It is claimed to be an old Scottish proverb—“Confession is good for the soul.” However, the Scotts had nothing to do with the origin of this practice nor of estimating its value. Confession of sins and of wrongs was introduced and emphasized by God in the days of the Old Testament and maintained as a necessary and valuable practice into the Christian Age.
In the New Testament, the English word confess comes from the Greek word homolegeo, which literally means “to speak the same thing,” with the idea being “to assent, agree with.” So, for example, when one “shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God” (1 John 4:15), he is, in essence, speaking the same thing that God says—“God says that Jesus is the Son of God; now, I say with Him the same.” In order to become a Christian, this agreement with the teaching of God (i.e., this confession) is necessary (Rom. 10:9).
Even after becoming a child of God, there are confessions that we must make, in order to remain in a sanctified relationship with our Father. The first of these involves confessions that we must make to God Himself of the sins and shortcomings in our lives. Think of the definition—to confess our sins to God means that we “speak the same thing” or agree. Thus, the nature of confession is this—“God, You said that this action was sinful. I have committed this act; therefore, in speaking the same thing that You speak, I have sinned.”
This was not a new concept in the New Testament, for God had required such under the Law of Moses. Consider how these passages can have meaning still to us today. “Now Joshua said to Achan, ‘My son, I beg you, give glory to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession to Him…’” (Josh. 7:19). “Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, ‘You have transgressed…Now therefore, make confession to the Lord God of your fathers, and do His will’” (Ezra 10:10-11). David prayed to God, “I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ And You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psa. 32:5). “Whoever confesses and forsakes [his sins] will have mercy” (Prov. 28:13).
It is plain to see that “confessing our sins” is not merely saying, “I’m sorry.” Someone can say “I’m sorry” to God without ever saying, “I agree with you God. You said that what I have done is a sin, and I want to speak the same thing as You. Therefore, I confess that I have sinned against You.”
Here’s the best value of all, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).