If you’re uncertain about God’s forgiveness, your faith will be weak and unproductive. So to demolish any uncertainty, I want to ask a bold question: Are sinners forgiven? You would have to agree that if God has forgiven sinners, then surely He has forgiven Christians who don’t repent or who forget to confess some of their sins? If we can see from scripture that sinners are forgiven, then just maybe we’ll be able to rest assured that we are forgiven too.

Four prophets

So are sinners forgiven? I’m going to call on four great prophets to answer this question. Here’s David:

As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Ps 103:12)

When David sinned with Bathsheba, everyone knew about it. It was a public sin that led to death for at least two people and brought David pain and regret. He said, “I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me” (51:3). By all rights, David should’ve been executed for his sin. The law covenant under which he lived had a legitimate claim on his life (Lev 20:10). But David appealed to the One who is greater than the law. “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving-kindness” (Ps 51:1, NKJV). David was not trying to excuse his sin – he knew full well that he had done a terrible thing. But he had a revelation of a compassionate Father “who does not treat us as our sins deserve” (Ps 103:10). He asked God to “blot out my transgressions” (Ps 51:1), and through the prophet Isaiah, God said He would:

I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more. (Isa 43:25)

Isaiah 42-45 is a four chapter advertisement for the new covenant. Isaiah 42 tells us about the coming Savior and Isaiah 43 tells us about the “new thing” that He will do. What is the new thing? “I will blot out your transgressions and remember your sins no more.” What an amazing new thing! Under the old covenant, sins were recorded and remembered (Lev 4-6). But under the new covenant they would be blotted out and remembered no more. Isaiah was not the only one to see this coming. Here’s Jeremiah:

This is the covenant I will make… I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. (Jer 31:33-34)

Imagine hearing this while living under the old law covenant. I would’ve asked, “When, Lord? When will you do this great new thing?” Well by the time we get to Hebrews we learn that God has already done it. Jesus appeared “once for all… to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself” (Heb 9:26). “When this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down” (Heb 10:12). When Jesus did away with all sin, the prophecies were fulfilled. Hebrews even quotes them just to make sure we don’t miss the connection: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” (Heb 10:17). Jesus didn’t die just for confessed and repented sins. He died for all sin. Just look at the words of our fourth prophet, John the Baptist:

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (Joh 1:29)

Whose sin did Jesus take away? The sin of the world! Does the world include sinners? Yes! Then sinners are forgiven. Their sins are no longer being recorded:

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. (2 Cor 5:18-19)

Men have sins but God is neither counting them nor remembering them. How can you say such things! Sinners aren’t saved! I didn’t say they were. But they are forgiven:

When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins… (Col 2:13)

When were your sins forgiven? When you were dead in your sins! In other words, you were forgiven before you repented, before you confessed, before you were born again. In fact, you were forgiven long before you were born. How is this possible? I didn’t do anything to merit His forgiveness. Exactly! That’s why it’s called grace.

Don’t believe the bad news

God doesn’t need your permission to forgive you. His forgiveness is entirely based on the finished work of the cross. Those who claim we must do stuff to be forgiven are saying that Jesus needs to come and die again, that once wasn’t enough. This is called bad news and it’s not in the Bible. Don’t believe it. Jesus didn’t die for some sin but all sin. His one-time sacrifice for the sin of the world was perfectly perfect and completely complete in every respect.

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 Jhn 2:2)

Paul, you sound like you’re preaching universalism. I’m not – I’m telling you the same good news that the prophets foretold and the apostles declared: God the Son has done away with sin! Neither God the Father no God the Holy Spirit remembers our sins anymore! This is the gospel truth. Do you believe it?

Put your faith in the good news

Jesus said that forgiveness of sins is a gift that must be received (Acts 26:19). Two kinds of people will never receive this gift: (1) Those who don’t think they’re sinners in need of a Savior and (2) those who think they must do things like confess and repent to earn God’s forgiveness. (In case you’re wondering, 1 John 1:9 is directed to those in the first group – see 1 John 1:8.) The grace of God can only be received through faith (Eph 2:8). Everyone is forgiven but not everyone believes that they are forgiven. Those who don’t believe reject the gift that God offers them.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit would convict the world of sin because men do not believe in Me (Jn 16:8). Sinners don’t need the Holy Spirit to tell them that they’re sinners. If their own consciences don’t condemn them, the law will (Rm 3:20). The Holy Spirit is here to convince the world that our sins been blotted out and removed as far as the east is from the west. The Holy Spirit is here to reveal Jesus and the finished work of the cross.

I want to add my little voice to the mighty Holy Spirit and shout the good news from the rooftops: You are forgiven! You may be the worst sinner on the planet but by the grace of God you are forgiven! You may be a saint who has drifted into sin but you are forgiven! Whether you have confessed everything or nothing at all; whether you have repented or are still senseless in the pig pen – you are forgiven! Whether you believe or don’t believe the gospel – you are forgiven!

A proper response to this good news is to turn to God and put your trust in His amazing grace. This is called repentance. We don’t repent to get forgiven; we repent because we are forgiven. If you are still unsure about this, review the scriptures above and then tell yourself, “I am totally forgiven because of Jesus.” All the blessings that are ours in Christ – His acceptance, righteousness, holiness – flow from the revelation that we have been completely and eternally forgiven through the precious blood of the Lamb. See Jesus sitting down at the right hand of the Father. He’s not running around cleaning up your sins. His redemption work is done and He now invites you to enter His rest.
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Related posts:
- Your glorious new past
- Is God’s love unconditional?
- Confession, conviction, confusion!

