CONFESSION OF SIN / PART II

John 20:23,  “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Forgiveness is always tied to repentance, and repentance requires naming the sin. General prayers of confession are good, but they do not replace the biblical pattern of specific, personal confession. Many believers have been taught an incomplete understanding of forgiveness, and this leaves them carrying sins they have never truly brought before God.”

In this life as we walk with the Lord in His Way we are like children always learning. It is within that understanding that we take this next step on this path. When we commit sin (not if, but when) we are taught in Scripture that we must ask for forgiveness and repent. The Bible is very specific about seeking forgiveness. We first learn His Way of doing so in Leviticus.

“And the priest shall make atonement for him for the sin he has committed, and he shall be forgiven.”— Leviticus 4:35

In Leviticus, God teaches His people that forgiveness is not casual, not assumed, and not automatic. Sin is not brushed aside. It must be brought forward, acknowledged, and dealt with in the way God Himself provides. The sinner names the sin. The priest applies the sacrifice. And God grants forgiveness. This pattern is not about ritual — it is about relationship. It is God showing us that forgiveness requires honesty, humility, and a turning of the heart.

Our path to knowledge does not stop in the Old Testament. God’s call to return to Him and to walk in His Way continues in each book of the Bible. Along with this calling and our free will, we are given further guidance on the confession of our sin. Hear the words from the apostle John. This line in Scripture tells us how we are to bring our sin before God as He reveals it in the New Covenant:

“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 

To understand this clarity of naming our sins, asking for forgiveness, and doing so with repentance is the cornerstone of our faith and how we are to walk in His Way. This is a clarity and revelation that may be difficult for our souls to grasp. It is, however, the most important, profound, and powerful truth that we must learn. Forgiveness of our sins is not automatic, it has not been granted by God in advance, and it is not achieved by a general, all‑encompassing statement such as “forgive me my sins, all that is known to me and unknown.”

The Lord has provided the exact method to confess and repent. He also teaches us in Scripture what will befall us if we do not follow His words: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” — Luke 13:3

This truth may be difficult to receive. It may unsettle the soul at first, especially for those who have never been taught the fullness of confession and repentance. But the purpose of this clarity is not fear — it is freedom. God does not reveal truth to crush us, but to call us home. He shows us The Way so that we may walk in it with confidence, honesty, and peace.

And so we end where Scripture itself brings us: not in warning, but in mercy...In the promise of God’s heart toward all who return to Him.

“A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”— Psalm 51:17

This is the assurance we carry. When we name our sins, when we ask for forgiveness, when we repent and turn back to Him, God receives us with compassion. He does not reject the one who returns. He does not despise the heart that comes honestly before Him. This is The Way — the path of forgiveness, the path of restoration, the path of life.