Is Confession of Sin Necessary for Salvation?

Bible Highlighter said:

Is Confession of Sin Necessary for Salvation?

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YES, and confession of sin will naturally take place as a result of having been saved. THe Holy Spirit works in us by sanctifying us daily so that whee we repent from that sin it has a lasting effect.

Notice that - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (verse 9) is IN CONTRAST TO - If we say that we have no sin, (present tense) we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (verse 8) and - If we say that we have not sinned, (past tense) we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (verse 10).

Some people misunderstand verse 9 to mean that we "must confess each and every sin that we commit as we commit them" (keep a specific inventory) as an "additional requirement" to "remain cleansed" and "if we forget a sin we are toast!"

Believers speak the same/acknowledge/agree with God's perspective about their sins and have a settled recognition and acknowledgment that one is a sinner in need of cleansing and forgiveness.

Danthemailman said:

Notice that - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (verse 9) is IN CONTRAST TO - If we say that we have no sin, (present tense) we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (verse 8) and - If we say that we have not sinned, (past tense) we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (verse 10).

Some people misunderstand verse 9 to mean that we "must confess each and every sin that we commit as we commit them" (keep a specific inventory) as an "additional requirement" to "remain cleansed" and "if we forget a sin we are toast!"

Believers speak the same/acknowledge/agree with God's perspective about their sins and have a settled recognition and acknowledgment that one is a sinner in need of cleansing and forgiveness.

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When you are cleansed of ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, are you clean? Do you forever have to declare yourself dirty in need of cleansing?

CharismaticLady said:

When you are cleansed of ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, are you clean? Do you forever have to declare yourself dirty in need of cleansing?

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As a complete human being, soul (which is a mind in a material body) and spirit, you cannot be completely detached from sin while attached to corruptible flesh.

CharismaticLady said:

When you are cleansed of ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, are you clean? Do you forever have to declare yourself dirty in need of cleansing?

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Indeed some do have to declare such a thing. Does the wayward sinning brother in Js 5:19-20 have to repent of the error of his way and turn back to the truth in order to save his SOUL FROM DEATH? Yes or no?

*Notice - Brethren, if anyone “among" you wanders from the truth..turns a "sinner" from the error of his way.. Some would argue that James says this one who turned from the truth was a "sinner," and was "among" but "not of" the Brethren, then he wasn’t previously saved. That fits 1 John 2:19 - They went out "from" us, but they were "not of" us..

IF this person was a genuine believer, yet how do we know for sure this is the second death in the lake of fire? In Matthew 26:38, Jesus said: "My soul [psuche] is deeply grieved, to the point of death." Jesus was not saying that His soul was deeply grieved to the point of spiritual death, Rather, Jesus was talking about physical death, his human life.

In Revelation 16:3, "The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living soul [psuche] in the sea died". In 1 Peter 3:20 "... God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, [psuche-souls] were brought safely (saved from drowning, physical death) through the the water" by the ark (Hebrews 11:7).

"Soul" is rendered from the Greek word "psuche" and is also translated as "life". The word "psuche" is never translated as "spirit." Now Jesus covered our sins in one way (Romans 4:7) by bringing forgiveness for all believers, yet sins can also be covered in a different way.

In Proverbs 10:12, we read: Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. In 1 Peter 4:8, we read: And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins.” Where there is strife, there is hatred and unless love prevails, the strife will get worse. Love covers offenses and sins when a believer turns back from error.

So is this wanderer a professing Christian, whose faith is not genuine, or a sinning Christian, who needs to be restored? For the former, the death spoken of in vs. 20 is the "second death" (Revelation 21:8); for the latter, it is physical death (1 Corinthians 11:29-32; 1 John 5:16).

I voted for #3 because of John 3:16.

For God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

I chose option 4
No, but confession of sin will naturally take place as a result of having been saved.

which at the end of the day seems to me just another expression of option 2.