Many years ago I participated in a street outreach in Australia. With our loud and upbeat music we soon attracted a large crowd. This was good. Sinners were going to hear the gospel and get saved. Then the preacher got up to speak and it all went pear-shaped. “I have a lust problem.” Oh-oh. Instead of telling the people about Jesus, this man began to share about his private battles with sexual temptation. He said he had suddenly felt convicted about bringing his problem into the light. I was cringing on the inside. What a witness!

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for being open and honest with our shortcomings but this was neither the time nor the place. The unsaved people who were there needed to hear about their Father in heaven who loves them so much that He sent Jesus to rescue them. I’m sure it was titillating to hear a preacher talk about his sin, but his words didn’t point anyone to the Savior.

Fast forward a few years to another youth outreach, this time in Hong Kong. In front of a large crowd of unsaved teens, the dynamic young man up the front decided that this was the perfect opportunity to confess his sin of “self-sex.” I had never even heard of that expression before but it didn’t sound like it was part of the good news.

What’s wrong with us?!

Somehow we’ve bought into the idea that “transparency” means hanging our dirty laundry in public places. But this is old covenant thinking. In the days of Moses you were supposed to confess your sins (Num 5:7) and sometimes this happened publicly (Ezra 10). But we live under a new and better covenant characterized by the complete and eternal forgiveness of sins. I’m not pretending my behavior is perfect and I’m all for being open and honest. If I sin I’ll talk to my Father about it and if I sin against you I’ll talk to you about it. In any relationship it’s always healthy to own up to our mistakes (Jas 5:16). But I’m not going to stand on a street corner and confess my sins to the whole world. That’s not being transparent; that’s just dumb. Why do we think we’re glorifying God by drawing attention to ourselves? We may call it humility but in truth it’s self-centered. We’re shouting, “Look at me everybody, I’ve got sin!” Well hip-hip-hooray.

Have you ever been in a small group worshiping God when someone interrupts and says, “I got a problem with pornography”? It’s like getting a bucket of cold water thrown over your head! Before you can react, someone else says, “God forgive me, I yell at my kids.” The next thing you know, the confession train’s pulling out of the station and everyone’s climbing on board. “I steal pens from the office stationery cabinet.” “I cheat on my taxes.” “Joey, I’m really sorry I said those terrible things about you.” It doesn’t take long before you’re completely distracted and wondering all sorts of things. What did they say about Joey that was so terrible?

Do you see the problem? We’re called to be Christ-conscious not self-conscious. We don’t honor Jesus by shaming ourselves. You’ve got problems? Guess what – we all have problems! But we’re not here to gather around your sins. We’re here to fix our eyes on Jesus.

We need to redefine what we mean by transparency. In the old covenant they confessed sins because that’s what they were carrying inside. But because of Jesus our sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west. Or think about it this way. Satan is in the business of accusing and shaming the saints (Rev 12:10), while Jesus is in the business of defending us to our Father (1 Jn 2:1). When you accuse and shame yourself, are you acting more like your old master Satan or your new master Jesus?

Transparency in the new covenant means something totally different from confessing sins. It means revealing Jesus who lives within. It means acknowledging every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus (Phm 1:6). It takes no faith to confess our imperfections. It takes faith to declare what God says is true about you in spite of your imperfections! In God’s eyes you’re righteous, holy and perfect. You are a walking, talking trophy of His amazing grace. You are a child of God, seated in heavenly places and the temple of the Holy Spirit.

If you want to be truly transparent, then reveal what’s really inside you. Sure, on the outside you’re just a jar of clay cracked and dusty, but look at the awesome Treasure inside! This is the Treasure that the world needs to see so let Him out. Don’t say, “I dare not – I’ve still got issues.” The Bible pronounces you a competent minister of the new covenant (2 Cor 3:6)! You are the salt of the earth and the light of the world and by the grace of God you are what you are!
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Related posts:
- Son or sinner – what are you confessing?
- Confession, conviction, confusion
- Who do you think you are?

Here are 10 myths and 10 truths about the Person of Holy Spirit:

Myth 1: The Holy Spirit keeps a record of my sin.

Truth 1:  The Holy Spirit remembers your sin no more (He 10:17).

The Holy Spirit is not forgetful, but love keeps no record of wrongs. At the cross, justice was done and all your sins were forgiven (Col 2:13). To forgive literally means to send away. Your sins have been removed as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12). God has reconciled the world to Himself and is no longer counting men’s sins against them (2 Cor 5:19). If the old covenant was characterized by remembrance of sins (He 10:3), the new is characterized by forgetting them (He 8:12).

Myth 2: The Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin.

Truth 2: The Holy Spirit convicts you of your righteousness (Jn 16:10).

How could He convict you of something that He chooses not to remember? Jesus has done away with sin by the sacrifice of Himself (Heb 9:26). Your sins are not the problem. The real question is whether you trust in the grace of God. As an expression of His love and mercy, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of the sin of unbelief in Jesus. But the only thing He “convicts” or rather, convinces, Christians of is their righteousness (Jn 16:8-10).

Myth 3: The Holy Spirit leads me to confess my sin.

Truth 3: The Holy Spirit leads you to confess Jesus is Lord (1 Co 12:3)!

The Holy Spirit will never seek to distract you from Jesus. His ministry will always make you Jesus-conscious rather than self-conscious (Jn 16:14). Specifically, the Holy Spirit will lead you to recognize Jesus as Lord which means everything you have – including your problems and sins – belongs to Him. You don’t have the right to your sins. They are not yours for He bought them with His blood. Still thinking about your sins? Then reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Rm 6:11).

