If you were the devil and you wanted to keep Christians barren, sick and ineffective, there is one simple thing that you could do: you would hide or distort the revelation that we have been totally and eternally forgiven.
Show me any Christian who is making a mark for God today, and I’ll show you someone who knows they have been forgiven. Complete and unconditional forgiveness is the foundation of our faith. It is what separates Christianity from all the man-made religions of the world. Yet many sincere believers do not know for sure whether they are forgiven. And if you’re not sure about that, you won’t know for certain whether God wants to heal the sick, raise the dead and drive out demons.
When I started this blog I wrote quite a lot about forgiveness and how it’s a gift that can never be earned. At that time I received many comments from sincere believers who objected to what I had to say about confessing sins. Confession seems to be a touchy subject. By confession, I mean reviewing your sins and shortcomings. I don’t want to belittle confession but I do want to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy confession. If talking and being open about things brings life to you, then do it. But – and this is a big but – if you think confessing sins is a prerequisite to receiving forgiveness, then you are in danger of setting aside the grace of God.
As we will see in this quick study, confessing-to-be-forgiven is one of the most diabolical lies that has ever been taught. It is also one of the most effective – just look at what it has done to us. Instead of discipling nations we’re cloistered in small groups trying to manage each other’s sin. Instead of exercising authority over sin and sickness, we’re enslaving ourselves with the yoke of law. Instead of drawing from the well of salvation with joy and telling others the good news, we’re weeping at the altar like a bad advertisement.
I want to draw some very clear lines in the sand, so in this short series I will outline 12 reasons why believers never, ever, have to confess their sins to be forgiven. If it appears that I’m preaching the negative, it is only to highlight the many positive things that the Bible says about your forgiveness – things that we can be certain about. I’m going to travel fast and light across a lot of ground. I will list scriptures but leave you to study them at your leisure. My hope is that you will come to a firm conviction about your forgiven-ness, that you will thank God for what He has done and live free. Then I hope you will go and tell others the good news of God’s grace. Everyone needs the gift of forgiveness.
Without further ado, here are the first three reasons why we don’t have to confess our sins to be forgiven:
1. It’s not in the Bible
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 Jn 1:9)
This is the only verse in the Bible where our confession is connected with His forgiveness. The Greek word for confess is homologeo which means to acknowledge, concede or agree with. In this passage John is writing to unbelievers who were deceived because they thought they were without sin (see v.8). How do I know that John is talking to unbelievers and not Christians? Because he is addressing people who are walking in darkness (v.6), who need to be purified from all unrighteousness (v.9) and who, by insisting that they have never sinned, are making God out to be a liar (v.10).
What message does John have for sinners who don’t think they’re sinners? “Acknowledge your sinful state, turn to God and receive His gift of forgiveness.” There’s only one thing that stops a sinner from receiving God’s grace and that’s unbelief. If you don’t see your need for forgiveness, you are well and truly lost. You may claim to know God but He doesn’t know you. There’s only one way to the Father and that’s through Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross. God made provision for your redemption and forgiveness at the cross, but you will never see it unless you acknowledge (ie: confess) your need for a Savior.
And what message does John have for those of us who have already turned to Jesus? Do we need to confess too? We already have! Remember, confession means agreeing with God. When you first surrendered to the Lord, you might have prayed “thank you for forgiving me.” That’s confession. You were acknowledging that you had a sin problem and in need of God’s forgiveness. In the New Testament people sometimes confessed their sins when they were baptized (Mt 3:6). How many times do you need to be baptized before you are baptized? Just once. How many times do you need to say yes to God before you are in agreement with God? Just once. And how many times do you need to receive God’s free gift of forgiveness before you have received it? Just once. (And for those of you interested in Greek verb tenses, see my note in the comments below.)
2. You were forgiven 2000 years ago
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; He has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” (Col 2:13-14)
We all need to forgive and be forgiven, but when it comes to sin, your forgiven-ness is a done deal. Jesus forgave all your sins at the cross long before you were born, long before you did anything. Your performance never came into it. I said above that 1 John 1 was written for unbelievers who don’t see their need for forgiveness. In the second chapter John writes for the saints, and what does he tell them? “Your sins have been forgiven on account of His name” (1 Jn 2:12). If your sins have already been forgiven, what are you confessing for?
