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Confession of Sin

Is it necessary to receive forgiveness?

by David A. DePra
     I don't have to wonder IF I will sin. I need only be concerned
about WHEN I will sin. We all sin, everyday, many times. So if
the forgiveness of God is truly finished, what happens when I
sin? How does God view it? And what should I do with my sin?
     Tradition offers many answers. We are told that when we sin
we must confess it to receive the forgiveness of God. John 1:9 is
quoted: "If we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive
our sin, and to clease us from all unrighteousness." (see I Jn 1:9)
Confession is offered as the CONDITION we must meet to be
forgiven by God.
     This theory of confession seems sound. It points out that God
cannot forgive us UNTIL we confess, because if He did, He
would be sanctioning sin. Only IF we confess sin will God forgive
sin.
     But is this true? Does God ever forgive UNconfessed sin? Or
does God forgive ONLY sin we confess?
 
Unconditional Forgiveness
 
     The Truth is, God has already forgiven ALL of our sin, whether
we have confessed it or not. That may seem a bit shocking to
some people, but it is nevertheless a fact. Anything short of this
and we deny the finished work of Christ.
     But we must prove this. It is important. Let's begin by first
asking this question: What would it mean if God forgives only sin
we confess? Where would this leave us?
     If God forgives ONLY sin we confess, then, by definition, until
we confess, we are UNforgiven? Right? Sure. We can't have it
both ways. Either we are forgiven or we aren't. And if we are not
forgiven UNTIL we confess, then until we confess, we are in a
condition of UNforgiveness before God.
     Now this really creates a problem. It means that I can be a
Christian -- saved -- but in a condition of unforgiveness. It
means that I can possess full salvation by the grace of God
through faith in Christ, yet periodically be in a condition of
UNforgiveness -- because I haven't yet confessed all my sin.
In other words, God has saved me by His grace. But it is still
possible for me to be UNforgiven.
     That is impossible. It is impossible even if we try to somehow
say that our salvation is "overall" and our "unforgiveness"
temporary, until we confess. That is just playing with words. The
Truth is, salvation and a state of unforgiveness cannot exist
side-by-side. Why? Because salvation is predicated upon the
forgiveness of God. Salvation IS the forgiveness of God being
worked out in a life.
     Furthermore, what if, as a saved person, I sin, neglect to
confess it, and then die in a auto accident before I come to
repentence? Do I die in a condition of UNforgiveness? Have I
lost my salvation? Afterall, even one sin can condemn me. So if
I have even one unconfessed sin, and it is unforgiven by God,
then I am condemned.
     The only possible solution to this problem is that I am NEVER
in a condition of UNforgiveness once I am saved. Indeed, the
fact that I am saved, by definition, means that I am unalterably
and eternally forgiven in Christ!
 
IF We Confess?
 
     But doesn't the Bible say "IF we confess our sin, He is faithful
and just to forgive our sin?" (I John 1:9) And furthermore, if God
forgives whether we confess or not, then isn't He sanctioning
sin?
     The Greek in I John makes things clear. It really says, "If we
confess our sin, He is faithful and just to HAVE forgiven our sin,
and to HAVE cleansed us from all unrighteousness."
     The tense in the Greek shows that true confession is not a
condition for the forgiveness of God. It is the RESULT of the
forgiveness of God. I confess because I believe I am forgiven.
NOT because I must meet a condition for forgiveness.
     Once I see this Truth, I will see that my confession of sin,
rather than necessary for God's forgiveness, is the result of
God's forgiveness! In other words, I confess sin, not to get
forgiven, but because I am convicted of the Truth that I am
already forgiven in Christ.
     Note in I John 1:9 that the Truth about forgiveness of sin
revealed there also applies to being "cleansed from all
unrighteousness." Thus, if I say I cannot be forgiven UNTIL I
confess, then I must also say that I cannot be cleaned from
unrighteousness until I confess. This again creates an
impossible condition: A person who is saved, yet not cleansed
by the Blood of Christ from all unrighteousness -- because
they haven't yet confessed everything.
 