Myth 4: The Holy Spirit is watching to see if I slip up and fail to finish.

Truth 4: The Holy Spirit personally guarantees your salvation and inheritance (Eph 1:13-14).

When you were saved you were marked as one of God’s own (2 Cor 1:22) and sealed with the Spirit for the day of redemption (Eph 4:30). The Holy Spirit is not a fault-finder, but a hope-giver (Rm 15:13). His hope is a firm and secure anchor for the soul (He 6:19). What’s your part in this? Trust Him!

Myth 5: The Holy Spirit reveals God’s judgment.

Truth 5: The Holy Spirit reveals God’s love (Rm 5:5).

“God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit…” (Rms 5:5, GNB). “So then, love has not been made perfect in anyone who is afraid, because fear has to do with punishment” (1 Jn 4:18). If you fear God’s punishment, please allow me to introduce you to the Holy Spirit.

Myth 6: The Holy Spirit inspires us to fear a holy and distant God.

Truth 6: The Holy Spirit helps you to know and draw near to God your Father (Eph 1:17, Gal 4:6).

“For the Spirit that God has given you does not make you slaves and cause you to be afraid; instead, the Spirit makes you God’s children, and by the Spirit’s power we cry out to God, ‘Father! My Father!’” (Rm 8:15, GNB). Wow! How good is that?!

Myth 7: The Holy Spirit lives somewhere out there, probably behind Alpha Centauri.

Truth 7: The Holy Spirit lives in you (1 Co 6:19; 2 Ti 1:14, Rm 8:11).

Under the old covenant, God lived in the temple. In the new covenant, you are the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Co 6:19). Where does He live? In you! As Ralph Harris says, you are “God’s sacred mobile home.”

Myth 8: The Holy Spirit comes and goes. We need to cry out for Him to come.

Truth 8: The Holy Spirit abides, dwells, stays with you and in you (Jn 14:17, 1 Jn 3:24, Rm 8:11).

In the old covenant the Holy Spirit rested on certain people for certain times. But in the new covenant He abides with us and “makes His home in us” (2 Ti 1:14 AMP). If you have received the Holy Spirit, be comforted, for He’s not going anywhere. He has promised to never leave nor forsake us (He 13:5).

Myth 9: The Holy Spirit plays hard to get.

Truth 9: The Holy Spirit is The Gift, sent by Jesus and freely given by the Father (Jn 16:7, Lk 11:13, Acts 10:45).

According to Galatians 3:14, Jesus redeemed us so that we might receive the blessings promised to Abraham, namely, the promise of the Holy Spirit. Do you believe that Jesus has redeemed you? Then you are eligible to receive the promised Holy Spirit. Who is not eligible to accept Him? The (unsaved) world, “because it neither sees Him or knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you” (Jn 14:17). Look at what Peter said to those who heard the gospel at Pentecost: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The Holy Spirit does not limit Himself to a chosen few. Believe in Jesus and you will, you will, you will receive the promised Gift! Believe it!

Myth 10: To receive the Holy Spirit you must fast, pray, attend some classes, get straightened out, act holy…

Truth 10: The Holy Spirit is received by faith (Gal 3:14).

Did you fast and pray to receive Jesus? Didn’t think so. You just received by faith. It’s exactly the same with the Holy Spirit. How do we receive the promise of the Spirit? By faith (Gal 3:14)! “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Lk 11:13). Here Jesus is saying that the Holy Spirit is freely given to all who ask. Don’t let anyone tell you that you must do stuff to earn what God freely gives. Jesus already did it all. “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (Jn 16:24)

In this post we looked at 10 myths surrounding the Person of the Holy Spirit. In the next post we’ll look at 10 myths surrounding the work of the Holy Spirit. Stay tuned!

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Related posts:
- What is the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit?
- Confession, conviction, confusion!
- Are you religious? (Take the test!)

Over the past few weeks we have looked at 12 reasons why Christians never need to confess their sins to be forgiven. By “confess” I mean listing all your sins. I thought it might be worth pulling all these reasons together in a single list with links back to the original posts…

12 reasons why Christians don’t need to confess-to-be-forgiven

1.    It’s not in the Bible. To confess (homologeo) is to agree with God. Sinners need to agree that they are sinful and in need of a Savior. Saints need to agree that their sins have been dealt with and they are forgiven.

2.    You were forgiven 2000 years ago. All your sins were future sins – you hadn’t been born yet.

3.    You were forgiven through His blood. Your forgiveness was paid for with God’s blood. Your works don’t come into it.

4.    You were forgiven completely for all time. Jesus will never go to the cross again.

5.    You were forgiven in accordance with the riches of God’s grace. Forgiveness is His business and His gift to give. Receive it or reject it but you can’t earn it.

6.    Your sins are long gone. Jesus’ sacrifice was the atom bomb that did away with sin.

7.    God chooses to forget your sin. God is love. Love keeps no record of wrong. Your heavenly Father is not a fault-finder.

8.    The Holy Spirit is not convicting you. The law convicts, but the Holy Spirit liberates. How could He convict you of something He chooses not to remember?

9.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven puts us under law. Mixing God’s grace with man’s works is like mixing milk with poison. The result is not going to be good for you.

10.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven empowers sin. Instead of dealing with sin and releasing life, law-based confession stirs up sin and leads to death.

11.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven keeps us from God. When dealing with people, confessing sins and seeking forgiveness may help heal a guilty conscience. But God doesn’t relate to us with human love.