3. You were forgiven through His blood
Under the old covenant law, there could be no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (Heb 9:22). What the law prefigured, Christ fulfilled. At the Last Supper Jesus explained the basis of our forgiveness:
“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mat 26:28)
Note the absence of any qualifiers. Jesus did not say, “…provided they confess first.” It’s His blood from start to finish. 1 John 1 may have given you the impression that sinners are only forgiven when they confess. But John makes it clear that it is not our confession but “the blood of Jesus Christ (that) cleanses us from all sin” (1 Jn 1:7). So why confess at all? Remember, Biblical confession is not listing everything that’s wrong with you. True confession is a positive response to something that God has already done. It is verbalizing faith. It is saying “thank you Jesus for your blood that was poured out for my forgiveness. Because of You, I am forgiven!”
Never forget that you are forgiven
What is the number one reason why Christians are barren and ineffective in their knowledge of the Lord Jesus? According to 2 Peter 1:9, it is forgetting that we have been cleansed from our old sins. To keep the church weak and impotent, the enemy only needs to get us to forget our forgiven-ness. Indeed, forgiveness is easy to forget when we sin. And that’s why it is important to confess the word of God over ourselves. So the next time you stumble, don’t get introspective but put your faith into action. Look at yourself in the mirror and declare with confidence that you have been forgiven by the blood of the Lamb!
In Part II of this study we will look at three more promises about forgiveness and three more reasons why Christians don’t need to confess their sins to receive them.
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Related posts:
- Is forgiveness something God does or gives?
- Where does forgiveness come from? And why does it matter?
- Why do people need to receive the gift of forgiveness if the whole world is forgiven?
Note: Any Greek lexicon will tell you that the verb tense for “confess” in 1 John 1:9 is the present tense which usually means a habitual action. The conclusion that some draw from this is that you need to habitually confess your sins to stay forgiven. But to build a doctrine of works from a single verb tense is dangerous and contradicts what John says about forgiveness elsewhere. Note that the present verb tense is also used in the New Testament to convey a sense of action (“I am confessing”) in much the same way as is meant by the English present tense. Why did John write it this way? He was possibly thinking of Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” At any point in time, a sinner is either concealing his sins or he is agreeing with God about them and forsaking them. A sinner who conceals his sins remains a sinner, but a sinner who confesses and turns to Jesus is a sinner no longer: He has been purified from “all sin” (1 Jn 1:7) and cleansed from “all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). A sinner might weigh it up like this: If I repent and agree with God now, I will experience today the forgiveness that He provided for me 2000 years ago at the cross. Incidentally, if you like a bit of Greek salad with your meat, then feast your eyes on 1 John 1:7 which talks about the blood of Jesus that cleanses and continually goes on cleansing us.
Revival or Riots (Facebook)got me here, awesome, the first comment (Paul Ellis) is the gold brouch to it as we Peruvians say . Well done good and faithful ones…
1 John 1:9 was written to believers, unless of course John was including himself as an unbeliever as you suggest. Notice the plural: If we, to forgive us, our sins, cleanse us. This is obvious. He was writing to believers to be aware of Gnostics false teaching…
Yes, we are forgiven once and for all, past present, and future sins. All sins are taken care of at the cross, burial, and ressurecction of Christ. We confess according to 1 John 1:9 for a clear conscience, he is faithful and righteous to forgive and cleanse us. I will always be a daughter to my mom and dad, but I will sin against them, so I confess that hateful word, or bad attitude, or selfish act against them…our relationship is right again, clean and clear. If I didn’t confess, I would still be their daughter, but there would be something between us. This is my understanding of this passage. We continually, repeat this confessing as we stumble (an occasion of sin) which will happen over our lifetime.
To say this book is written for unbelievers is false.
Allie, I don’t know anyone who says this book was written for unbelievers. However, it is a mistake to conclude that every time the word “we” appears in the Bible it means “you.” Context matters, particularly with 1 John 1:9. I also agree that confession can be healthy.
Dear forgiven friends: I have been aware of the error of those who say,”when we believers sin we need to ask God to forgive us.” If you have to ask, it suggests He may not forgive. I do believe forgiveness has been purchased just as healing has been purchased. When I sin I acknowedge it and thank God for the blood covenant! When I sin against others I acknowedge it and ask for their forgiveness. I can do that knowing I am righteous (Ro.5:17). However, I find an error in your interpretation of 1John chapter 1 and 2. It is clearly addressed to the family of God.
