The Freedom Found in Confession

The freedom found in confession comes when we bring every sin to God, trusting His forgiveness and cleansing.

“If a person sins after he hears a public order to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his punishment.”—Leviticus 5:1 NASB

Some people think that confession is only needed if they’re caught in a sin. But God has higher standards. He wants us to be clean in His sight.

Unconfessed sin inevitably leads to guilt and greater burdens. If we genuinely want to be free, we must confess our sin even if no one else knows.

The importance of confession was confirmed in the New Testament when John wrote, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

The Law also said that those confessing their sins needed to bring a “guilt offering to the Lord” (v. 6). This offering applied to everyone. Ideally, they would offer “a female from the flock, a lamb or a goat” (v. 6). But those who couldn’t afford that could bring “two turtledoves or two young doves” (v. 7). And if a person couldn’t afford to bring even these common birds, they could bring “the tenth of an ephah of fine flour” (v. 11)—a small amount.

The principle was that everyone could do something; there were no excuses for not making an offering to God.

God wants you to be clean in His sight—forgiven. Start with confessing, even the sins no one else knows about. Accept the finished work of Jesus on the cross, and offer your life as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).

Reflection Question: What unconfessed sin might you need to bring before God today?