Confession and Forgiveness are Necessary

Matthew 18:15 ""If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother."

Notice this verse says "if he listens you have won your brother."

Our mentality in the psychology of modern Christianity it is exactly backward. Many think they will win someone by forgiving them before they are repentant. Do we not see that the world's way is opposite of God's way?

The world says forgive so the offender will like you and God says if they listen to our rebuke and repent, then we have won our brother.

Relationships cannot be fully restored until one party confesses sin and the other party forgives. What has happened is that we have a lot of superficiality going on, each one pretending to be forgiving when in their heart they still feel an emptiness that something was never fully reconciled.

We cannot fully trust someone who wrongs us when they don't even care that they hurt us.

God's Way is best and relationships are fully restored and often stronger than they were before when one party confesses and the other forgives.