RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-11-06	Why Confess Sins If We Are Already Forgiven?
		In Christ all our sins past, present, and future have been forgiven (Cl.2:13-14) Col 2:13  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, Col 2:14  having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Paul here describes what became of our debt, that we could never pay. Cancelled and nailed to the cross! Hebrews tells us we do not need to sacrifice daily to cover our sins. Jesus offered Himself once for all time (He.7:27). Heb 7:27  who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people's, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. Heb 9:26  He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. Hebrews tells us Christ has perfected us forever (He.10:14). Heb 10:14  For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified. So there it is. Once for all. Not repeated in history. Debt paid in full! This is the foundational achievement of Christ when He died for us. If the death of Christ achieved the forgiveness of all our sins for all time, then what does 1 John 1:9 mean? 1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Also consider verse 7. 1Jn 1:7  But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. The Colossians and Hebrews passages tell us our forgiveness is finished by Christ (Jn.19:30) The First John passages sound like our forgiveness is conditional based on our confessing and walking in the light. 1. We should distinguish between the purchase of our forgiveness once for all at the death of Jesus from the personal enjoyment of that benefit which comes to us through faith. At the death of Jesus our sins are cancelled, nailed to the cross, debt fully paid once for all. But the personal reception and enjoyment of that achievement of forgiveness only comes to God's people through faith in Christ. This is our experiential or daily life of faith. We come to faith for salvation and permanent forgiveness. Then as believers we live by faith to enjoy the reality of that permanent forgiveness. 2. There are traits God's people have that show they truly belong to Christ. These traits are how we can know that our sins were fully paid for and are forgiven. One of those traits is how we deal with ongoing sinning in our lives. Christians do sin (1Jn.1:8). 1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If you are a child of God your sins are fully paid for by Christ, what will be your ongoing action when you do sin? Col 3:3  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. This is a wonderful description of completed salvation. We are already home. Col 3:4  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. Col 3:5  Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. Because we are completely forgiven, we are to put to death sin from our lives. We war against our own sinning. We put to death our sinful nature. This should be the normal and expected Christian trait. We cannot go to war against our sinfulness unless we "confess" that we sin. Confess here has the idea of saying the same thing about your sin that God says about your sin. You have to confess your sin if you are warring against sin in your life. If you do not confess sin, you are not making war against sin. If we live in the illusion that we have no sin we are "deceiving ourselves" (1Jn.1:8). Confession of sin is not the basis of our forgiveness. Rather, it is one of the traits that show we are truly in Christ. Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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