Before our neighbor we must confess those sins with which we have sinned against him, and ask his forgiveness. If we do not want to do this, we are not truly sorry for our sins before God either.
James 5:16: Confess your faults one to another.
Matt. 5:23-25: Therefore, if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
Luther: “The first confession occurs before God... the second confession occurs before our neighbor and is a confession of love, whereas the first, on the other hand, is a confession of faith. As it is written in the Epistle of James: ‘Confess your faults one to another.’ (James 5:16) In the confession of love, he who has sinned against his neighbor, must confess his sin to his neighbor, as Christ says: (Matt. 5:23-25, see above). Here Christ makes a demand to both parties: He who has offended, must seek forgiveness, and he, who has been offended, must forgive. This confession too is necessary and commanded by God, as is the other. For God does not want to be gracious or forgive sins to anyone, who does not forgive his neighbor. So too faith cannot be genuine, unless it produces the fruit of forgiveness and of asking for forgiveness. Otherwise a person cannot come before God. If this fruit is lacking, neither faith nor the first confession is genuine.” (Sermon on Confession and the Sacraments, 1524).
