Why should we confess our sins to one another (James 5:16)?

TL;DR:

Confession is when we admit to a sin or a wrongdoing. When we confess our own sin to another, we are admitting that the sin is wrong and are taking a step toward getting back in alignment with God's ways.

what does the bible say?

James 5:16 says, "Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." The previous verses in this section of James have demonstrated the importance and power of prayer, and the following verses will give the example of Elijah. This verse shows us that confession should be accompanied by prayer and followed with repentance, changing our ways to live righteously. Admitting we have sinned without turning from that sin is not going to result in any real change. But why should we confess our sins? And to whom should we confess them? Confession of sin is the admission of what we did and the agreement with God that our actions or words were wrong. In a court of law, a person who confesses to a crime is agreeing that he or she did in fact violate a societal standard. When we confess our sins, we are admitting that we violated God’s law. We admit that we chose to do, say, or think something opposed to God’s will, and we stand guilty before Him.

from the old testament

King David realized that confession can help to break the powerful hold that sin had on him whereas hidden sins keep us trapped: "When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, 'I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.' And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone" (Psalm 32:3–5, NLT).

from the new testament

As a first step, we should confess our sin to God who will purify us of that sin: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).
Next, we should confess our sins to anyone we have wronged, whether that be an individual, our family, or a larger group. This aligns with Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:23–24: “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.”
When we confess our sins to someone we have wronged, that confession should be accompanied by an appeal for forgiveness. While we cannot force someone to forgive us, we should always make that option available to them so that they can live free of bitterness toward us. The Bible is filled with commands to forgive each other (see, for example, Matthew 6:14; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).

implications for today

Several factors can hinder or prevent our confession of sins. One is pride. We don’t like to admit we were wrong. Pride rushes in to justify, explain, or blame-shift instead of confessing and being forgiven (Proverbs 16:18). God resists a prideful person (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5). Confession of sin does little good when it is coerced or insincere because it is not true agreement with God but a temporary effort to appease a guilty conscience or pacify someone else. Another factor that hinders the confession of sin is ignorance. In our modern age, people are growing more biblically illiterate, and hearts are growing cold toward the things of God. However, God holds us accountable for all He has entrusted to us, so ignorance is no excuse for not confessing our sin to God and being forgiven. A healthy habit of confessing our sins to one another cultivates righteous living, honesty, trust, forgiveness, and freedom. It helps us to be a unified church, free to love each other and continue on in the ways of Christ: "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32).

understand

Confessing our sins to one another leads to healing and reconciliation.
Confessing our sins to one another fosters mutual support and accountability.
Confessing our sins allows us to be honest with one another and can help free us from the bondage that sin brings.

reflect

Although we are ultimately called to confess our sins to God, what benefits are there in the practice of confessing our sins to one another?
How can you ensure your confession is sincere and coming out of repentance as opposed to just going through the motions?
How can confessing your sins to another person lead to greater honesty and freedom from the bondage of sin?

engage

While God calls us to confess our sins to one another, there should be healthy boundaries and trust established before confessing our sins to one another. In general, there is no need to proudly proclaim our sin struggles to anyone who will listen, but we can confess our sins to mature believers in our lives and be confident that they will listen, support, and pray for us in an appropriate and useful way. It's important to be discerning and use discretion. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom in this (James 1:5).
Confessing our sins to one another does not mean that we go to others to absolve us of our sins. For example, this verse is not condoning the Roman Catholic practice of confession of sin to a priest. How can we know that others can’t absolve us of sin? How can we know the right interpretation and application of James 5:16 based on the entirety of Scripture?
How can we discern when it is appropriate to confess our sins to someone? How can we know to whom we should confess our sins?