What was the Answer from God when you prayed God to forgive your sins?

[Eliyahu]

There is No other name by which we can be saved and must be saved, than Jesus Christ, because Jesus shed the Blood for our daily sins and for our sin nature, at the Cross, and thereby we are forgiven by God.

His Redemptive Death is Once For ALL.

If you don't believe that your daily sins are forgiven because of what Jesus has done, you are not a true Christian yet.

 

[Eliyahu]

I wound the Saviour everytime I sin....He is Infinite Goodness and therefore sin infinitely wounding. I am forgiven when I ask pardon as He is always willing to do so if I aknowledge that I have wounded Him.

I perform my penance as a sign that I am sincere in this. Jesus knows this without an outward penance but it is to remind me of His suffering on the Cross. He after all was crucified by my sins as well as for all mankind.

The Way of the Cross was 2000 years ago but the sacrifice of Him and the wounds by me bring the act out of time in a sense.

I hope you can find a fundamental, serious problem with Catholic Mass where the Priests ask God to forgive always, then never bring the Gospel that all the sins which the Priests asked God to forgive were alreay forgiven at the Cross. I hope you can believe that there is no other solution than the Cross of Jesus, for you daily sins, and that was complete 2000 years ago.

Watch the Mass carefully and check whether the Priest say that all the sins which Priest mentioned was forgiven at the Cross.

I observed the Catholic Mass so many times, but all the time the Priests pretended to have obtained the forgiveness from God because of what he offered at the Mass, or because of the priest's asking God to forgive, without delievering the Truth that the sins were forgiven at the Cross.

He just pretend that the sins were forgiven because of the Mock-Sacrifice which is called Mass. This is a sad human custom.

Remember this. There is no Remission of Sins, without shedding of Blood.( Heb 9:22)
Whenever the forgiveness is requested, the sins must be connected with shedding of Blood. And the Shedding of the Innocent Blood was done at the Cross. God doesn't forgive any of our sins without connecting it to the Cross.

This is why Jesus is so precious. He was the only person who could resolve our sins!

Without the Sacrifice of Sinless person Jesus Christ, there is no Forgiveness of Sins.

 

[Matt Black]

This is a pure human imagination!

Bzzt! Wrong! Try again - it's Scriptural (see eg: the Lord's Prayer)

Could you get the forgiveness of sins without the Blood?

I presume you mean the blood of Jesus shed on the cross? no, I can't get forgiveness without His blood.

Did you apologize and then God accepted it?

Not quite - I apologised for treating 'the blood' as you call it so lightly

Then why didn't God forgive all the sins in that way? Why did God let His Son die the cruel death at the Cross?

Because His Son needed to make propitiation for our sins; that propitiation then needs to be applied to our lives through asking, as my Lord and Saviour Jesus Himself taught us, for forgiveness for the sins we commit. We can be assured of that forgiveness through His atoning death and glorious resurrection.

What did Jesus confirm when He prayed at Gethshemane sweating? Didn't He confirm that there was no other way than His Bleeding and Death at the Cross?

What do you mean by this question?

There is NO Way other than Jesus Christ and His Death at the Cross

Agreed - what's your issue with it, then?

 

[Eliyahu]

Bzzt! Wrong! Try again - it's Scriptural (see eg: the Lord's Prayer)

You didn't mention the basis for the forgiveness was Blood and Death of Jesus, but said this:

You said:
To answer the OP, the answer I get every time I say sorry to God and ask for forgiveness is a wholehearted "Yes! Your sins are forgiven!"

The God is different from pagan gods who are told to forgive the sins if pagan worshippers ask him to forgive their sins.
Our God is so Holy that no sinner can approach Him but must die, and therefore Our Lord Jesus died in our stead at the Cross. Now we can access Him with the Blood and Death of Jesus Christ.

We get the forgiveness for our daily sins just because of Jesus who shed the precious Blood 2000 years ago.

I presume you mean the blood of Jesus shed on the cross? no, I can't get forgiveness without His blood.

So, you admit that your daily sins are forgiven because of the Blood and Death of Jesus Christ, right?

Then did it happen 2000 years ago? or Will it happen on condition that you ask God to forgive your daily sins?

Not quite - I apologised for treating 'the blood' as you call it so lightly
Because His Son needed to make propitiation for our sins; that propitiation then needs to be applied to our lives through asking, as my Lord and Saviour Jesus Himself taught us, for forgiveness for the sins we commit. We can be assured of that forgiveness through His atoning death and glorious resurrection.

Did it happen already 2000 years ago? or will it not happen until you ask?

What do you mean by this question?
Agreed - what's your issue with it, then?

If there is no other way for the forgiveness of sins than the Blood and Death of Jesus, then when God forgive your sins as 1 John 1:9, would not God forgive your sins according to the Blood and Death of Jesus? In such case, weren't the sins which you ask God to forgive forgiven already at the Cross 2000 years ago?

Does God forgive you your sins on the condition that you ask Him now ? Didn't Jesus die until you ask God to forgive your sins?

if Catholic Mass doesn't mention that all the sins which the priests asked God to forgive were already forgiven at the Cross but continue to ask God to forgive the sins, without telling the Gospel that all the sins are forgiven, is it telling the whole truth? Say Yes or No.

 

[Matt Black]

You're conflating the forgiveness of sins with the need to appropriate that forgiveness - very important that that conflation is avoided. For example - Jesus died for the forgiveness of Saddam Hussein's sins 2000 years ago. Does that mean that Saddam has that forgiveness - that he is in heaven today? Or was there something that Saddam should have done during his lifetime to appropriate that forgiveness, to make it 'real', to 'ground' it in his life, in his reality? Or is there nothing that we need to do (in which case everyone's sins are forgiven 2000 years ago regardless of what they do...which is universalism)?

