Unconfessed sin

[Andrew]

Slave to sin no more,

"I agree with all that you say! I've read many of your other posts in the past, and it seems liek you and I have a lot of the same stances on issues. "

That's really encouraging thanks! Do drop by my website. there's more there.

Shalom

 

[TruelightUK]

Originally posted by lambslove


Huh? Weren't they all covered at the cross?

But in case they weren't (yeah, right), if you give me a list of the sins that I haven't confessed, I'll confess them right away. But didn't God say that he takes our sins away and places them at the bottom of the sea, as far away from us as the east is from the west and forgets them?

So if he has forgotten them, how can anyone care about them anymore!

 

So why, then, does James tell us to confess our sins so that they can be forgiven and cleansed?  And mention that, when the elders pray for the sick, any sins they have committed will be forgiven?  And other epistle writers tell us to do what we can to turn sinning brethren from their evil ways, so they can repent and be forgiven, warning us of the perils of falling into the hands of a holy God while embracing unworthy ways?

 

Of course the same shed blood which won our initial salvatian will 'cover' such sins - but it does seem it needs to be specifically appropriated;  the price has been paid, but we are not to presume on God's grace.  Sin does not disqualify us from our membership in God's household, but, when we do something He doesn't like, it is only right and proper to say 'sorry' to Father, wouldn't you say?  Otherwise we become like bolshy self-righteous teenagers ('Why should I say sorry; if he really loved me he'd just get over it!'), trying his patience to the uttermost and abusing his love.

Anthony

 

[LouisBooth]

"So why, then, does James tell us to confess our sins so that they can be forgiven and cleansed? "

I can forgive you long before you ask for forgiveness. The second part (you asking) is for your repentance purposes. Do you really think when God said to adam in the garden, "Adam, where are you?" that he didn't know? It was Adam's chance to ask for forgiveness.

 

[TruelightUK]

Obviously, Louis!

By extension, however, you could say that as Christ died for the sins of the world, everyone is forgiven their sins, regardless of their response. Which some teach, very convincingly. Yet I don't beleive that is true to the Scriptural and Apostolic tradition.

Why are post-conversion sins any different? Can we allow oursleves to be complacent that 'God's grace has dealt with them', even if we never repent? God knows aboput our sins before ever we tell him about them (possibly before even we recognise them as such), and has atoned for them at the Cross. Yet God asks us to confess etc. because He requires us to consciously turn from sin and to Christ, so that His atoning grace may be actively appropriated and our ongoing sanctification continue, and transforming us to 'vessels of honour' in His kingdom. If, however, we do not 'cleanse ourselves' of impurity etc., we, by implication, limit the extent to which He can use us, and to which we can reflect His glory - even to which we can hear His voice, and expect our prayers to be answered.

Thus my original question was, how does this 'imperfect state of sanctification' affect our reception in the next world? Can the impurity live on in Heaven, or does it have to be removed before our eternal inheritance can be enjkoyed to the full?

Anthony

 

[12volt_man]

I already posed this question in the Purgatory thread, but it seems to have got somewhat lost, so I'll ask it again - addressed mostly to the 'protestants' and Baptists among us:

What do you believe happens about sins committed after conversion, which remain unconfessed?

John's 1st epistle tells us that "if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness". But what if we don't confess our sins - or at least some of them? The implication is, surely, that they remain unforgiven and uncleansed?

If we die with those sins still unconfessed, can we then stand in the presence of a holy God, without some form of cleansing taking place? If it hasn't taken place in this life, through our confession, then, clearly, it must either take place 'in the next life', or not at all.

So, as Bible believing Christians, how do you see the problem being dealt with? Or is it not a problem, being already unconditionally taken care of by our initial faith in Chrisxt's shed blood (in which case why bother confessing our sins!)?

Anthony

Our sins are forgiven once and for all at the moment that we trust in Christ's atonement on the cross.

Unconfessed sins may be inconfessed, but they don't remain unforgiven. They may hamper our communion with God, but they can never break our union with God.

 

[salvation05]

TruelightUK

The site below is every Biblegateway which has every verse in the bible in different bibles also. The site below is the prayer in Mark.

http://bible.gospelcom.net/passage/?search=Matthew%206;&version=47;http://bible.gospelcom.net/passage/?search=Matthew 6;&version=47;


peace

 

[Lynn73]

In 1 Cor 5 we see a believer who was fornicating who was in danger of being turned over to satan for the destruction of his flesh... that his spirit be saved in the day of the Lord. This man was still saved, but his body (flesh) was about to suffer corruption because of it. If he repented he could be healed.

Exactly. God deals with us as a Father deals with His children. Children rebel and we discipline them but they don't stop being our children. I confess my sins mostly in a general way but if I'm aware of specific things I ask forgiveness for that. And who in the world can remember or be aware of every single sin committed every single day in thought, word, and deed. What we forget to confess for aren't aware of the need to confess I believe is covered by the blood of Christ. But then, I'm OSAS.