12.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven makes us sin-conscious, not Christ-conscious. Every minute you spend dwelling on your sin is a minute wasted. You’re not worthy? Get over yourself! Christ is worthy!

Why do Christians confess-to-be-forgiven when it’s not in the Bible?

I am not against confession. True confession is putting faith into words; it is articulating God’s promises, God’s declarations, and God’s will. But confessing-to-be-forgiven is a work of the flesh. Whether you confess to a priest or directly to God makes no difference. If you do it because you believe it makes you righteous or acceptable to God, then what need have you of a Savior? You have set aside grace and put yourself under law.

You won’t find any believer in the New Testament confessing their sins to be forgiven. So why do we do it? Why do we spend so much time and energy on a death-dealing extra-Biblical practice? I can think of at least 4 reasons. We do it simply because we’ve always done it. (So read your Bible, renew your mind and live free.) We do it because we think our sin is greater than God’s grace. (It isn’t.) We do it because we are fearful of “unconfessed sin.” (Sin is sin and on the cross Jesus dealt with it all – big sin, small sin, secret sin and unconfessed sin. There is no sin that escaped His perfect redeeming work.) Or we do it because we are fearful of judgment day and uncertain about our forgiveness. We hope we’ve been forgiven, but we worry that might not be. If this is you, listen to the words of Jesus:

“My friend, don’t worry! Your sins are forgiven.” (Mt 9:2, CEV)

At some point you’re just going to have to step out in faith and trust that when Jesus said “it is finished” that it really was finished. At the cross, your sin was dealt with once and for all time. Look at Jesus and cheer up!

Now substitute the word “marriage” for “forgiveness,” and “$50” for “confess-your-sins,” and you have the standard sermon on confession. “Forgiveness is wonderful. Forgiveness is a gift from God. God is so faithful that whenever we confess our sins, He will forgive us and restore our fellowship with Him.” It sounds good but it’s not. Yes, forgiveness is wonderful and God is faithful. But you cannot put a price tag on the free gift of forgiveness. Don’t let anyone charge you for what God has already given you.

We were forgiven at the cross by the blood of Jesus. Jesus did not die merely to secure our forgiveness – salvation is so much more than that – but forgiveness is the gift that unlocks all the other gifts. The Bible tells us that those who are uncertain about their forgiveness remain weak and unproductive. You might be confused about confession if you think it’s the Holy Spirit who is convicting you of your sins. So far in this study, we have looked at eight reasons why Christians never need to confess-to-be-forgiven. Today we will pull out the big guns and hopefully do away for good the diabolical lie that says Christians must confess-to-be-forgiven. Here are the final four reasons to be thankful for God’s gift of forgiveness.

9.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven puts us under law

“For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.” (Rms 6:14)

Would you sing a hymn like this: “Your sacrifice is not good enough to do away with sin, Your blood was not sufficient to redeem me, You will not finish what you started, But with my help we can save me. We are co-Saviors.” Of course no believer would ever sing such nonsense! Yet that is exactly what we’re saying if we think we must confess-to-be-forgiven.

Living under law means more than keeping the 10 commandments. It means living by the power of the flesh in the vain hope of earning what God has freely given us. At the cross God cancelled the law that stood against us (Col 2:14) and without the law there is no transgression (Rms 4:15). All who rely on the law are under a curse (Gal 3:10), but because of Jesus we are now the “blessed man” whose sins God is no longer imputing (Rms 4:8). Jesus went to the cross so that you can live under the grace of God. If you who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb still think that you must confess-to-be-forgiven, then you are setting aside grace and cursing what God has blessed.

10.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven empowers sin and leads to death

“…the strength of sin is the law.” (1 Co 15:56)

If you live under the self-imposed law that says, “I must confess-to-be-forgiven,” then sin will have dominion over you (Rms 6:14). Rather than dealing with sin, this sort of confession actually makes things worse for it strengthens sin making it harder to resist the next time. Guess what happens when you follow this path to its logical conclusion? Romans 7:5 says that when we combine our fleshly performance with the law, sinful passions are aroused that work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Confessing-to-be-forgiven, like any law-based ministry, ultimately brings death (2 Co 3:7).

We are called to live by faith in the Son of God who gave Himself for us (Gal 2:20). Our choice is simple: we can trust God that His work on the cross was sufficient, or we can trust the work of our flesh. When you sin it takes faith to look at the cross, listen to the Holy Spirit, and confess “I messed up, but because of Jesus I am still righteous! I am still forgiven!” It takes absolutely no faith to feel unrighteous and unforgiven. It takes faith to trust that God’s grace is greater than your sin; to trust that His grace will empower you to say no to ungodliness so you can go and sin no more (Tit 2:12). It takes no faith to believe you must make things right, perhaps through confession. Whatever is not of faith is sin (Rm 14:23). Call it for what it is: confessing-to-be-forgiven is the sin of unbelief in the goodness and grace of God.

11.    Confessing-to-be-forgiven keeps us from God

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus… let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience…” (Heb 10:19,22)

Another argument which is sometimes used to justify confession is that it restores our fellowship with God. Confessing our faults is certainly a good idea when we sin against each other (Jas 5:16). But don’t make the mistake of relating to God on human terms. God does not love us with human love. He doesn’t love us because we are lovable and open about our mistakes. He loves us because it’s in His nature to love us. He is love (1 Jn 4:16). Let’s not fool ourselves – even the best of us is wholly unworthy, wholly undeserving of His love. The good news is that He loves us anyway.

