WHY SHOULD WE CONFESS OUR SINS?

How many of your sins were future when Christ died on the cross?

HankD

 

HankD said "How many of your sins were future when Christ died on the cross?"

All of them. None of the were forgiven yet though, for not only had I not repented of them and confessed them, they hadn't even been committed yet.

 

Redemption includes the forgiveness of sins.

Hebrews 9
12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

Colossians 1
14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

HankD

 

Yes HankD, you are right, it does. However, that does not address the fact that we still sin after we are redeemed, nor does it imply that those sins are preemptively forgiven.

 

Well, I believe it does but like we both implied there is a present tense responsibity in 1 John 1:9 to acknowledge our sins as children of God to stay in His good graces, avoid chastisement and have fellowship with Him.

I think we are down to the difficulties of semantics trying to reconcile eternity with the working out of the present time frame we are in.

Suppose I resisted (like some of the Corinthians did) and He judged me and I "slept" (died physically), I wouldn't perish because all my sins had already been forgiven. On the other hand I suffered the consequence (physical death) of sin because I wouldn't acknowledge and repent from my sin as a Christian.

I think we are saying the same thing but differently

HankD

 

Stanley is nuts on this one. All sins are insults to God -- disobedience. All sin has the penalty of death. The Bible does not divide sins the way Stanley does!

In the meantime, please consider Hebrews 7:26-28

Such a high priest meets our need -- one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacriced for their sins ONCE FOR ALL when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.

Or Hebrews 9:27-28

Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Or go on to Hebrews 10:8-12

First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made.). Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered FOR ALL TIME one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God.

All sin deseerves death, before or after salvation. However, since Jesus died to atone for ALL sin, for ALL time, it is not sin which sends anyone to hell. If it were, then Jesus would not have been able to say "It is finished!" Instead, as John 3:16-18 states so plainly, hell is for those who refuse Jesus.

 

Sounds like the Church of Rome "mortal" vs "venial" sin.

There is an element of truth in it.
When a Christian sins salvation is not lost but we are under this:

Revelation 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

HankD

 

If we are to be obedient to God, and pleasing to Him, then of course we should confess our sins-and ask forgiveness- Notwithstanding all the other about His Grace,His Love and His Mercy. We are to acknowledge our sins. Don't take His precious blood for Granted. David (the rascal) that he was, was a man after God's own heart. Why- because he was quick to acknowledge his sins-and he was punished for them. Dewey

 

Then there is another question someone asked- and a surprising one at that. Why Pray. My friend, if we believe the Bible as GOd's word at all- then we should obey it. We are admonished to confess our sins, and PRAY FOR ONE ANOTHER. God delights in hearing our prayers. Prayer is the Key that unlocks the gates of heaven- Perhaps not as we always would like- nevertheless God does answer prayer. (Personal experience) How else may we have a personal relationship with God?

 

Matt. 7:18 - Jesus says that sound trees bear good fruit. But there is no guarantee that a sound tree will stay sound. It could go rotten.

Matt. 7:21 - all those who say "Lord, Lord" on the last day will not be saved. They are judged by their evil deeds.

Matt. 12:30-32 - Jesus says that he who is not with Him is against him, therefore (the Greek for "therefore" is "dia toutos" which means "through this") blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. This means that failing to persevere in Jesus' grace to the end is the unforgivable sin against the Spirit. We must persevere in faith to the end of our lives.

Matt. 22:14 - Jesus says many are called but few are chosen. This man, who was destined to grace, was at God's banquet, but was cast out.

Luke 8:13 - Jesus teaches that some people receive the word with joy, but they have no root, believe for a while, and then fall away in temptation. They had the faith but they lost it.

Luke 12:42-46 - we can start out as a faithful and wise steward, then fall away and be assigned to a place with the unfaithful.

Luke 15:11-32 - we can be genuine sons of the Father, then leave home and die, then return and be described as "alive again."

John 6:70-71 - Jesus chose or elected twelve, yet one of them, Judas, fell. Not all those predestined to grace persevere to the end.

John 15:1-10 - we can be in Jesus (a branch on the vine), and then if we don't bear fruit, are cut off, wither up and die.

John 17:12 - we can be given to Jesus by the Father (predestined to grace) and yet not stay with Jesus, like Judas.

John 6:37 - those who continue to come to Jesus He won't cast out. But it's a continuous, ongoing action. We can leave Jesus and He will allow this because He respects our freewill.

John 6:39 - Jesus will not lose those the Father gives Him, but we can fall away, like Judas. God allows us not to persevere.

John 6:40 - everyone who sees the Son and believes means the person "continues" to believe. By continuing to believe, the person will persevere will be raised up.

John 6:44 - Jesus says no one can come to me unless the Father "draws" him. This "drawing" is an ongoing process.

John 10:27-28 - when Jesus says, "no one shall snatch them out of my hands," He does not mean we can't leave His hands. We can choose to walk away from Him.

Rev. 3:4 - in Sardis, Jesus explained that many people received the white garment and soiled it with sin.

Rev. 3:5 - Jesus says whoever conquers will not be blotted out of the book of life (see Exodus 32:33). This means that we can be blotted out.

Rev. 3:11 - Jesus says to hold fast to what we have, so that no one may seize our crown. Jesus teaches us that we can have the crown and lose it.

Rev. 13:10; 14:12 - we are called from heaven for the endurance and faith of the saints, keeping the commandments and faith.

Rev. 21: 7 -we must conquer in order to share in our heritage and become a true son of Jesus.

Rev. 22:19 - we can have a share in the tree of life in God's holy city and yet have that share taken away from us.