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Answer
A common question is, “What happens if I sin and then die before having the opportunity to confess that sin to God?” Another frequently asked question is, “What if I commit a sin but then forget about it and never remember to confess it to God?” Both of these inquiries are based on a flawed assumption. Salvation does not depend on believers trying to confess and repent from every sin they commit before death. It is not about whether a Christian has confessed and repented of every sin. While it is important to confess our sins to God as soon as we become aware of them, we do not need to continually ask for forgiveness. When we place our faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, all our sins are forgiven—past, present, and future, regardless of their magnitude. Believers do not need to keep seeking forgiveness or repenting to have their sins pardoned. Jesus sacrificed Himself to atone for all our sins, and once they are forgiven, they are completely absolved (Colossians 1:14;Acts 10:43).
Our responsibility is to confess our sins: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” «If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. », (1 John 1:9). This verse instructs us to “confess” our sins to God. The term “confess” means “to agree with.” By confessing our sins to God, we acknowledge that we were wrong and have sinned. God forgives us continually through confession because He is “faithful and just.” How is God “faithful and just”? He is faithful in forgiving sins, as He has promised to do for all who accept Christ as their Savior.
Savior. He is just by applying Christ’s payment for our sins, recognizing that the sins have indeed been atoned for.
At the same time, 1 John 1:9 does indicate that somehow forgiveness is dependent on our confessing our sins to God. How does this work if all of our sins are forgiven the moment we receive Christ as Savior? It seems that what the apostle John is describing here is “relational” forgiveness. All of our sins are forgiven “positionally” the moment we receive Christ as Savior. This positional forgiveness guarantees our salvation and promise of an eternal home in heaven. When we stand before God after death, God will not deny us entrance into heaven because of our sins. That is positional forgiveness. The concept of relational forgiveness is based on the fact that when we sin, we offend God and grieve His Spirit «And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. », (Ephesians 4:30). While God has ultimately forgiven us of the sins we commit, they still result in a blocking or hindrance in our relationship with God. A young boy who sins against his father is not cast out of the family. A godly father will forgive his children unconditionally. At the same time, a good relationship between father and son cannot be achieved until the relationship is restored. This can only occur when a child confesses his mistakes to his father and apologizes. That is why we confess our sins to God—not to maintain our salvation, but to bring ourselves back into close fellowship with the God who loves us and has already forgiven us.