When you sin you may feel like you are distant from God even though He has promised to never leave nor forsake us (Heb 13:5). You messed up so you may feel like you need to do something to restore your relationship. But confessing-sins-to-get-rid-of-a-bad-feeling is to walk in the flesh; it is not the way of faith. It’s never a good idea to interpret your relationship with God through the filter of your feelings. Feelings should always follow facts and faith.

The facts of the matter are this: we had a debt we could not pay and Jesus paid it in full with His blood. All of our sins have been forgiven and we are now debt-free. The proper response in light of these facts is joy (Is 12:3). Faith looks at the cross and the empty tomb and shouts, “thank you Jesus!” If you are feeling bad because of a guilty conscience, you have misplaced your faith. You need to review the facts. According to Hebrews 10:22, the blood of Jesus is the best remedy for dealing with a guilty conscience. So instead of confessing your sins and reminding yourself of how unholy you are, confess the blood of Jesus that sanctifies you (Heb 9:13-14). Then draw near to God with the full assurance that faith brings.

12.    We’re called to be Christ-conscious, not sin-conscious

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” (Jn 17:3)

Confessing-to-be-forgiven distracts us from the purpose of life which is to know and enjoy God our Father and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Confession tends to make us introspective and gloomy. When you look at all you’ve done wrong, how could you not get depressed? Our heavenly Father doesn’t want us to live like that. God didn’t send His Son to make us self-aware but Christ-aware. We don’t need healthy self-esteem, but life-giving Christ-esteem. The law makes us conscious of sin, but we are to be conscious of Christ our righteousness (Rm 3:20-22).

Every minute you spend dwelling on your sin is a minute wasted. You could’ve spent that time praising God for His mighty works! Instead of testifying of your badness, praise Him for His goodness. Instead of examining your unworthiness, celebrate His worth! Jesus died to make unworthy men worthy. If you were worthy, He would never have died for you. But you weren’t and He did and now you are! Glory to God!

If this is not practical enough for you, let me finish with Matthew 6:33. When you seek His kingdom and His righteousness first, all your unrighteous hang-ups will get taken care of. Make Jesus your focus. Hebrews 10:2 says that we’re not supposed to be conscious of our sins. How can we confess something we’re not conscious of? As a man thinks, so he is (Pro 23:7). If you think of yourself as a reformed sinner saved by grace, you’ll never be anything more than just a sinner. It’s smart for sinners to confess their sins (1 Jn 1:9), when confession means agreeing with God about our need for a Savior. But when a Christian confesses-to-be-forgiven, he’s acting like a sinner. He has become an unbelieving believer, a living contradiction. He’s like a married person who still acts as if he’s single. See yourself as God sees you. God calls you a son (Gal 4:6). Confess what you are, not what you were. Confess your sonship not your sinnership.

God’s great gift of forgiveness

Knowing that you have been forgiven by the grace of God is just about the best thing in the world! Forgiveness is a great gift and worth protecting; don’t let anyone take it from you. Don’t let anyone charge you for what Jesus has already paid for.

Nowhere in the New Testament do you find believers confessing their sins to be forgiven. Confessing-to-be-forgiven is an extra-Biblical church tradition. It is one of those things that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death (Pro 14:12). It is a work of the flesh that kills faith, nullifies grace, and treats as unholy the blood of the covenant that sanctifies us.

In this study we have reviewed 12 reasons why those who have been born again never need to confess-to-be-forgiven. You don’t have to do something you’ve already done to gain something you already have.

Be blessed!

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Related posts:
- Two religions: Works and blood
- How do we pervert the gospel of Christ?
- Seven signs that you might be living under law

What’s wrong with this picture? Everything! It suggests that God the Son and God the Father have different natures, that One loves us unconditionally, but the other can’t see past our sin. Even if you don’t know your Bible you can probably see how ridiculous this is.

Hebrews 1:3 tells us that Jesus is the “exact representation” of God’s nature. He is the visible image of invisible God (Col 1:15). Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). If you want to know what God the Father is like, look at Jesus. They are different people, but they share the same character, the same heart, and the same spiritual DNA. The gospel tells us that Jesus was sent by God the Father and empowered by God the Holy Spirit to save the world. Contrary to what you may have heard, God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are very much on the same page when it comes to your forgiven-ness.

A Christian is someone who has received the gift of God’s forgiveness. By trusting in God’s grace, they experience today that which God provided 2000 years ago, namely salvation through the finished work of the cross. In Part 1 and Part 2 of this study we looked at six reasons why Christians never need to confess their sins to be forgiven. Perhaps you confess your sins because you are uncertain about your forgiveness. You know that Jesus died for your sins, but you may think that God is keeping records and that the Holy Spirit is convicting you and leading you to do works of confession. Nothing could be further from the truth. Here are two more reasons why those who have been forgiven don’t need to confess-to-be-forgiven:

7.    God chooses to forget your sin

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Heb 8:12)

Confession usually involves telling God about our sins (as if He didn’t know!). But why would we want to remind Him of things that He has chosen to forget? Somehow we have bought into this idea that God is in heaven recording all of our sins onto DVDs and on Judgment Day He’s going to embarrass us by playing movies of our mistakes. But this is not what the Bible says! God does not impute our trespasses to us (2 Cor 5:19). He is in the reconciliation business, not the shaming business. When you confess-to-be-forgiven you are imputing sins to yourself that God Himself is not counting. In other words, you are acting unlike your heavenly Father.