The following verse is not written to sinner but to believers “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1:4)
1John 2:1 MY LITTLE CHILDREN, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Your premise that any sinner coming to Christ must confess his sins is a contradiction of scriptures. A sinner does not confess his sin’S’. How could he? He can’t remember them all! He believes with his heart and confesses Jesus is Lord! He has a new heart. He does not grovel and do penance for future sins. Neither should he be in denial which disrupts communion (not position of sonship) with God and the Body.
Error results in taking truth to an extreme Your forgiven brother. Wayne
Added note:“And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” (1:4) This verse is not the language we use with unbelievers. Such would suggest ‘you have some joy but if you add Jesus to your beliefs you can have more.’
It is written to believers who are living as though they have a licence to sin, like the 1Corinthians 5 and covering it because of pride.
Dear Wayne,
Thanks for your comment. You say that Christians are not forgiven when they confess and that sinners won’t ever confess their sins. So who is 1 Jn 1:9 written for? How do you interpret it? In the post above I give three reasons why I believe this verse is written for sinners: (i) John is talking about those who walk in darkness (v6), (ii) who need to be purified from all unrighteousness (v9), and (iii) who, by insisting that they have never sinned (v8), are making God out to be a liar (v10). None of these attributes applies to someone who is born again. Look at v3: “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” John is writing to people who neither have fellowship with us, the Father or the Son. Like a true apostle, John has good news for all the world; chapter 1 was largely written for those who weren’t born again, while chapter 2:1ff was written for those who are.
But irrespective of whether this passage was written primarily for saints and sinners, I agree that John is not calling anyone to review their sins. To confess (homologeo) is to agree with God. Sinners need to agree that they are in need of a Savior; saints need to agree that they were forgiven 2000 years ago, just as the Bible declares (Col 2:13).
Dear Paul,
I am grateful for your efforts to bring the truth of God’s grace and the completed work of Christ to the Family. Brother, thank you for your good work.
I must confess though, in this post your notes are misleading and therefore unhelpful. Please accept this as an attempt to challenge what i believe to be sincere and good hearted but mislead interpretation of this passage, with very important implications that i believe require correcting for the sake of the flock. Allow me to just pick up on a single point made in your response, to Wayne’s response, to your note 2 above. A basic premise you make explicitly here (and in fact make implicitly throughout your post on this topic) is that it is not possible for a born again believer to walk in darkness, have broken fellowship with Father, and need to come back into the light.
This is entirely untrue….
grace and peace
Jason
Hi Jason, thank you for your thoughtful and well-argued comment. However, please note E2R’s comment policy limits comments to 250 words max. (Yours was 2,500 words.) You raise some interesting points about Christians who sin and how to deal with that sin, but I stand by my claim that the forgiveness you and I needed was done at the cross and that confessing does not compel God to do what he has already done. Forgiveness literally means to “send away” and the sins of the world were sent away or dealt with at the cross. This is why Jesus described forgiveness as a verb before the cross but a noun afterwards. Prior to the cross, forgiveness was something God might do; after the cross, it was something he had done. This is what makes the new covenant new.
Elsewhere I contrast healthy vs unhealthy confession and, if you would like to submit a short comment on the merits of confession, that’s probably the place to put it.
Just want to say, thank God for you, Paul! In the internet it is easy to find misleading information, which together with a fleshly mindset, focuses us on our sin and our own ability to try to live righteously. Trying to live by the law brings death. However I am glad that God led me to find your website, which reminds me to focus on Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth and the Life! Do keep on blogging, because it encourages me, which in turn helps me encourage others to look to Jesus!
( by the way do correct me if I am wrong in any of my statements because I’m still growing in my understanding. Thanks :) )
Hey Paul I agree with you, confessing our sin (asking God to forgive every single thing we have ever done wrong)it is not how we become forgiven. However I think Wayne is right in concluding that 1 John was not written to unbelievers. 1 John 2:1 tells us that John was talking to his little children, why do I say that well: “My little children, I am writing these things to you” The “these things” are the things mentioned in chapter 1 the original letter john wrote never had chapters and verses. Verse 9 of 1 John says: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. yet verse 7 says that:if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. So forgiveness happens as we continue in the light because we are in agreement with God, Some times a particular sin can really nag, in these cases it is to our benefit alone that we speak to God about it so that we have confidence that not only has he forgiven us but he will cleanse us of any unrighteousness.
