We have come up with catchy albeit glib sayings which have become our foundation for Christian doctrine, rather than the truth of Scripture. One such glibs is the phrase that if you are a Christian then all your past, present, and future sins are already forgiven so that you do not need to confess your sins to be forgiven”. The first problem with this lie is that there is not a single verse in the entire Bible which teaches so. The failure to examine the Scriptures like the Bereans did (see Acts 17:11), have led to many falling for such lies and being deceived. Another such glib is the saying that “we confess our sins because we are already forgiven, not to obtain God’s forgiveness.” If this glib saying were true, then why continue to teach Christians to confess their sins seeing that their sins (including the one they just committed) are already forgiven? This would be a totally needless thing to do since it clearly contradicts the very reason God has given His church to confess their sins. As per the Scriptures, the reason why Christians should confess their sins is so that they will actually receive forgiveness, not the other way around (1 John 1:9). There is therefore no reason to believe or build a biblical doctrine on the exact opposite of what the Scripture says, rather than what it actually says – unless we are in rebellion, have been deceived, or are sincerely ignorant of what the Scriptures teach.
After the Scriptures acknowledged the obvious truth that Christians do sin (Hebrews 4:15-16, James 3:2), it showed us how to deal with the sin and overcome it: “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:15-16). You do not need mercy when you have not missed it or erred, and where forgiveness has already been granted, mercy is not again required. Again, when God forgives, He remembers our sins no more and does not call us to come receive mercy for that which does not exist (cf. Hebrews 8:12). But as God’s calls on us to come to Him for mercy, He affirms the truth that we do sin and are in need of the mercy and forgiveness He has made available in Christ.
How do we obtain God’s mercy and forgiveness when we sin? 1 John 1:9 tells us: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. It is ignorance or absolute pride to reject God’s call to come for mercy when we sin by presuming that we already possess what He is calling us to come and receive. But when we obtain His mercy through confessing and repenting of our sins (1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, Proverbs 28:13) we also find grace to help us overcome sin (Hebrews 4:16).
Kwadwo Omari, PhD
August 19, 2019.