Yes, 1 John 2:1, and 1 John 1:9 says we need to continue to confess sin to be cleansed of sin.

Would you as a Christian feel 'clean' after a prolonged indulgence in whatever your secret sin might be? That's not to say that an unconfessed sin and penance will result in damnation. I consider confessing direct to God as confession.

Bible Highlighter said:

Is Confession of Sin Necessary for Salvation?

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I'd say confession of sin is a sign of our salvation. By this I don't mean confession to a priest as much as to God and to those that we have harmed by our sin. It is a sign of God working within us to do what we can possibly do to make others whole again and confession is part of that.

Danthemailman said:

*Notice - Brethren, if anyone “among" you wanders from the truth..turns a "sinner" from the error of his way.. Some would argue that James says this one who turned from the truth was a "sinner," and was "among" but "not of" the Brethren, then he wasn’t previously saved. That fits 1 John 2:19 - They went out "from" us, but they were "not of" us..

IF this person was a genuine believer, yet how do we know for sure this is the second death in the lake of fire? In Matthew 26:38, Jesus said: "My soul [psuche] is deeply grieved, to the point of death." Jesus was not saying that His soul was deeply grieved to the point of spiritual death, Rather, Jesus was talking about physical death, his human life.

In Revelation 16:3, "The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living soul [psuche] in the sea died". In 1 Peter 3:20 "... God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, [psuche-souls] were brought safely (saved from drowning, physical death) through the the water" by the ark (Hebrews 11:7).

"Soul" is rendered from the Greek word "psuche" and is also translated as "life". The word "psuche" is never translated as "spirit." Now Jesus covered our sins in one way (Romans 4:7) by bringing forgiveness for all believers, yet sins can also be covered in a different way.

In Proverbs 10:12, we read: Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins. In 1 Peter 4:8, we read: And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins.” Where there is strife, there is hatred and unless love prevails, the strife will get worse. Love covers offenses and sins when a believer turns back from error.

So is this wanderer a professing Christian, whose faith is not genuine, or a sinning Christian, who needs to be restored? For the former, the death spoken of in vs. 20 is the "second death" (Revelation 21:8); for the latter, it is physical death (1 Corinthians 11:29-32; 1 John 5:16).

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Every single soul (person) dies physically irrespective of the kind of life they lived - no conditions attached as both the sinner and the redeemed eventually meet with physical death. Js 5:19-20 does not refer to physical death because it does have a clause/conditioned attached to it. The death of the soul (spiritual death) can be avoided if one who is among us ceases from wandering from the truth. It is impossible for a someone whose faith is not genuine to wander from the truth because one has to be in the truth to begin with. The unredeemed person cannot wander from the truth so this verse only applies to the believer. Also the "among" in this verse is not a significant factor as the wording of this verse varies from one translation to there as some English translations do not even contain the word "among." One such example is
KJ21
Brethren, if any of you err from the truth and one convert him,....
"Of you" means of the brethren so your comparison of this verse with 1 Jn 2:19 is moot.

Oldmantook said:

Indeed some do have to declare such a thing. Does the wayward sinning brother in Js 5:19-20 have to repent of the error of his way and turn back to the truth in order to save his SOUL FROM DEATH? Yes or no?

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Yes, they have willfully sinned. But does the person who brings them back? As long as you walk in the Spirit you will not commit willful sin. This is why we have the commandment "do not quench the Spirit."

RDKirk said:

As a complete human being, soul (which is a mind in a material body) and spirit, you cannot be completely detached from sin while attached to corruptible flesh.

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That is what some teach, but they cannot differentiate between the sin nature in the mind, and the body of flesh. It's quite spiritually undiscerning.

Bible Highlighter said:

Is Confession of Sin Necessary for Salvation?

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I have understood salvation means that sins are forgiven and so person is saved from the judgment that is death. But, eternal life is offered for those who are righteous.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
Mat. 25:46

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23

Person who can be counted righteous understands that he has done wrongly and regrets it, confesses that he has done wrongly and asks forgiveness.

