bible verses about confession

Bible Verses About Confession: 12

Bible verses about confession: 12 Scriptures on homologeo, sin, and faith.

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By Christopher McAllister

Founder of theBibleand.Love

Published September 30, 2026Updated October 6, 20265 min read1 John 1:9 (NIV)

Two people embrace gently in a courtyard, a wooden staff set down beside them.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

— 1 John 1:9 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about confession want Scripture on homologeō — naming sin before God and confessing Jesus as Lord — not only the broader repentance list or the forgiveness list alone. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses about repentance, Bible verses about forgiveness, Bible verses about salvation, Bible verses about faith, Bible verses about holiness, and Bible verse of the day. Confession here means homologeō — agreeing with God about sin and confessing Christ with the mouth — distinct from a turn-around repentance list or from forgiveness that does not center the act of confessing.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "confess" is ὁμολογέω homologeō (Strong's G3670; Bible Hub G3670) — to speak the same thing; to agree; to confess or acknowledge. John uses it for confessing sins; Paul uses it for confessing Jesus as Lord; James presses confessing sins to one another. Confession in Scripture is truthful speech before God (and sometimes the church) — not a vague regret without naming what is wrong.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 John 1 presses that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive, and that walking in the light means dealing honestly with sin (Bible Hub MHC 1 John 1; Blue Letter Bible, Matthew Henry on 1 John 1). (Repentance and forgiveness lists live on those pages; this list centers homologeō.)

12 Bible verses about confession

  1. 1 John 1:9. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." Confess — he is faithful and just. See Bible verses about forgiveness.

  2. Romans 10:9-10. "If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved." Confess with your mouth — Jesus is Lord. See Bible verses about salvation.

  3. James 5:16. "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective." Confess your sins to each other. See Bible verses about prayer.

  4. Proverbs 28:13. "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Confess and renounce — find mercy. See Bible verses about repentance.

  5. Psalm 32:5. "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.' And you forgave the guilt of my sin." I will confess my transgressions. See Bible verses about forgiveness.

  6. Matthew 10:32. "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven." Acknowledge me before others. See Bible verses about faith.

  7. Philippians 2:11. "and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Every tongue acknowledge — Jesus Christ is Lord. See Bible verses about Jesus.

  8. 1 John 1:7. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." Walk in the light — purified from all sin. See Bible verses about holiness.

  9. Leviticus 5:5. "when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned." They must confess in what way they have sinned. See Bible verses about repentance.

  10. Nehemiah 1:6. "let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father's family, have committed against you." I confess the sins we Israelites. See Bible verses about prayer.

  11. Daniel 9:4-5. "I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: 'Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws.'" I prayed… and confessed. See Bible verses about covenant.

  12. Acts 19:18. "Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed what they had done." Openly confessed what they had done. See Bible verses about faith.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse when you need confession — not twelve as a grind. If you need God's faithfulness to forgive, start with 1 John 1:9. If you need confessing Jesus as Lord, open Romans 10:9-10. If you need honest naming of sin, open Psalm 32:5. For repentance more broadly, open Bible verses about repentance. For forgiveness, open Bible verses about forgiveness. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about confession?

1 John 1:9 (if we confess our sins), Romans 10:9-10 (confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord), and Psalm 32:5 (I will confess my transgressions) are clear starting places.

How do Bible verses about confession differ from repentance or forgiveness?

The repentance page centers turning from sin. The forgiveness page centers God releasing guilt and people forgiving one another. A confession page centers homologeō — speaking the same thing as God about sin and confessing Christ — then cross-links repentance, forgiveness, and salvation. See Bible verses about repentance.

What does homologeō mean?

Greek homologeō (G3670) means to speak the same thing, to agree, to confess or acknowledge. In the New Testament it covers both confessing sins and confessing Jesus as Lord.

Is confession only private prayer?

1 John 1 centers confession before God; James 5:16 also presses confessing sins to one another. Scripture holds both honest speech to God and, where needed, honest speech in the body. See Bible verses about the church.

Where can I read more about repentance, forgiveness, and salvation?

Start with Bible verses about repentance, then Bible verses about forgiveness, Bible verses about salvation, and Bible verses about faith.

Sources

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