Under the law covenant it was important to keep track of and account for every sin, but the new covenant is characterized by loving forgetfulness (Jer 31:34). Did God suddenly have a change of heart after the cross? Did His memory suddenly go faulty? No, God never changes. He is the same today, yesterday and forever. The Bible refers to the law covenant as a fading and therefore temporary arrangement (2 Co 3:11). Although God chose to relate to people for a time through this fault-finding covenant in order that we might learn the seriousness of sin and see our need for Jesus, His own nature is otherwise. He has always loved us (Jer 31:3) and love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Co 13:5).

On the cross God the Father made Jesus be sin for us that we might become His righteousness (2 Cor 5:21). Jesus was not acting alone but in perfect submission to His Father’s will (Lk 22:42). Forgiving you was the Father’s idea; making Jesus be sin that you might become righteous was His work. Because God the Father relates to you through His sinless Son, He chooses to remember your sins and lawless deeds no more.

Why did God do all this? Because He is love and He loves us. For God the Father so loved the sinful world that He sent His only Son. When you see the Father’s heart of love behind the Son’s redemptive work, you will no longer fear sin. You won’t be worried about those sin-DVDs because God isn’t making any. When you begin to grasp the Father’s love, you will even look forward to Judgment Day with boldness (1 Jn 4:17). Where does this confidence come from? It comes from knowing that we have “grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son” (2 Jn 1:3).

8.    The Holy Spirit is not convicting you

“The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this… ‘Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.’” (Heb 10:15,17)

Some believers feel impressed to confess their sins because they think the Holy Spirit is convicting them. Only He doesn’t. How could the Holy Spirit convict us of something He chooses not to remember? Look at what He says: “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” You can take those words to the bank! They are truth and life. God the Son died to do away with sin. Because of what Jesus has done, neither God the Father (Heb 8:12) nor God the Holy Spirit (Heb 10:17) remembers your sins any more. If the Holy Spirit were convicting you, then the Godhead would be a house divided.

You may say, “I know I’ve sinned because my conscience has been pricked. Isn’t that the Holy Spirit’s conviction?” Nope. Have you ever wondered how you know when you have sinned? Most people have an innate knowledge of good and evil because of what happened in the Garden of Eden. But where that moral compass is rusty, the law kicks in with fault-finding force. “I would not have known sin except through the law” (Rms 7:7). If you are feeling condemned, don’t blame the Holy Spirit! It’s the law that condemns you. Some try and wriggle out of this by distinguishing conviction from condemnation. They say conviction is good and comes from God, but condemnation is bad and comes from the devil. But if we’re talking sin then there’s no scripture that supports this distinction. The word convict, as found in the NIV translation of John 16:8, literally means to refute, find fault and call to account. This is what the law was designed to do (2 Co 3:9), in order that you might be led to Jesus and receive His gift of no condemnation (Rm 8:1).

As an expression of His love and mercy, the Holy Spirit convicts the world of the sin of unbelief. But the only thing He “convicts” or rather, convinces, Christians of is their righteousness (Jn 16:8-10). When you sin, your conscience may convict you, the law may convict you, and the Spanish Inquisition may convict you. But while all of this convicting is going on, the Holy Spirit will be there to remind you of your right standing in Christ. Your righteous acts don’t make you righteous; neither do your unrighteous acts make you unrighteous. Only Christ makes you righteous. If you listen to your sin, you will think you are damaged goods only capable of screwing up. But if you listen to the Holy Spirit, He will tell you that you are as righteous as Jesus and capable of living right. This is not a challenge to live right through will-power – the Holy Spirit will never promote a flesh trip. This is a call to continue living in Christ the same way you started – by faith (Col 2:6). Listen to your sins and you’ll end up a victim, but be led by the Spirit and you will be more than a conqueror!

God is not a fault-finder

Jesus did not sneak out of heaven on a secret mercy mission and God did not have a change of heart after the cross. Your heavenly Father is not a fault-finder. Neither is the Holy Spirit.

When you confess-to-be-forgiven, you are essentially trying to make yourself good enough for God. You’re saying, “I messed up, but I can fix it.” Well, you are half right! But you are fooling yourself if you think you can fix what sin broke. Jesus died to set our minds free from acts that lead to death (Heb 9:14) and confessing-to-be-forgiven is a dead act. It may make you feel momentarily good about yourself, but as we will see in the final part of this study, this sort of confession ultimately leads to death and defeat. True confession is agreeing with God and God says all your sins were forgiven at the cross for all time by the blood of Jesus. Confess that!

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Christmas is the time when we celebrate God’s good gifts embodied in His Son. Of the many gifts God has given us, forgiveness is the first. It is the gift that unlocks all the other gifts. Do you need healing? Then take heart – your sins are forgiven! If Jesus has borne your sins, He is has borne your sicknesses as well (Is 53:4). In Christ you have been forgiven of sin and set free from all its effects including sickness. However, if you don’t know for sure that you have been forgiven, then you will have a hard time receiving healing. You may even think that you deserve your sickness or, worse, that God made you sick.

Forgiveness is the gift that everyone needs, but you will never receive it if you think you have to do something to get it. In Part 1 of this study, we looked at three reasons why Christians can never earn God’s forgiveness through confession. In today’s post we will look at three more reasons why Christians never need to confess-to-be-forgiven. Before you write in and tell me that you find confession helpful and liberating, let me reiterate that I am not against confession. It is good to be open and transparent about our weaknesses and failings. What I am opposed to is the lie that says Christians must confess, or do anything, to maintain their forgiveness. If you routinely confess-to-be-forgiven you’re actually disobeying God and cursing what He has blessed. Instead of being a stepping stone to your deliverance and healing, the Bible teaches that this sort of confession will actually empower sin and minister death to you.

