Forgiveness of sins

Yes all our sins were forgiven at our rebirth.

All we knew then were our sins of the past,
Passing through time we continue to sin in the struggle of our spiritual nature against the flesh.

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Technically the word confess is homolegeo - to acknowledge - It is in the present tense and refers to the response to the convicting Spirit that we have sinned and we need restoration of present tense fellowship and present tense power/victory over the deeds of the flesh.

Otherwise we, as His children are chastised:

1 Corinthians 11:31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

Even at that there may be natural consequences:
e.g. taking that which is not ours may land us in jail though we are forgiven and restored to fellowship.
or if we commit porneia we may end up with a strange disease or losing our family or both though forgiven and restored,

Personally I don't obsess but acknowledge sin in my life not for fear's sake (though fear has played a role sometimes)
but to be able to rejoice in His presence and to worship in Spirit and truth (of His word).

I will be 77 in a few weeks and I have been through a few crash and burn situations because of neglect of my soul.

I am a slow leaner. Stubborn.

 

Not that our forgiveness is not complete, it is full and complete (Hebrews 10:17). It is for our need cleansing in that forgiveness, which only God who saved us can give us, ". . . to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. . . ." -- 1 John 1:7-10; 1 John 2:1-2. Noting v.8 & 10.

 

Paul said that he died daily to sin. This means he confessed his sins every day I do as well even though I know sin was forgiven me from the past all the way through the future. I confess then because Christ said;
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Confession is good for our conscious and is pleasing to the Lord.
MB

 

Legally all sins have been remitted by the atonement once and for all. However, as a matter of PRACTICE or PRACTICALITY that does not mean those sins do not actually occur in time throughout our lives and do not affect our conscience and our practical communion with God. Our conscience has been made sensitive to sin and as sin occurs it robs us of the inward PEACE OF GOD and robs us of the "joy" of conscious communion with God in our souls. Confession does not LEGALLY remove sins before God's eyes as the atonement did that but confession removes sins as PRACTICAL OBSTACLES to enjoy the peace of God and communion with God as a CONSCIENCE aspect of our souls. When we confess our sins we confess them upon the basis of the truth of the atonement that they have been already legally resolved which restores the peace of God in our conscience and the joy of communion in our souls.

Left unconfessed, they destroy inward peace, rob us of the joy of salvation, deprive us of communion with God and PLACE US UNDER THE CHASTENING HAND OF GOD which produces MISERY and DEFEAT in our daily circumstances. There is no person more miserable in this world than the Christian living in unconfessed sin. No true child of God escapes chastening for sin.

 

Amen to that.

Someone said when our Father in heaven chastises us we might end up feeling like road kill.

I can identify with that!

 

Notice that - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (vs. 9) is IN CONTRAST TO - If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (vs. 8) and - If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (vs. 10).

Some people misunderstand verse 9 to mean that we must confess each sin that we commit as we commit them (keep a specific inventory) as an "additional requirement" to remain cleansed and if we forget a sin we are toast!

Believers confess/speak the same/acknowledge/agree with God's perspective about their sins and have a settled recognition and acknowledgment that one is a sinner in need of cleansing and forgiveness.

 

Actually there are more than a few who misunderstand all of scripture and miss Salvation altogether. I do not believe that we have to confess every little detail so long as we are aware that we have sinned and confess that we have.
MB