What is the danger/consequence of unconfessed sin?

Answer

First John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This verse is directed to Christians and centers on the condition expressed by the word if. God promises complete forgiveness for every sin His children commit WHEN we confess it to Him. The act of confessing implies acknowledging the severity of our sins before God. Repentance, which involves turning away from sin, is an integral part of this confession. For those who have not received forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice, every sin remains unconfessed and unforgiven. Those who persist in refusing to repent of their sins and embrace Jesus’ sacrifice face eternal punishment (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9;John 3:15-18). But what about a Christian who has unconfessed sin?

According to Scripture, all our sins were atoned for when we accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. Second Corinthians 5:21 affirms, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” When we undergo this divine exchange at the cross, God chooses to view us as righteous. It is not our own righteousness but the righteousness of Christ that God perceives «not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; », (Titus 3:5). He exchanges our flawed record for His flawless one. From that point forward, we have God’s complete approval and acceptance.

But what occurs when we sin after receiving this perfect record? Picture yourself standing by a south window on a cold winter day. The air is icy, but the sun is streaming through the window, warming you as you bask in its glow. Then you draw the curtain closed. Immediately, the warmth dissipates. Is it because the sun has ceased to shine?ining? No, it is because something has come between you and the sun. The moment you open the drape, the sun can warm you again. But it is up to you. The barrier is inside the house, not outside.

Unconfessed sin works like that drape. God delights in His children (Psalm 37:23; Romans 8:38-39). He desires to bless us, fellowship with us, and shower His approval upon us (Psalm 84:11; Psalm 115:13; 1 Samuel 2:30). He wants us to bask in the warmth of His smile. But when we choose sin, we build a barrier between ourselves and our holy Father. We pull the drape on fellowship with Him and begin to feel the chill of spiritual loneliness. Many times, we angrily accuse God of leaving us when, in truth, we have left Him. When we stubbornly refuse to repent, we will be disciplined by our loving Father (Hebrews 12:7-11). The Lord’s discipline can be severe, even leading to death when a heart has hardened to the point of no return (1 Corinthians 11:30; 1 John 5:16). God longs for restored fellowship even more than we do (Isaiah 65:2; Isaiah 66:13; Matthew 23:37; Joel 2:12-13). He pursues us, disciplines us, and loves us even in our sin «But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. », (Romans 5:8). But He leaves our free will intact. We must pull back the drape by confessing and repenting.

If, as children of God, we choose to remain in our sin, then we choose the consequences that come with that choice.Choice. Broken fellowship and lack of growth result. However, those who persist in sin need to reexamine their true relationship with God «Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove your own selves. Know you not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be reprobates? », (2 Corinthians 13:5). Scripture is clear that those who know God do not continue a lifestyle of unrepentant sin (1 John 2:3-6;3:7-10). A desire for holiness is a hallmark of those who know God. To know God is to love Him (Matthew 22:37-38). To love Him is to desire to please Him « If you love me, keep my commandments. », (John 14:15). Unconfessed sin gets in the way of pleasing Him, so a true child of God wants to confess it, change it, and restore fellowship with God.