Owning our sin does not come naturally; it goes against the nature of our flesh. Admitting that we are wrong is counter-intuitive, and we would much prefer to blame others for our mistakes instead.
Scripture, both Old Testament, and New calls us to face the wrongs we commit through confession, repentance, and restoration. We don’t often discuss that last one, but restoration is a much-needed part of the process of making things right.
And he shall make restitution in full for his wrong and add to it one-fifth of it, and give it to him whom he has wronged. But if the man has no relative to whom restitution may be made for the wrong, the restitution which is made for the wrong must go to the LORD for the priest, besides the ram of atonement, by which atonement is made for him. (Numbers 5:7-8)
The most common form of restitution is to pay back the victim of our sin for any loss that sin created plus a bit more (one-fifth according to scripture). This form of restitution shows up when the sin is theft or accidental property damage.
There can be a danger in confessing too much. What do I mean? Confessing to sins that no one else is aware you committed can actually do more harm than good. Consider if you thought of someone badly or you saw an attractive person and thought something you shouldn’t and then confessed these things to your spouse or the person thought badly. Often, such confession will only cause pain instead of making things right.
This isn’t really a problem for most believers. The real problem is not owning our sin and make it right with those we have sinned against. Healthy relationships within the church are created by awareness of our sin, repenting of it, and making true restoration. This is true for marriages, families, and the church.
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16