Dear Mark, you make an interesting point, but risk much on what “these things” might be. “These things” might just as easily be the things which follow 2:1 as the things which precede. “These things” might also be the wonderful promises found in 1:7 and 1:9 that we have been purified from all sin/unrighteousness. You say that we’re not cleansed from unrighteousness unless we confess nagging sins. But Heb 10:22 tells us the blood of Jesus is the cure for a guilty conscience.
Wayne and Paul,
1John 1:4 is quoted above as “And these things we write to you that your joy may be full.” Please change the incorrect “your” to the correct “our”.
By the way, this tiny little correction will serve well to further reinforce the exegesis of Paul as it points to the saving of lost souls as the completion of the author(s) joy. If it were to point instead to the reader’s joy, which “your” infers, this vital itension is lost as it infers that the object (i.e. sinners) of chapter one have already been initiated into the joy of the Lord. Amazing how one little misplaced letter can change the entire context of a statement and create much confusion in the process. This should give each of us great pause to exercise care in exegeting God’s written word.
Your “forgiven completely and forever” brother in Christ, Stephen
Stephen, Your bold “little correction” of holy scripture is intelectually and spiritually irresponsible.
What translation allows the changing of “your” to “our?” Your whole arguement is suspect when you change who the subject addressed is.
Two further thoughts: First, there were no chapter divisions when written. The subject matter flows together from begining to end of the letter.
Second: Romans 10:9-10 gives the clear concise, one step program to being born again, sinner to saint. 1)Confess Jesus as Lord 2) Believe in your heart. Notice in coming to Christ nothing is said about confessing sins. First, because one could never remember them all. (“Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”) Sin was the rule and my way of life B.C. Now, sin is the exception to the rule. Once born again my conscience becomes sensitive to wrong doing that I need to humbly acknowledge to maintain unhindered fellowship with God. That’s walking in the light.
He didn’t change the “your” to “our”. Most modern translations use “our” like the ESV, NIV, NLT, WEB, NASB, etc. The KJV and the YLT use “your”. So Stephen wasn’t altering the word on his own. He was merely stating what modern scholars think the translation should be. Here, check this out http://bible.cc/1_john/1-4.htm
You dont need to be conscious of your wrong doings.
For sometime now, i don’t feel comfortable asking the congregation to confess their since anytime am leading prayer meeting,because of this scripture that says’there is now therefore no condemenation for those who are in Christ Jesus…..’ so i agree with you hungred percent. if a believer falls into any kind of sin. what do you’forced under circumstances to lie, fornicate, commit adultery etc…………. what do you do
Dear Miriam, I’m not sure I understand your question.
hello brother paul! I am so glad that i found this blog..so precise and accurate messages on forgiveness but i have a doubt and i have also realised that so many believers have confused and misunderstood the doctrine of forgiveness according to the Bible..even so many good pastors and believers..but my doubt is this: suppose if a very experienced believer who got saved many, many years ago and he still confesses and asks for forgiveness every time he sins not knowing that he is wrong..so what happens when he dies believing this in a wrong manner?
The bottom line is whether a man believes in his heart that Jesus is his Lord. If so, then he’s saved. Now the person who believing this, then confesses-to-be-forgiven out of ignorance is basically asking God to do something He’s already done. Is this going to nullify his faith? No. God looks at the heart. Most people confess-to-be-forgiven out of ignorance. You show them the truth of the gospel and they say “thank you Jesus!” and stop. They were already free because of Jesus but now they’re walking in that freedom. Problems come when people start free and then allow themselves to be enslaved again. The Galatians did this. They started trusting in human effort. They were basically practicing unbelief even though they had had a clear revelation of Christ crucified. This is disastrous.
Thank you Jesus. It’s done done done.
Amen!! Roshan!
Paul, do you have anything concerning Titus 2:11-12? My mom was listening to a message in the radio saying that we ARE saved by grace and faith, but we are required to do good works. Because if not, we will damage God’s name. Example is the mindset “Oh well, it’s okay if I sin, God will save us anyway.” At some sort, your message produces that kind of mindset to SOME people, not all..
