back on this relationship, a godless life is truly empty. A multitude of people who have become believers in God through Jesus Christ and by the power of the Holy Spirit can give joyful testimony to how different and enriched their lives are once they have made this confession of faith.
The Book of Lamentations in the Old Testament is one that is rife with bitterness and sorrow and descriptions of what it was like after the Hebrews refused to follow God’s commands and live in covenant love with God. It is really the hearts cry of needing reconciliation with God. Once an individual or a group of people recognize the reality and gravity of their sin, there is a time of great bitterness and suffering. Those who are ignorant of sin, live gleefully or bitterly forward without any understanding of the consequences of not being in right relationship with God and following His commands.
Lamentations 3:39-42
39 Why should the living complain
when punished for their sins?
40 Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict people of sin. Jesus described this work of the Holy Spirit as he described the process by which this needed to take place. Jesus came to us to deliver the Good News personally from God, to sacrifice himself for all of our sins – once for all – and then leave us to return to heaven. After that, the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. This is the wonderful mystery of faith in God – that he is one God with three dimensions – Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Read how Jesus described the role of the Holy Spirit in John 14:15-31 and 15:26-16:15. In short, we see what the Holy Spirit does for unbelievers and those growing in grace.
John 16:7-9
7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me…
Because of what Jesus Christ has done and the love of God the Father, we are not left floundering in our sin. Read this great description of God and his great promise from Scripture.
1 John 1:1-10
That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We write this to make our joy complete.
5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out 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, purifies us from all sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
If you have never taken this step of faith, I invite you to do so right now. Pray this simple but deeply impactful prayer:
Heavenly Father, I accept the conviction of my sins from the Holy Spirit and long to live with you. Please forgive me of my sin and enable me to live like Jesus Christ. I receive your forgiving love today. Amen
Confession to Return to God
Another kind of confession is that of those whose hearts have turned cold toward God after they have begun to live with and for him. Here we turn again to the Apostle Paul for the description of such a group. As we read this closely we see that there are several things that have separated them from God. While they were zealous, they were ignorant of the true knowledge of God. They were bound to pride and self-righteousness. And even though they knew the laws of God that we’re established through Moses, they began to defy God.
Romans 10:1-13
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
The Apostle Paul knew of that which he wrote. Prior to his confession of sin and need of Jesus Christ he too lived in pride and self-righteousness. But he moved forward into a lively and living relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Many years later, the apostle Paul wrote to a young pastor to encourage him to not give up. In this passage we see the Apostle Paul providing paths of courage and also continuing his confession of faith by beautiful and powerful descriptions of the Savior.
1 Timothy 6:11-16
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Lest we decide that it is our job to support our faith endeavor, The Apostle John wrote late in his life to groups of Christians. He acknowledges the Christians can fall into sin. But that is not the end of the matter. We always have a way out! And not only do we have a way back out of sin, But we can be made complete in Jesus Christ!
1 John 2:1-14
My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.
7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness. 10 Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
12 I am writing to you, dear children,
because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young men,
because you have overcome the evil one.
14 I write to you, dear children,
because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
because you are strong,
and the word of God lives in you,
and you have overcome the evil one.
Confession of Sins of Ancestors
There is another form of confession that can be confusing. That is the confession of the sins of people who have gone before us. While we are not responsible for the individual sins of our parents, grandparents or other family members, we live in the consequences of their sins.
In the book of Leviticus we can see an example of how confession of sin for ancestors is not only important but a requirement. When we confess the sins of our ancestors we are acknowledging our continual need of God through the generations.
Leviticus 26:32-45
40 “‘But if they will confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors—their unfaithfulness and their hostility toward me, 41 which made me hostile toward them so that I sent them into the land of their enemies—then when their uncircumcised hearts are humbled and they pay for their sin, 42 I will remember my covenant with Jacob and my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham, and I will remember the land. 43 For the land will be deserted by them and will enjoy its sabbaths while it lies desolate without them. They will pay for their sins because they rejected my laws and abhorred my decrees. 44 Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am the Lord their God. 45 But for their sake I will remember the covenant with their ancestors whom I brought out of Egypt in the sight of the nations to be their God. I am the Lord.’”
We remember their sins in order to avoid those same sins. We do not need to rehearse the trauma of those sins, nor do we accept the guilt of their individual sins, but we remember to help us to avoid immortalizing them as perfect people of faith, and to recognize that we all need to stay in continual humility before God.
Confession of Corporate Sin
In the book of Nehemiah we can read about an incredible scene of corporate confession of sin. After Judah and Israel had fallen into sin and were taken into exile by several Pagan nations, they had looked separately from the spoken word of God. In God’s covenant then He had promised for them to never be fully destroyed and to always have a faithful remnant. Many decades after the initial exile a pagan king allowed them to return to Jerusalem to rebuild. They discovered the nearly complete decimation of the temple of God and the walls of Jerusalem. While some of the faithful had continued to live in Jerusalem, a large number of people were drawn back to this city to help rebuild it as a center of worship for God. Nehemiah was a godly leader who had returned to Jerusalem to help in the rebuilding. We can read about how he rode silently around the city of Jerusalem and the sorrow that he felt over its destruction. He acknowledged the great sins of his people in silent corporate confession. Then he began to manage the great work of rebuilding. He guided the work and the defense of the people from outsiders despite opposition. While they were rebuilding, some workers found God’s written laws buried in a room. Not long after that Ezra read the law aloud to all people present, their hearts were released from ignorance once again and they responded in corporate confession.
Nehemiah 9:1-3
On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.
Here we can see the reality and the power of corporate confession. There are more deeply moving passages in the book of Nehemiah about corporate confession. After the corporate confession they were also led in further worship and celebration as they understood their return to their glorious God.
There have been times in Christian history where this kind of confession has been required. Even now perhaps in your community or your nation there needs to be a time of returning and corporate confession. May God guide each of us in these efforts.
As we meditate on and contemplate the impact and the need for confession in all of its forms, we also need remember that Jesus taught us how to pray. In what we commonly call the Lord’s Prayer we see a particularly important line. Matthew 6:12 “And forgive us our debts (sins) as we also have forgiven our debtors (those who have sinned against us).” Even in this simple, daily prayer we accept the responsibility of confession of our individual and corporate sins, while recognizing that we have been taught to pray in this way so that we can be delivered from evil and live in right relationship with our wonderful God.
Finally, here is another prayer that can guide us in confession and the wonderful outcomes of confession.
Psalm 32
Of David. A maskil.
1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
3 When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
5 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.
6 Therefore let all the faithful pray to you
while you may be found;
surely the rising of the mighty waters
will not reach them.
7 You are my hiding place;
you will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
9 Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you.
10 Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in him.
11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Amen
© M.R.Hyde 2025
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