If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Even the confession of sins by Christians to each other is a practice that can be very unrewarding and hurtful.  Currently, there are outcroppings of a practice among fervidly religious groups of holding confessionals in which the most sensual and reprehensible conduct is unreservedly reported openly and publicly within such groups.  In such a context, that is bragging about sins, not confessing them; and it cannot be possible that John had any such thing in mind.  There are no New Testament examples of a religious service being built around any such orgy of self-revelation. Confessions of sins "one to another" among Christians means an admission of guilt where it exists as a barrier to their fellowship, a mutual sharing of blame, and a restoration of the broken harmony.