CONFESSION OF SIN

© 2026 Bruce Albright/ The Soul’s Voice. All rights reserved. This material may not be copied, reproduced, or distributed in any form without prior written consent.

Today’s devotional is drawn from our new book in progress, Walk in His Way. It addresses a topic that has sparked debate, disagreement, and denominational division for centuries. Our prayer is that these words bring clarity where confusion has lingered, peace where arguments have taken root and understanding where tradition and interpretation have often collided.

As you read this excerpt, may it guide you toward a deeper grasp of God’s pattern, His covenant, and the Way He established from the beginning.

In Leviticus, the priest stands between the people and God — not as a barrier, but as a bridge. The priest carries the sins of the people before the Lord, offers the sacrifice, and declares forgiveness as instructed by God. This pattern becomes the foundation for the Catholic practice of confession, where the priest serves as a witness and intercessor. Protestants emphasize direct confession to God, yet both traditions trace their understanding to the same moment in Scripture: the priest bringing the sins of the people before the Lord.

Leviticus does not teach that forgiveness comes from the priest. It teaches that forgiveness comes from God — through the pattern He established.

When considering how confession was practiced in Israel, we must remember that the priest did not invent this role. He did not assume it. He did not claim it. The act of bringing the sins of the people before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting was an instruction given directly by God through Moses. This cannot be brushed aside like dust from a garment. It is part of the pattern God established in the wilderness — a pattern of holiness, intercession, and restoration.

To understand this moment, we must consider the context in which it was given. Israel was learning how to live near the presence of God. They were being formed as a people. The priest stood as the appointed servant who carried the offerings, the confessions, and the sins of the nation before the Lord. This was not ceremony. It was covenant.

At the same time, we must hold this pattern alongside the New Covenant established by Jesus. He fulfills the priesthood. He becomes the final intercessor. He carries the sins of the people once and for all. The practice of confession today — whether spoken to a priest or spoken directly to God — must be understood through both covenants. The pattern revealed in Leviticus and the fulfillment revealed in Christ are not in conflict. They are one continuous revelation of the Way.

Therefore, the decision to practice confession of sin is a matter of personal obedience. Either form is correct. Scripture does not command one exclusive method in the New Covenant. What matters is not the location of confession, nor the presence of a priest, nor the privacy of prayer. What matters is that sin is brought before the Lord.

Confession must become a recurring act in the life of anyone who seeks to walk in His Way. Sin that is not confessed does not disappear. It remains. It settles into the soul. It becomes a weight carried forward, and every soul will give account for what has not been reconciled with the Lord. The priestly pattern in Leviticus teaches us that sin must be named, acknowledged, and brought before God. The New Covenant teaches us that Christ Himself receives that confession.

Whether spoken to a priest or spoken directly to God, confession is not optional. It is the act by which the soul returns, listens, and follows. It is the Way.