Within the context of confession, I don't think we can erase the idea that we stand before the law. And the saint distinguishes himself by standing before the law as a ritual, because of Christ in light of his present circumstances. So confession isn't really his main objective. Confession is not some kind of magic formula, like if it were some kind of island of righteousness. But, in approaching God, we are sinners who need grace, not just grace for sin.When we come to God, we may have different reasons for seeking His help. This doesn't mean our understanding of our sin is more important than our list of sins. A person can acknowledge his list of sins and still not understand the reality of the sin. And in this sense, God is seen as standing at the door of our sinning and demanding payment by confession. But if someone comes to God with prayer in light of God's overall disposition about our circumstances, then they would see that God is available to us beyond this one issue. So it comes to us before God that we are concerned about our sins.We are coming to God in faith, hoping for deliverance from this present world. Our salvation is not just a matter of escaping punishment – it's of being set free from all of the harmful consequences of our sin, because God's enabling grace is working through us, freeing us from our own powerlessness and making us emerge as able, willing and capable people. Our concern for our sins is secondary to God's interest in our present state, which is focused on how he can help us become the people he wants us to be. This is more important to him than any sense of guilt we may have. We are being defended, not accused. We are coming to a Redeemer, not a Judge.