Should Christians confess their sins, even though they are already forgiven?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

When we accept God’s salvation through belief in Christ, our sins no longer separate us from God. They are forgiven. This forgiveness from God is sufficient to cover all our sins- past, present, and future. Once we have salvation, nothing, not even sin we commit after becoming a believer, will cause separation from God. This forgiveness and cleansing does not, however, give us permission to continue to lead a life of sin. We are to turn away from our old, sinful lives and pursue a holy life with God. When we do sin, we are to confess these actions to God, repent of them, and let the process grow our relationship with God.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Unconfessed sin, such as with King David, can hinder our relationship with God as it brings the burden of guilt, shame, and regret. By confessing our sins to God, we let go of those burdens and instead find peace and freedom (Psalm 32:3-5, 51).
• When we do not confess our sins to God, we do not prosper spiritually. When we confess them, we receive mercy and forgiveness (Proverbs 28:13).
• Unconfessed sin can steal our joy and allow Satan a chance to accuse and lie to us. When we confess our sin to God, our joy is restored and we are free from guilt (Psalm 51:12).

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• When we place our faith in Jesus as Savior, we receive forgiveness for all our sins (Acts 10:43).
• While Christ's perfect forgiveness cleanses us from all sin, this does not give permission to Christians to lead a life of sin (Romans 6:1-7).
• As believers in Jesus, we are no longer under any condemnation for our sin, even sin we commit after becoming a believer (Romans 8:1).
• Believers in Christ can’t be separated from God by anything, not even sin (Romans 8:38-39).
• We should desire to honor the Lord with our lives, not grieve His Holy Spirit by making sinful choices (Ephesians 4:29-31).
• Scripture speaks of the importance of confessing our sins, to God and to other, trusted believers (James 5:16, 1 John 1:9).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Through salvation in Christ, believers’ sins – past, present, and future- have been completely forgiven. This brings freedom from guilt and shame. Though we are redeemed, we will still sin, though we should strive not to. Deliberate sinful choices will hinder our relationship with God and grieve His Spirit.

However, when we do sin, we can confess it to God and sometimes other believers, in order to prevent guilt and shame from taking hold in our lives. Any thought that we are not forgiven is a lie from Satan and should not be entertained. The truth of Scripture reminds us of our status before God and that nothing can separate us from His love, not even our own sin.

UNDERSTAND

• Salvation in Christ promises complete forgiveness of sins- past, present, and future.
• Confessing sin to God can keep us free from the burden of guilt and shame.
• Nothing, not even our own, sin can separate us from God’s love.

REFLECT

• How does confessing your sins impact your relationship with the Lord?
• What personal benefit have you noticed when you’ve regularly confessed your sins?
• What type of sins do you bring before trusted believers in confession? Which do you confess to God alone?

ENGAGE

• How should we respond to those who believe that regularly confessing sins is too “negative”?
• How can we explain to others how confessing sins fits into Christ’s forgiveness of our transgressions?
• In what way does the command to confess our sins challenge the “self-esteem” culture of today?