Confession vs. Repentence – To many, the terms are used interchangably, but there is actually a remarkable difference between the meanings of these two words. Confession is admitting you’ve done something wrong, repentence is turning away from wrong doing (aka U-Turn).
A person will often confess their sins to God when they repent, but confession without repentence is not that big of a deal. For example, an irritating phrase that has been around for a while, “Oh, my fault.” Basically, “Oops, I did something that hurt you; it was my fault, but I’m not sorry and I may do it again.” We are supposed to confess our sins to each other so that we can be accountable and receive support. The goal here is to stop sinning and start doing what is right. God is more interested in our walk than our intentions. If we merely confess our sins and do not make a change in our life, it’s like saying to God, “oh, my fault!”