The remedy for any lie is the truth. So following on from Part 1, here are three more wonderful promises regarding your forgiveness:

4.   You were forgiven completely for all time

“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” (Heb 10:12)

Jesus’ death on the cross was a once-off sacrifice offered for all time. It was perfectly perfect in every respect and there is nothing you can do to improve upon it. Those who take 1 John 1:9 as their justification for trying to earn what we’ve already been given, need to pay more careful attention to what John is saying: the blood of Jesus purifies us from “all sin” (1:7) and cleanses us from “all unrighteousness” (1:9). All means all. “All sin” includes the sins we haven’t done yet and all the sins we have never confessed.

Jesus went to the cross as humanity’s sinless representative. With His dying breath God the Son asked God the Father to forgive us (Lk 23:34). Then having fully satisfied the requirements of the law that stood against us, and having forged a new covenant in His blood, Jesus declared “it is finished” and gave up His spirit. His redemptive work complete, Jesus now sits at the right hand of God waiting for His saints to rise up boldly in their forgiven-ness and put His enemies – sickness, poverty, oppression – under their feet and His.

Jesus will never go to the cross again. If you sin today, He is not going back to Calvary tomorrow. Asking Him to forgive you again is like saying His first sacrifice was not enough – that you really need Him to get back up on the cross. This is disgraceful (Heb 6:6), but “we are confident of better things in your case” (Heb 6:9). Rejoice that His one-time sacrifice paid for it all and you are eternally forgiven. When you sin, guess what – you are still forgiven! God’s grace is greater than your sin. I’m not encouraging sin and if you are choosing to live in sin then you are unacquainted with the grace of God that teaches us to say no to sin. But if you trust in Jesus and His finished work, then rest assured that nothing in the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither life nor death, can separate you from God’s forgiveness. Hallelujah!

5.   You were forgiven in accordance with the riches of God’s grace

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” (Eph 1:7)

What is the limiting measure of God’s forgiveness? Is it our performance? Is the state of our confession? No! We are forgiven according to the riches of God’s grace. God is not stingy with grace. How do we know God is gracious? Because He has forgiven us and His forgiveness is 100% a gift. If you have to do something to get it, then it is no longer a gift but an obligation, and God owes you nothing.

Jesus forgave the paralytic before the man had uttered a single word. He forgave the adulterer who was speechless with sin. One didn’t say anything and the other couldn’t say anything, yet Jesus forgave them both. Jesus forgave to demonstrate that He had authority to forgive. Forgiveness is His business, His decision, His initiative, and His gift to us. The only thing you have to do is receive it, and the only way you won’t receive it is if you try to earn it through confession or other dead works.

6.   Your sins are long gone

“But now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.” (Heb 9:26b)

In the Bible, the word “forgive” literally means to send away. You sin hasn’t merely been overlooked, it has been abolished (AMP), put away (ASV), and removed (GNB). Neither has God put away your sins in the same way that you might put your rubbish in a bin by the back door – close by and smelly. He has removed them from you as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12). If you were to go looking for your sins, you wouldn’t find them. They’re gone! They’ve all been blotted out (Is 44:22).

You may ask, but what about the sin I did just this morning? Like all your sin this one was dealt with at the cross. It was not recorded as a black mark next to your name because God is not in the business of imputing sin (Rms 4:8). God’s got better things to do than count men’s sins against them (2 Cor 5:19). It is human nature to keep score but this is not God’s nature. God is love and love keeps no record of wrongs (1 Co 13:5). Your Father is not a fault-finder. If you were to ask Him about this morning’s sin, He would say, “What sin? I have no record of that sin. Stop looking for it and look to Jesus.”

You did have a sin problem, but God dealt with it by nailing it to the cross (Rm 6:6). This circumcision of your old nature was not done by the hand of man, but by Christ Himself (Col 2:11). You have been given a new nature with new desires. As you renew your mind you will come to see that although sin is destructive and best avoided, it cannot touch His love for you. God is quite able to deal with your sin and the axe of His forgiveness has already been laid at the root of that bad tree!

Jesus – not confession – is the cure for condemnation

The amazing thing about Jesus is that He forgives us in advance. We “go and sin no more,” not to get free from condemnation, but because we are free from condemnation. The secret to overcoming sin is not found in making promises we can’t keep, but in knowing that Jesus believes in us! Stop examining yourself and examine Him! He’s altogether wonderful. Stop confessing your sins and confess Jesus your Redeemer. Confess that He is your wisdom from God – your forgiven-ness, your righteousness and your holiness (1 Cor 1:30).

In the next part of this study, we will look at two of the biggest misconceptions people have about God’s forgiveness.

(PS: If you want to be among the first to read new posts from E2R, put your email address in the subscription box found near the top of the sidebar on the right.)

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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 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. 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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Let me ask you a simple question to see how well you know this. For the Christian, which of the following statements is true?

(a)    Jesus will forgive all your sins

(b)    Jesus has forgiven your past sins

(c)    Jesus has forgiven all your sins

If you said (a) you’re probably thinking of 1 John 1:9 which says:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

Some Christians take this to mean that Jesus will forgive our sins as we confess them. In other words we are free and forgiven only from the moment of our last confession until our next sin. The implication is that we need to confess all our mistakes, listing them out one by one. But what happens if we miss one? What about the sins we neglect to confess? When we get to eternity will we hear God say, “Oops, you missed one about 10 years ago. Sorry, I don’t know you”? I’m being facetious to make an important point: either we have to confess all of our sins or we don’t.

