As mature Christians, we no longer need to ask forgiveness from God. How can we ask for that which we already have? We have already received justification through Christ. However, we must continually confess forgiveness through the act of repentance as His Spirit lives in us and reveals to us those areas of our lives that must be forsaken in order to live consistently with the forgiven life that we have been gifted.
Yet still, not forsaken through works or self-effort, but rather through consideration (Romans 6:11) and acceptance that we have already been set free from that old way of life (John 8:36). The new life being evidenced in us through His Spirit revealing to us the inconsistency - the process of sanctification.
"He is Holy - You be Holy." (1 Peter 1:16)
3 comments:
I'm not quite sure where you're going, but I'm a little scared of where it looks like you might be going. Truth in your blog is that those of us in Christ Jesus have been covered by his blood, and he took ALL of our sins on the Cross, you are correct there. But if you are suggesting or saying that we as "mature" believers do not have to ask for forgiveness anymore is a dangerous statement to say. We will always have a relationship with Christ but no matter how "mature" we are as believers 1 John 1:5-10 is very clear "If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. Which leads us to verse 9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we are not confessing our sins, our fellowship with Jesus Christ is growing weaker and we grow farther away if not confessing our sins from our savior. I hope and pray you were not saying that, please be careful, we will always be sinners and will always need to confess.
First let me thank you for posting. I'm not sure who you are and it's always good when someone I don't know is checking out my blog. I'm blessed by your response. I hope you will continue to visit.
Although you are the only person to respond to this blog via the comments, you are the 3rd to ask about it in relation to the same passage from 1 John.
Let me start by saying I absolutely believe in confessing sin. It's a requirement of the sanctification process. I can bottom line my complete response to your comment this way - I believe that confession in this context is in reference to repentance, not necessarily a call to ask for forgiveness although forgiveness from God is the end result beforehand. BECAUSE the end of the bottom line statement is oxymoronic in emphasis, I must go on to explain:
1 John 1:8-10
8If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
vs8 - As believers we acknowledge the need for sanctification. Sanctification being the process by which the Holy spirit purges the old man by bringing inconsistency to our attention where the inconsistencies are themselves sin. We are still sinners saved by grace and being saved until the day of glorification. So we can never claim to be without sin.
vs.9 - Since we have sin in our lives still, we must either confess sin that we knowingly gave ourselves to or confess sin that has been revealed to us by the Spirit. Not so that God can at that time forgive us, but because He has already forgiven us. For this reason we must now consider the sin, turn away from it, and place our faith in the truth that we have already received forgiveness. By believing in this truth we allow the process of being purified from all unrighteousness to continue.
vs.10 - His forgiveness is stored up and poured out on us because the truth that we are still sinners is a fact. If we deny this fact then we make God out to be a liar by denying the message of redemption by way of the Cross - the cornerstone of our entire faith!
Confession is defined as to admit, acknowledge, or declare something. "Asking" for forgiveness is no more a confession than asking someone if they like the color blue. It's a question in need of an answer. We know we have forgiveness, we must stand on truth now and confess that we are already forgiven.
"I am a sinner. I am wicked in all my ways. But I know that because you gave your life on Calvary to pay for my debt of sin, I have been forgiven that debt. I now turn away from my sin and I accept the forgiveness and deliverance that you have given to me at such a costly price. I now forgive myself for the pain I have caused you and others by my sin. Today I choose life, because I know that it is no longer I who live but you who lives through me. I will walk in forgiveness and deliverance never to give myself back to the slavery of sin and not by my own effort but my yielding to Your grace. Amen"
NOW THAT'S A CONFESSION!
WOW!!! THAT WAS GOOD!!!!
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