Three responses: (1) The true gospel will always be open to the accusations “shall we sin that grace may abound?” (Rom 6:1). If people aren’t asking these questions – if their flesh isn’t scandalized – then they’re hearing an inferior gospel. So the mindset, though muddled, is actually a promising sign. (2) You cannot be saved by grace AND required to do works. “If by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace” (Rom 11:6). Preaching grace and works is called mixture and it will leave you lukewarm. (3) When a person has received grace they won’t want to sin. Grace, by definition, empowers us to say “no” to sin – nothing else does. The law says “say no to sin” and does nothing to help. Grace doesn’t say anything except “I love you – child you are mine” and in that gift of no condemnation and identity we are empowered to sin no more. My friend Cornel has written a post on Titus 2:11-12. I have written several posts on faith-works as called for by James.
Hi,
Great message Paul. I agree many professing Christians seem to fail to accept we are forgiven and set free from sin (John 8:36).
If they understood what God defines as “sin” they might understand differently. Many instead refer to ambiguous definitions of sin without any reference to God’s definitions in His word. I’ll explain myself below.
God’s definitions of sin are basically covered by the following examples:
1: Mark3:29 Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. This sin will not be forgiven. Christians do not commit this sin.
2: John16:9 Unbelief in Jesus. This is the sin the world is convicted of. Christians do not commit this sin either.
3: 1John 5:17 “all unrighteousness is sin”. Christians are righteous in Christ so here we do not sin.
4: 1John 3:4 “Sin is transgression of the law”. This is breaking the 10 commandments resulting in a death penalty for transgression. Christians cannot be accused of sin here as we are not under the law of sin and death. The law of Spirit of life in Christ Jesus SETS FREE from law of sin and death, Romans 8:2. Regarding the law of sin and death it should be noted that “whatever the law says it says to those who are UNDER IT” Romans 3:19,20. And “the law was NOT MADE for a righteous person (Christians), but for…the ungodly and for sinners” 1Tim1:9. Also, “where there is NO LAW there is NO TRANSGRESSION (SIN)” (Rom4:15).
We know sin was forgiven and dealt with once and for all on the cross. “Our old man is crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be destroyed” Romans 6:6. Hence we see in 1Peter 4:1 “Therefore, since Christ suffered (on the cross) for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind (our old man crucified with him. Romans 6:6), for he who has suffered in the flesh (Romans 6:6) has CEASED from sin,”
Of course we still see Christians doing wrong (erroneously referred to as sin under man’s ambiguous definitions), but as sons of God we are chastised for our wrong. Romans 6:2 asks “HOW shall we that are dead to sin, live in it any longer?”
1John 3:9 answers this question. “Whoever has been born of God DOES NOT SIN, for His seed remains in him; and he CANNOT sin, because he has been born of God”.
Also see 1Peter 4:18 “If the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear”.
Clearly there are 2 different groups described here.
Group 1: Righteous (and saved)
Group 2: Ungodly/Sinner (unsaved)
Either we are righteous (in Christ) OR we are sinners. We can’t be both.
Thanks for your message Paul.
blessings.
Harold
Thanks for your superbly clear and helpful comment Harold!
So good written Harold!! God bless you!
Thank you Paul Ellis for this wonderful site..
Hi
Just came by and read your blog. I am a believer in Grace and lean more on the belief that 1 John 1:9 is for the unbelievers. If I may mention something about this though. I am in the thinking that the whole of 1 John was written to believers, but 1 John 1:9 was “addressed” to unbelievers (i.e the gnostics). So in other words, since the Gnostics were infiltrating the believers, John had to include 1 John 1:9 into the letter to the believers as a way to defend the faith. Just my thoughts.
Also, I do not have any problem saying “sorry” to God when I sin. But this “sorry” is not for cleansing, but is more of “parental – father-son” relationship type of apology. I hurt Him, so I say “sorry God”.
Hi Paul,
I am very encouraged by your blog and I am fully convinced that the gospel of grace is THE good news the bible talks about:)
Do you have any write up on 1 Corinthian 5 ? I want to have a better understanding on this passage and hope you can explain it thru the lens of the finished work of Christ.
Be blessed!!!!!
God has spoken, Let the church say, AMEN!!!
