The Delight of Confession

Feb 21 2025 - Eric Buresh

I used to really dislike the idea of confessing sin. It felt like punishment for the wrong I’d done – some form of religious payment. I think that confession is often regarded as a heavy burden, a duty we approach reluctantly, fearing the exposure of our failings. Yet, in truth, confession is a pathway to supernatural forgiveness, cleansing, and healing. When in faith we believe the reality of the promises attached confession, a reluctant duty is transformed into a delight.  

In the Word, there are two critical forms of confession: confession to God and confession to each other (vertical and horizontal). Both deliver their own distinct promises. John declares, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. Here is no wavering uncertainty. The twofold promise is absolute: forgiveness and cleansing. Forgiveness restores our standing before God, removing the penalty we deserve. Cleansing addresses the guilt and shame of sin; it purifies our hearts and restores our joy in communion with a holy God.   

James adds the horizontal dimension: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.” James 5:16. The promise here is healing—not only physical benefits but also relational and spiritual restoration. Confession brings down walls, knits together hearts, and opens the floodgates of God’s supernatural healing in our lives and communities. 

Why then do we hesitate? Why does confession so often feel like a chore? Is it not because we doubt the promises of God. If we truly believed that confession would bring forgiveness, cleansing, and healing, we would run to it with joy. Imagine the relief of a prisoner hearing the door of his cell swing open. Imagine the joy of a debtor seeing his account marked “paid in full.” Imagine the broken heart restored to joy. That is the offer to us in confession! Confession is not an act of drudgery; it is an act of faith. It declares, “I believe God’s promises are true. I believe He forgives, cleanses, and heals in my confession. I will take Him up on that deal!” 

Let us not shrink back from the gift of confession. Let us believe the promises of God, knowing that He is faithful to deliver on the good He’s promised. Let us come before Him and before one another with hearts laid bare, trusting in His powerful work. Confession, when rooted in faith, is not a burden but a blessing, not a duty but a delight. I hope we can all, in ever greater capacity, experience the promised joy of being forgiven, cleansed, and healed.