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 18:10-14

This is why I say, righteousness is necessary for eternal life, and if person is righteous, he confesses and regrets, if he has done wrongly.

How can anyone say you did not know you were sinning if the definition of sin is disobeying God?

CharismaticLady said:

When you are cleansed of ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS, are you clean? Do you forever have to declare yourself dirty in need of cleansing?

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People who continually declares themselves to be Sinners in need of forgiveness, are in fact Sinners in need of forgiveness, while a Believer, Believes themselves to be freed from sin, as per. the promise.

ChristianForCats said:

How can anyone say you did not know you were sinning if the definition of sin is disobeying God?

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Not all sins are sins unto death. What you described is rebellion against God's laws and you KNOW you are sinning. But there are trespasses unwittingly committed. (Leviticus 5:15). What does that mean do you think?

If it wasn't, Jesus Christ would not have instituted that holy sacrament by telling the Apostles, the first priests of His Church, "Whose sins you forgive they are forgiven them. Whose sins you hold retained, they are retained". His Church has continued to make that sacrament available to its members for 2,000 years, and will do so until the end of time. Those who are not familiar with the sacrament cannot imagine the freedom and peace that come when hearing Jesus, through the ministry of His priest, say "Go in peace, your sins are forgiven".

It's neither this or that, it's not Sin or Trespasses, it's not sins unto death, or sins not unto death.

Scripture clearly tells us
1 Jn. 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 Jn. 5:17
All unrighteousness is sin:

All Unrighteousness means, all, every possible type and variation of Trespasses, and Sins, this means NONE are left out, even known or unknown sins.

CharismaticLady said:

People get confused and believe "confession" is about sins they commit as a Christian. NO! It is to BECOME a Christian! It is when you are justified and ALL your sins are taken away and forgiven. Then Jesus gives you His Spirit and makes you born again of the Spirit, and you are then sanctified - another word that is misunderstood. They think sanctification is a life long process of overcoming sin. NO! As soon as you are given the Spirit your nature become the divine nature that hates sin and loves righteousness.

We will commit trespasses against each other unwittingly, but as we forgive others their trespasses against us, the Father forgives us our trespasses.

Matthew 6:14-15
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

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I understand your point because in Christ we are new creatures, we are partakers of the divine nature, and the blood of Jesus cleanses us permanently.

However, the story in the Last Supper makes a point in reality. Jesus washed the feet of the disciples, but Peter objected. Jesus said that if he did not wash his feet, he could have no part of him. Peter then cried out that Jesus should wash him completely. But Jesus said that was unnecessary, because he was clean already.

The point Jesus made to Peter is that the dirt of the world gets on our feet and needs cleansing. Metaphorically we are speaking about the sins of this world. When we make selfish choices, we should confess our need to be cleansed to Jesus so that temporary error does not remain in our hearts.

Bible Highlighter said:

Is Confession of Sin Necessary for Salvation?

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Hi, great stuff. If confession is needed explain the prodigal son. His return was all the confession needed. The father rushed to meet the son and there was no chastisement no time for confession just get the robe and prepare the feast my son has returned.
Then we have the little incident that started all this stuff way back in the Garden. The Good Shepherd came seeking His lost sheep. Calling His sheep they heard and as His sheep came to Him. No reading of the riot act not even when Adam accused the Lord the guilty party for having given him Eve. Then the Good Shepherd took what would become known as the Passover lamb slayed it and covered Adam and Eve with the shed blood of The Innocent in place of the guilty. Adam and Eve then passed over from death to life. They would leave Eden knowing all there was to know on the Passover offering. What to sacrifice, a lamb, not luck on Abel's part and bad luck on Cain's. When they were to offer the Lamb and of course where to offer it what would become Mount Zion where years later Abraham would be called to this same mount to offer Isaac only to be given the Lamb.