I agree with this Francis. I too say sorry to the Lord out of respect for he is my Father and my confidante as well. I do feel badly when I falter into sin (whether it be a sin of omission or commission) and I am compelled to go to my father and talk it over. Not because he will not forgive, He has already. But because he is my parent! As a parent I clearly remember before my girls moved out and when they were under my authority that they came to me with their mishaps and misbehavior’s, if you will. How much more do I run to my Papa God (Abba Father) when I falter and sin? I just love Him that much.
I believe that 1 Jn 1:9 was written to the gnostics of the time and they were being advised that had a chance/ opportunity to “rescue” themselves if they changed their thinking about what they beleived. Chapter 2, John is talking to the believers of the time, hence he addresses them as “my little children”
1John 1:9 was not written to Knostic sinning unbelievers. It’s written to encourage believers to walk in truth and enjoy fellowship. Today many believers fail to walk in the Spirit and fail to enjoy intimate communion. First, the clear language states, “if we confess.” John includes himself. Secondly, no place in the N.T. are sinners told to confess their sins in order to be saved. If sinners needed to confess their sins (plural) their salvation would be as dependent on their memory as on the grace of God. A sinner coming to Christ can’t remember all their sins.Furthermore, a sinner is saved by confessing the Lord Jesus and believing in their heart, not confessing their sins. Yes, our sins were paid for at Calvary. But humble repentance and faith is required to appropriate what Christ has purchased. Plus, the words, “faithful and just” are judicial terms referring specifically to the covenant between Father God and Jesus directly not to us. We benefit as a result. I don’t want justice I need mercy.
@”If sinners needed to confess their sins ”
this is where context comes in handy. 1 John was written to the Jews. the jews does confession.
“…as they confessed their sins” – Matthew 3:5
@”First, the clear language states, “if we confess.”
the pre text should be this…
“…God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all” – 1 John 1:5
@”many believers fail to walk in the Spirit and fail to enjoy intimate communion”
i hope you dont mean believers can walk in darkness and light at the same time.
as forgiven believers our forgiveness is not conditional. so yes. 1 J 1:9 is not written for the forgiven
“We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard SO THAT YOU MAY HAVE FELLOWSHIP WITH US. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.”- 1 John 1:3
- grace and peace
I agree. It was for the sinner and not the believer. So that you may have fellowship states that they don’t have fellowship with Christ so which means he talking to unbelievers.
indeed..
we can’t even sin anymore because God no longer imputes sin to us, how can we be sinners?
good talks :)
Walter, if you’d like to dig a little deeper on this passage, can I recommend my posts Is 1 John 1 for believers or unbelievers, and 1 John 1:9 – Something old, something new.
Paul uses we (if we confess) instead of “you”, just like we do, when we do not want to be abrasive. i.e, Son you cannot do that. Son, we do not do that. It’s a loving way to speak. There is a term for it.
Hi Paul,
What a blessing you are to the body of Christ! My Christian walk has been/is being enriched and my mind is being renewed as a result of the truth of “the” gospel that you teach week in and week out. Keep up the awesome job!
My question is regarding 2 Peter 1:9, “it is forgetting that we have been cleansed from our old sins.” Peter uses the word “old” when refering to sins we “have been” cleansed from. Does this word “old” lead to confusion for people as to the completeness of their forgiven-ness. “Old” implies past sins but doesn’t help to substantiate present and future sins. I would love to get your insight into the use of the word “old” in this particular scripture.
I look forward to hearing back from you. Blessings and favor!
Michael
Hi Michael, thanks for your encouragement!
2 Peter 1:9 is one of my favorite scriptures on forgiveness. Peter is contrasting old and new life. In this new life we have in Christ, we get to partake of God’s divine power (v.3). It’s a supernatural life. But not every Christian does partake of new life. They are new in identity but not behavior. They are butterflies who act like old caterpillars.
Why does this happen? It is NOT because God forgives on the installment plan; it is because the new man has forgotten he has been cleansed of his old sins – the sins that characterized his former life (v.9). The word for old here is translated “past” and “former” elsewhere in the NT. Peter is saying, sins are part of our old life. Remember that. They do not describe the new life we have in Christ for Christ never sins. What you do flows from what you think. If you think you are an old sinner or a sinner saved by grace, you’re choosing to identify with the old man. You will sin. Don’t do that, say all the NT writers. Fix your mind on Jesus. Remember that the old man has been crucified with Christ and that you have been cleansed from your old sins.
