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Tim Maas
What’s the best way to confess sins? (Proverbs 28:13)
Proverbs 28:13 New International Version (NIV)
13
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper,
but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Proverbs 28:13
ESV - 13 Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
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Asked February 24 2020
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Jack Gutknecht
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Tim Maas
In my view, since all sins (even those involving other people) are ultimately against God (Psalm 51:4), they should be confessed to Him by the sinner, and forgiveness should be sought for Jesus' sake. There is not a need to involve another individual (such as a minister or a priest) in this confession, since Christ is the sole mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). As a sign of repentance (and also as indicated by the verse cited in the question) there should be a determination and conscious effort on the part of the sinner (with the help of the Holy Spirit) to avoid repeating the sin. In the case of sins against other people, in addition to confessing them to God, they should also be confessed to the person(s) involved (Matthew 5:23-26), along with an effort to undo any consequences of the sin, both as a demonstration of repentance, and in order to restore fellowship (if possible) with the person(s). As a part of confession, there should also be a willingness on the part of the sinner to accept whatever adverse temporal consequences may result from the sin (whether those consequences are from God or from other people), without having it result in a loss of faith in God, or of fellowship with Him (2 Samuel 12:1-23).
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