@lamb7, i jotted down some thoughts on this very thing. I'll share them here.
By the way, it is not a "curse" to be aware of a sin and then feel a burden about it. It just means that we need to confess it. In that regard, it's a GOOD thing. It's a "safety net", so to speak. It's the Holy Spirit at work within us, as Oscarr so succinctly posted above.
Here are some of my thoughts on it:
Why do we need to confess our sins if we are saved by grace?
Yes. We need to confess our sins, for there are, and will be, many. This is not a playground where we can just "coast" and not recognize that, as it is written, there is spiritual warfare raging, as we speak. As it is written, the devil, God's adversary, and ours, is walking about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. THIS is why we are admonished to put on the full armor of God.
Do we, as believers, still sin? Of
COURSE we, believers, still sin. We are not perfect, just forgiven. Our flesh wars against our spirit. Paul spoke of this. If we examine ourselves, we KNOW that we are not perfect, and that we sin many times a day,. in thought, word, or deed. We acknowledge it to God, and pray all the more for His forgiveness, as we repent from all that bombards us and we fall prey to. That's why we are admonished to "examine" ourselves. We KNOW that we are weak, and that it is GOD Who is strong. It is HIM in us, that is strong, not us. And there are times we grieve the Holy Spirit as we follow our own wills and that ol' pride rises up in us, as we think "we know best". THAT is sin. In looking even more closely, it is the "subtle" things we think, say, and do that are most damaging, because they are "hidden" and not seen from the outside, therefore we can prance along in all of our self-assured "righteousness" and be full o' not needing God and blind as an ol' bat. After all, if we're "righteous", what do we need God for? We've already "gotten there", right?
Our realization that we NEED God is a GOOD thing. Otherwise, are we saying we can do this
WITHOUT God?
Think about what that means.
Seriously. Self examination is a
GOOD thing.