I’m going to begin this by dropping a bombshell statement:
Sin is no longer an issue with God; we are redeemed!
Most people have heard that sin breaks your relationship or fellowship with God. The strictest message says that you lose your salvation (“backslide”) every time you sin, until it’s confessed.
Others believe your eternal salvation is still secure, but you lose fellowship, can’t get your prayers answered, or can’t be used of God if you sin. That’s not good news, since all of us sin (Rom. 3:23 and 1 John 1:8).
Christians usually try to keep every sin confessed. But that’s impossible! The Bible says whatever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23). Do we always walk in faith?
James 4:17 reveals that sin isn’t only doing things that are wrong, but it’s not doing what we know is right. Would any claim they are loving God and others as they know they should?
By these definitions, we all sin through the weakness of our flesh. It’s impossible to keep every sin confessed. Even if it were possible, that puts the burden of salvation on our backs. There wouldn’t be any peace or rest in our relationship with the Lord if that’s the way it worked (Rom. 5:1).
The New Testament presents the forgiveness of sins as something that is already accomplished, and the effect of this redemption is that we are not even to be conscious of sin (Heb. 10:1-2).
We don’t have to ask Jesus to forgive our sins; He’s already done it. We confess the Lord Jesus, not our sins, to receive this gift of salvation (Rom. 10:9).
The Lord has already forgiven everyone’s sins (1 John 2:2). That’s grace. But we have to put faith in what God has already accomplished by grace to be saved (Eph. 2:8).
What difference does it make in our lives if we accept forgiveness as something that has already been accomplished or not? There is a huge difference! It gives us security and peace, knowing that God isn’t mad at us and won’t be mad at us.
All of our sins—past, present, and even future ones—are already forgiven!
