On Confession and Forgiveness

"We don’t have to confess our sins in order to be forgiven. Forgiveness is not dependent on what I do, but what Jesus has done. … Fellowship with Him is not broken because our forgiveness is not contingent on what we do."

        Excerpt From: Joseph Prince. “Destined to Reign”

When we sin, I believe fellowship is broken but our relationship with God is not broken. 

If your child does something bad and you knew it or heard about it but the child didn’t say anything about it. And he keeps doing or going as if nothing has happened. In your heart, you will be thinking this child thinks he’s smart. 

But when he owns up and confesses to you, the matter is cleared. If you need to rebuke him you do that and the fellowship is restored. 

It is one thing for forgiveness to be provided; it is another thing for it to be received. In Christ, forgiveness is already provided; for past, present and even future sins. But how do we receive the forgiveness? 

The way we receive forgiveness is through confession, just like we receive our salvation (1 John 1:9). 

How did we receive Salvation? 

Salvation is already provided, but is everybody saved? Of course NO! Salvation has to be received before it can be appropriated (enjoyed). Otherwise those who claim universal salvation would be right. That is, everyone is saved, they just don’t know it. 

And how do we receive salvation? When we confess, not our sins, but that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart. 

Same way with forgiveness. Forgiveness has to be received before it can be appropriated (enjoyed). How? By confessing what we have done wrong. 

The word "confession" comes from the Greek word, homologeo; which means, to say the same thing. And in this case, to say the same thing that God has said concerning that situation. When we miss it, we shouldn’t keep going as if nothing has happened. No! Let’s pause and say: Father, I’ve missed it. Have mercy on me. To keep going and say we are in the light and so we are continually being cleansed notwithstanding what we do is tantamount to wilful disobedience. 

As Dr. Robert Jeffress noted: Grace (or Salvation) erases the eternal consequences of our sin but does not exempt us from the temporal consequences of it. I believe when we confess our sin, then we are cleansed from “all unrighteousness” (the effects) caused by our sin (1 John 1:9). This is exactly what Proverbs 28:13 says: He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.