Quotes on Confession

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Confession

      A fault confessed is a new virtue added to a man.
James S. Knowles (1784–1862)

      A man should never be ashamed to own he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.
Alexander Pope (1688–1744)

      A man who confesses his sins in the presence of a brother knows that he is no longer alone with himself; he experiences the presence of God in the reality of the other person. As long as I am by myself in the confession of my sins everything remains in the dark, but in the presence of a brother the sin has to be brought into the light.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945)

      Confession is necessary for fellowship. Sin builds a barrier between us and God.
Erwin W. Lutzer (1941– )

      Confession is to bring to light the unknown, the unconscious darkness, and the underdeveloped creativity of our deeper layers.
Fritz Kunkel

      Confession, which means to agree with God regarding our sin, restores our fellowship. It is a form of discipline which God requires.
Erwin W. Lutzer (1941– )

      Explaining is half confessing.
Marquis of Halifax (1633–1695)

     For a good confession three things are necessary: an examination of conscience, sorrow, and a determination to avoid sin.
Alphonsus Luguori

      For him who confesses, shams are over and realities have begun.
William James (1842–1910)

      Forgiveness is always free. But that doesn’t mean that confession is always easy. Sometimes it is hard. Incredibly hard. It is painful (sometimes literally) to admit our sins and entrust ourselves to God’s care.
Erwin W. Lutzer (1941– )

      In confession . . . we open our lives to healing, reconciling, restoring, uplifting grace of him who loves us in spite of what we are.
Louis Cassels (1922–1974)

      It is not wrong actions which require courage to confess, so much as those which are ridiculous and foolish.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778)

      Two grave dangers threaten all confession: too little and too much. Beware lest your concern for propriety and pride keep you from confessing those sins the public deserves to hear about. Likewise, beware that your earnestness in making all things right before God does not play into the hands of the great deceiver who would love to turn your confession of sin into an inducement for another to sin.
Richard Owen Roberts (1931– )

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Never confuse confession with repentance.

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Never confuse confession with repentance.

That is a mistake made by many. Go and sin no more, He told the woman.