Leviticus 5:5: “And it shall be, when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing.”

Note that even under the old covenant confession was required and had to accompany the sacrifice as the outward expression of a repentant heart. Sinners were required to make an openly acknowledged agreement with God, concerning sin. Offering a sacrifice without faith, repentance, and obedience was hypocrisy.

As it was then, so it is still now. The New Testament teaches us that Jesus’ sacrifice has supplied all that is needed to take away the sins of the world, but we are required to acknowledge and turn from our sins. John reminds us in 1 John 1:8: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

To think, or worse, to say, that we have reached a sinless state is a lie. It’s like saying we no longer need the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse us. Instead of claiming to be sinless and making excuses, we must admit we have sinned. Then forgiveness comes, but it all begins with confession.

Confession brings forward forgiveness through the acceptance and recognition of what Jesus paid for us on the cross. He paid for our fresh start. He paid the penalty of death in order to wipe our slate clean. Confession is the opportunity to express exactly what was on that slate. Does God gain any benefit from our confession? No, He already knows the sins that are in our lives. He watched us commit them one by one. But confession allows us to see and acknowledge our dependence on Him to carry us through. Confession brings cleansing, washing the dirt and the grime away from our lives.

“LORD, we have sinned, please forgive us, in Jesus’ name.” 

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Leviticus 5 KJV

¹ And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it , then he shall bear his iniquity. ² Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcase of an unclean beast, or a carcase of unclean cattle, or the carcase of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him; he also shall be unclean, and guilty. ³ Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be that a man shall be defiled withal, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it , then he shall be guilty. ⁴ Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it , then he shall be guilty in one of these. ⁵ And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things , that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing: ⁶ And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin. ⁷ And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.  ⁸ And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder: ⁹ And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar; and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering. ¹⁰ And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering, according to the manner: and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him. ¹¹ But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. ¹²Then shall he bring it to the priest, and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering. ¹³ And the priest shall make an atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him: and the remnant shall be the priest’s, as a meat offering. ¹⁴ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ¹⁵ If a soul commit a trespass, and sin through ignorance, in the holy things of the LORD; then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy estimation by shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering: ¹⁶ And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add the fifth part thereto, and give it unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him. ¹⁷ And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD; though he wist it not, yet is he guilty, and shall bear his iniquity. ¹⁸ And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest: and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and wist it not, and it shall be forgiven him. ¹⁹ It is a trespass offering: he hath certainly trespassed against the LORD.