Confesson Important
 
     This Truth does not make confession unimportant. It is vitally
important. Confession is evidence that I have seen the Truth
about myself, and have likewise seen the Truth about Jesus
Christ. It is an act of will whereby I acknowledge and surrender
to God.
     But what if I refuse to confess known sin in my life? What
happens then? Am I still forgiven for that sin?
     Yes. I'm already forgiven for that sin. But refusing to confess it
doesn't "let me off." In fact, it now creates a more serious
problem. If I refuse to confess sin then I have actually committed
a NEW sin: The refusal of God's forgiveness, i.e., unbelief. I am
sinning willfully after having received the knowledge of the Truth.
And there is then no longer a sacrifice for my sin. I have refused
the only sacrifice God offers.
     Note that I am already forgiven for all of my sin. God never
withdraws this forgiveness. But I can refuse His forgiveness.
And if I refuse to receive God's forgiveness, I have committed a
NEW sin: Unbelief.
     Now, rather than prove that we must confess in order to be
forgiven, this actually proves that confession is a result of
forgiveness. For just as confession results from receiving
forgiveness, so does a refusal to confess result from a refusal of
forgiveness. Our confession is merely a reflection, or fruit, of the
moral choice we make within regarding the Blood of Jesus
Christ.
 
True Confession of Sin
 
     "Confession," in the Bible, means "to say the same thing."
When I confess sin, I am saying the same thing about it as God
says: That it is evil and to be forsaken. Yes. But I'm also saying
that it is forgiven. Confession, in the truest sense, is an
acknowledgement of my need for the unmerited grace of God,
and the proclamation of that grace through the Redemption of
Jesus Christ.
     Often, we mistakenly limit our concept of "confession" to our
admission of certain sins and faults. We should confess those.
But God wants much, much more. He wants us to not only
confess what we have done, but He wants us to confess what we
ARE! All acts of sin are merely the manifestation of who we are.
God wants us to be in a continual attitude of confessing who we
are in the light of who Christ is, and what He has done for us.
     Confession of sin leads to freedom from sin -- not because
it convinces God to forgive me and set me free. It leads to
freedom because true confession is an abandonment of the sin I
am confessing. Real confession is an act of repentance. It is an
acknowledgement that I have need for God's free grace in Christ
Jesus.
 
Past Tense
 
     The Truth that God has already forgiven all sin is all through
scripture. We see it most clearly revealed in the epistles:
 
And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one
another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you. (Eph.
4:32)
 
And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your
flesh, has he quickened together with Him, having forgiven all
your trespasses. (Col. 2:13)
 
I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven
you for His name's sake. (I John 2:12)
 
     Note the past tense in all of these verses. God has already
done all the forgiving He is going to do. And the fact is, there is
no sin so deep that the Redemption cannot reach. There is no
time and space beyond the reach of the Blood of Christ. God
HAS forgiven us. Now, we need only believe and receive by
faith.
 
Confession Should be Natural
 
     Confession, for a Christian, should not be a struggle. If we are
still arguing with God about whether we are guilty before Him, it
is questionable whether we have seen His grace. If we are
debating over whether we should surrender our sin to Him then it
is a sure sign that our problems run a bit deeper than this issue
of confession. Confession should not just be something we DO.
It should be an attitude we wear. We should be in a continual
attitude of exposing ourselves to God.
     Herein we see the real nature of confession: It is a willingness
to stand naked before God. One who has an attitude of
confession has nothing to hide. No agenda. Nothing off limits to
God. We walk in the light as He is in the light, and in doing so,
eagarly and willingly surrender all of ourselves to Him.
     Confession never gets God to forgive us. We are forgiven for
one reason only: The Redemption of Jesus Christ. Our
confession is nothing more than a full acknowledgement and
surrender to the fact that we are eternally forgiven -- once for
all and forever -- solely by the Blood of the Lamb.

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