If we read all of what John is saying we see that confession for the forgiveness of sins is a one-time event. In this passage of scripture (verses 5 to 10) John is addressing unbelievers not Christians. How do I know this? Because it is the unrighteous who need to be purified from all unrighteousness (v.9). John is identifying with sinners when he says “if we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” What does John say sinners should do? Confess your sins and start living for Jesus. John promises that if sinners confess, Jesus is faithful to forgive. And when Jesus forgives, you are well and truly forgiven!

John is not preaching a doctrine of human confession but a doctrine of divine forgiveness. To make this plain John even brackets the confession verse with the double assurance that the blood of Jesus forgives us from all sin (v.7) and purifies us from all unrighteousness (v.9). All means all. “All sin” includes the sins we haven’t done yet. This is good news!

If you said (b) maybe you were thinking of 2 Peter 1:9. Here Peter mentions in passing that Jesus has cleansed us from our “past sins”. Although Peter doesn’t say it, some take this to mean that Jesus has not cleansed us from our present and future sins. In other words, Jesus got us started at the cross but now it’s up to us to stay on course. We have to take care and work hard to stay in that place of forgiveness.

What is the work that is required? Usually this scripture is connected with 1 John 1:9 and the need to stay ‘fessed up. The Devil must love this. Instead of telling the lost about the forgiveness Jesus offers, the church is cloistered away confessing its sins over and over again. Just when we think we’re all done the Devil hints, “are you sure you didn’t miss some?” And then we start confessing the sins we don’t even know about, just to make sure our insurance policy is topped up.

So are we completely forgiven or aren’t we? Look at what the Bible says happened at the cross:

“He forgave us all our sins.” (Col 2:13)

“When this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, He sat down at the right hand of God.” (Heb 10:12)

“I write to you dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.” (1 Jn 2:12)

The Bible clearly teaches (c) – Jesus dealt with all our sin at the cross, past, present and future. If you are in Christ, you are completely forgiven. When we sin Jesus the Righteous One doesn’t judge us, He defends us (1 Jn 2:1) and then He teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions (Tit 2:12). When we sin we don’t fall out of grace, we fall into grace. Shall we then take this as a license to sin? Not at all. Why would we want to run back into that prison cell?

Jesus not only forgives all our sin but He surgically removes our sinful nature (Col 2:11) and gives us a new nature (2 Cor 5:17). Sin no longer dominates us. Thanks to His powerful and effective grace we are able to say “no” to sin (Tit 2:12). Thus Peter can reasonably speak of our sins and sin-dominated way of life as being wholly in the past (2 Pet 1:9).

Because of what Jesus has done, God not only forgives all our sins, He chooses to forget them too.

“(Because of the cross) God is no longer counting men’s sins against them” (2 Cor 5:19)

“I will forgive their sins and remember their sins no more.” (Hebs 8:12)

It is human nature to keep score but the love of God revealed in Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. When the heroes of faith are hailed in Hebrews 11 their sinful deeds are strangely absent. Moses the murderer and Rahab the prostitute are praised for their faith, not rebuked for their sins.

Yes there is freedom and reconciliation in confessing our shortcomings to one another (Jas 5:16). But there is no need for the Christian to keep on confessing sins to maintain God’s forgiveness. You don’t need to work for something that you already have!

You might say, “but confession keeps me humble.” But this is a false humility based on what you have done or not done. True humility comes from appreciating the significance of what Christ has done. Confession makes you sin-conscious and paranoid, but we are called to be Christ-conscious and free. Haven’t you heard? He was wounded and crushed for our sin. The punishment that brought us peace was on Him (Is 53:5). So walk in that peace.

You might say, “but confession restores my fellowship with God.” It is true that when we sin we might feel guilty even though God categorically declares us not guilty. It is also true that sin has destructive consequences. Mindful of the mess we made we might have godly sorrow (2 Cor 7:10). When we sin we should repent. But the Bible says we are led to repentance, not by being conscious of our badness, but by a revelation of His goodness (Rms 2:4). By all means be open about your failures and shortcomings, but do so from the solid ground of your secure position in Christ.

What does this mean?

It means that instead of being introspective, be Christ-centered. Instead of focusing on your mistakes, agree with what God says about you. Instead of flagellating yourself for your mistakes, start praising Jesus for the gift of His righteousness (Rms 5:17). Thank Him for making you righteous. Then “awake to righteousness and sin not” (1 Cor 15:34).

You might say “but I don’t feel righteous.” Well stop living according to your feelings and start agreeing with God’s word:

“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21)

The gospel reveals the gift of righteousness that comes from God (Rms 1:17). There are only two things you can do with a gift. Receive it or reject it. We receive it by renouncing our self-righteousness, by confessing we are sinful and acknowledging our need for a Divine Savior.

When we surrender to Jesus – when we walk out of the enemy’s camp and into His – He marks us as one of His own (2 Cor 1:22). From that moment on we are eternally untouchable. No angel nor demon, nothing in life or death, nothing in the present or the future nor anything in creation can now separate us from His love (Rms 8:38). We may still have rough edges. We may be a work in progress. We may reap the bad fruit of our mistakes. But we need not fear judgment because we are safely hidden in Christ (Col 3:3). When God looks at us, He doesn’t see an imperfect human struggling with this and that. He sees our perfect, infallible High Priest Jesus:

“Because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” (Heb 7:24-26)

Freedom is not found in observing empty human rituals. Freedom is found in Jesus.

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- Confession, conviction, confusion!
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- God doesn’t do half-jobs: Why partial forgiveness is completely bogus
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