This comes out clearly in Youngs Literal Translation: “He with whom these things (characteristics of new life) are not present is blind, dim-sighted, having become forgetful of the cleansing of his old sins.”
What about psalm 32 when it comes to confession
“When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD”— and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.” (Psa 32:3-5)
This is a great Psalm. It describes the awful effects of guilt and condemnation that sin can have in our lives. When we sow to the flesh, we reap destruction in one form or another. But it is a massive mistake to conclude that God does not forgive us until we confess – that’s pagan works-theology. The Bible makes it clear that we are forgiven in accordance with the riches of his grace (Eph 1:7). God has given us his forgiveness; all we can do is receive it. But we won’t receive it if we don’t see our need for it. Grace is for the humble because only the humble can receive it.
Incidentally, I love the Message translation of this passage: “When I kept it all inside, my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans. The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up. Then I let it all out; I said, ‘I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to GOD.’ Suddenly the pressure was gone– my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.” (Psa 32:3)
Why did the pressure go? Because the Psalmist acknowledged his need for grace and forgiveness. In other words, he received what God has already given.
The fact is, Christ took away our sins at Calvary. But until we realize that – until we receive his grace – we will still carry them and to our cost. I talk more about Ps 32 in my post “Why confession is still good for you.”
Thanks for the answer! Pray for me I’m learning!
i’m still seeing evangelists everywhere on television focusing their hourly message on the media ,tossing darts of guilt at Christians that watch bruce willis movies or listen to aerosmith(I use those as examples)..this makes me sick inside.i happen to know many spiritual people who do as god’s voice commands them and it so happens that god doesn’t convict them “categorically”//why is it that so many people read the scriptures and believe that where it reads that we are to all be like minded,that we’re to all be clones,stripping us of individuality.there’s too much preaching to the masses and not enough clearifying that all Christians are individuals.that some are commited to different levels or degrees than others and there’s nothing wrong or sinful about those people’s lives that aren’t as commited, for example as the person that keeps his nose in scripture his entire awake time. a better example of what i’m saying maybe is this..i became a Christian in the 70′s and I attended church every sunday.i was fanatical about redaing god’s word./but the minister and congregation were constantly harping on me about my smoking cigarettes,my going to the theater and watching pg or r movies,etc..ididn’t feel convicted of movies I watched then ‘nor do I now .certain things I don’t do now,like smoking for one..and I don’t smoke pot anymore..i don’t watch movies rated x..i was.hopwever,forced guilt upon.when a church member recently discovered that I bought the movie “the dark knight rises”.movies are movies.i watch,enjoy and walk away and don’t dwell on them.in fact,i feel blessed that i’m able to afford the entertainment/i’ve been a music collector since I was 5 years old/i have on vinyl and cd as well,everything from kris jensen(1950′s) to steve tyler(of aerosmith).collecting music is my hobby/in the past,christians have literally condemned my hobby,claiming i should only collect certain kinds of music//they clearly don’t understand what being a collector is all about//collecting music is my sole hobby since 5 years old//i’m 58 now and my living room looks like a huge record and cd store./while many people see this as a secular deviation,i feel as though I’ve been totally blessed by the lord and give him all the praise for all that i have in my collection…yes even the led zeppelin and ac/dc stuff that sits right along side the rare live beach boys album and sonny and cher’s first vinyl releasethe music and movies I watch seem to concern other Christians more than it concerns my lord jesus..that can’t be a GOOD thing./btw,i love the article and whole heartedly agree with it all/
It is impossible to live a victorious life in Christ without taking on your complete identity in him.
Anything that speaks against this identity is not Gods voice.
Great post Paul you continually confirm my identity Thank you.
What keeps us from victorious living is that by our actions and words, we do not live out what the free gift of faith has enabled us to believe,
We rely in our own faith and not Gods faith in us. this is God,s faith in us,he sent his son to die for us!!
For example we believe we will die and by this deny Christ,s work, When Jesus woke Lazarus his frustration,tears and anger was evidence of this.I compare this to a parents anger and frustration at a loved one that is continuing in a Belief that leads to their destruction,not loss of salvation!!
God is not the God of the dead but of the living , and those that live in him will never die. Why do you expect God to do anything for you if proclaim reinforce the death you lived in before meeting him.