If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar, and his word is not in us. I John 1:8-10

Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. James 5:16

In response to awakening and convicting grace, confession is the first grace-empowered step a dead person can take on the road to life. It is the only step we can take because it is the only step offered. Life begins with confession. Confession puts an end to our running, hiding, fixing, and blame-shifting.

Confession is a statement in which we admit we are guilty of an offense. Confession has three distinct components:
First, as I stand before a holy God, I must own my failure.

Confession to God does not muddy the water with excuses. It simply states the facts: I ate. I hit. I looked. I took. I killed. I hid. I denied. I betrayed. It was me. I’m guilty.

Confession admits that every offense is, first and foremost, a direct offense against God. King David certainly sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah and Israel and himself. But when he confessed, David began by acknowledging his transgression against God:

For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight. Psalm 51:3-4
Second, as I stand before myself, I must own the consequences of my failure.

Adam chose to eat the fruit, David chose to send for Bathsheba, Moses hit the rock, Judas accepted the thirty pieces of silver, Peter denied knowing Jesus, and Achan kept the plunder. They were all guilty — and they owned it.

What about me? What bad choices have I made? What consequences have I suffered due to those bad choices? Whatever they are, they are mine. I own them. Blaming others is of no help. I must be willing to confess the damage I have done to myself so I can forgive myself and break the bondage of shame and regret.
Third, as I stand before others, I must own the fallout of my failure.

Others were negatively affected by my bad choices. My confession must also be to them. They have every right to hear it. I cannot fix what I have done to them, but through confession, I can release them from the burden of proving my guilt. Confession sets the record straight.
Today

There is a limited window of opportunity for confession. God’s awakening and convicting grace does not linger forever. For this reason, the Scriptures encourage us to act on God’s grace while it is still Today:

See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Hebrews 3:12-13

While Adam acknowledged that he ate the forbidden fruit, he never confessed his failure. Instead, he blamed God and Eve. How would our story be different if Adam had fully owned his sin? We’ll never know.

Achan’s confession was too late to save himself and his family. He had earlier opportunities to confess, but he didn’t take them. He thought no one knew. He weighed his options, considered the risks, and chose to keep hiding. It was only after God fully exposed him that he confessed. It was too late.

David also waited until his sin was fully exposed. He, too, had earlier opportunities to confess, but he didn’t take them. He kept making bad choices. His confession was too late to save Uriah and David’s own infant son, but thankfully, he finally came clean. David wrote a full confession for all the world to see:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely, I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Psalm 51:1-5

Are you still running from unconfessed sin? Are you hiding, fixing, and blame-shifting? God’s grace is available to you today. You have no guarantee of tomorrow, but you have this precious moment. God’s awakening and convicting grace are working in you right now. You are weighing your options and considering the risks. Will you continue to run? Or will you finally choose to confess and be at rest? The decision is yours to make. I pray you will make it today.

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I John 1:8-9

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. Joel 2:12-13