Why do we need to confess our sins if they have already been forgiven (1 John 1:9)?

Response

The apostle Paul wrote, “To the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding” (Ephesians 1:6-8). This forgiveness refers to salvation, where God has taken our sins and removed them from us “as far as the east is from the west” «As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us. », (Psalm 103:12). This is the judicial forgiveness that God grants us upon accepting Jesus Christ as Savior. All our past, present, and future sins are forgiven on a judicial basis, ensuring that we will not face eternal judgment for our sins. While we often experience the consequences of sin during our time on earth, this leads us to the current question.

The distinction between Ephesians 1:6-8 and 1 John 1:9 lies in John addressing what we refer to as “relational,” or “familial,” forgiveness—similar to that between a father and a son. For instance, if a son wrongs his father—falling short of expectations or rules—he hampers his relationship with his father. He remains his father’s son, but the relationship suffers. Their fellowship will be affected until the son acknowledges his wrongdoing to his father. This dynamic mirrors our relationship with God; our connection with Him is strained until we confess our sin. Upon confessing our sin to God, the fellowship is restored. This represents relational forgiveness.

“Positional” forgiveness, or judicial forgiveness, is obtained by every believer in Christ. In our position as members of the body of Christ, we have been forgiven of every sin we have ever committed or will ever commit. The price paid by Christ on the cross has satisfied God’s wrath against sin, and no further sacrifice or payment is necessary. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” He meant it. Our positional forgiveness was obtained then and there.

Confession of sin will help us avoid the discipline of the Lord. If we fail to confess sin, the discipline of the Lord is sure to come until we do confess it. As mentioned earlier, our sins are forgiven at salvation (positional forgiveness), but our daily fellowship with God needs to remain in good standing (relational forgiveness). Proper fellowship with God cannot occur with unconfessed sin in our lives. Therefore, we need to confess our sins to God as soon as we are aware that we have sinned to maintain close fellowship with God.