 

[Eliyahu]

You're conflating the forgiveness of sins with the need to appropriate that forgiveness - very important that that conflation is avoided. For example - Jesus died for the forgiveness of Saddam Hussein's sins 2000 years ago. Does that mean that Saddam has that forgiveness - that he is in heaven today? Or was there something that Saddam should have done during his lifetime to appropriate that forgiveness, to make it 'real', to 'ground' it in his life, in his reality? Or is there nothing that we need to do (in which case everyone's sins are forgiven 2000 years ago regardless of what they do...which is universalism)?

You don't know the Bible truth, and therefore you are repeating the pagan views again here!

The sins of Sadam Hussain were forgiven already at the Cross!
But the reason why Sadam doesn't go to the Heaven but to the Hell is because he didn't believe until his death what Jesus has done already at the Cross, as you don't now!
Sadam didn't believe that Jesus paid all the price for his sins already at the Cross until Sadam died! If Sadam believed that Jesus Christ died for his sins, his life would have changed totally, and would have not committed so many sins. If he had repented even after he had been arrested, he would have made a great confession!

Let's say Sadam committed the sins worthy of 500 Billion Pounds, you committed the sins worthy of 1 Billion Pounds, both of you cannot pay for the sins, but Sadam didn't believe that Jesus paid out for his sins until he died. If you don't believe that Jesus has already paid out for your sins until you die, then you will go to the Hell too!

People misunderstand that they may go to the Hell because they did wrong and committed many sins, and some others misunderstand that they can go to the Heaven because they are good men and did very well during the life time.

But the truth is that they go to the Hell because they don't believe what Jesus has done for them. The True believers go to the Heaven not because they are good people, but because they believed that they themeselves are sinners but Jesus paid all the price for their sins.

This is very simple and fundamental doctrine of Christianity, which many Catholic people do not know!


Read this Bible here:

John 3:
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

You may say you believe in the name of Jesus, but your heart doesn't confess so. Your heart denies that all of your sins were forgiven by the Blood and Death of Jesus Christ at the Cross aleady, but you believe that you have something to do for yourself.

You can do nothing for your sins in the presence of God.

Read this:

Romans 3:
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Can you believe this?

36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Read this

2 Cor 5

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.



Are you still an Old Creature yet?

Read this too!

Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Can you believe " Have ( already) crucified" ?



You may be like a Japanese soldier who was still struggling in the Philippine Jungle until 1970, without knowing that the WWII was already over in 1945. His boss, the officer came there to convince him that the War was already over, after he was rescued.

The Battle was over already at the Cross.

Our Great General Jesus Christ has won the great victory at the Cross for you!

That's why Paul says this:
Ephesians 2:
:

6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:


Are you sitting in the Heavenly Place already?

The main difference between Truly Biblical Christianity and other Paganism is this:

Paganism - men must do something to satisfy their gods.
Christianity - Jesus completed everything, please BELIEVE what Jesus has done for YOU!

 

[Rev. Lowery]

If you are a true believer and have a personal relationship with God, you must have confessed Him about your sins, or prayed Him to forgive your sins which you may have comitted from time to time, knowingly or unknowingly. Then what was the answer from Him?

How did God forgive your sins when you prayed?

Please tell us your actual testimony and experience instead of any theory.

Have you ever prayed God to forgive until He forgive you?


I hope everyone can testify the actual experience, if she or he is a true believer in Lord Jesus Christ.

To question #1 His answer is "Your forgiven."

To question #2 By His Grace in the acceptance of his son Jesus Christ's Blood for the redemption of our sins!

To question #3 I was laying in a 8ft x 8ft Cell and realized God sent His son Jesus to die for ME and MY sins and that if I where the only person on the earth that He would have done the same for me that he did for all!

To question #4 Yes

Experience doesn't relate to true Christianity only Christ makes you a Christian. JESUS is not an experience or a feeling! Jesus is Gods Son and believing and being a Christian isn't dependent upon how I or You feel. Gods relationship to you and you to him never changes in relation to how you perceive it. God is always God regardless of what you or I do or our "experience"

 

[Eliyahu]

To question #1 His answer is "Your forgiven."

To question #2 By His Grace in the acceptance of his son Jesus Christ's Blood for the redemption of our sins!

To question #3 I was laying in a 8ft x 8ft Cell and realized God sent His son Jesus to die for ME and MY sins and that if I where the only person on the earth that He would have done the same for me that he did for all!

To question #4 Yes

Experience doesn't relate to true Christianity only Christ makes you a Christian. JESUS is not an experience or a feeling! Jesus is Gods Son and believing and being a Christian isn't dependent upon how I or You feel. Gods relationship to you and you to him never changes in relation to how you perceive it. God is always God regardless of what you or I do or our "experience"

Thank you very much for your participation on this issue here.
Your post clarified again that our salvation doesn't depend on us, but on the Blood and Death of Jesus. It was good especially for the Salvation.

Now the main question on the OP was about the Answer from God when a Born-Again Believer after the Salvation confess his or her daily sins to God ( though my OP question may have not been very clear).

The goal of the question was "On what basis does God forgive our daily sins after our salvation when we confess our sins to God as per we read 1 John 1:9?"

I understand your post also indicated that such sins were also forgiven on the Basis of Blood and Death of Jesus which was shed and fulfilled 2000 years ago.

In that case, God would give such forgiveness retrospectivel y on our sins by opening our spriritual eyes thru Holy Spirit.

The problem is that Roman Catholic priests at the Mass never bring the Gospel that all the sins including our daily sins were forgiven at the Cross, but they repeat to Ask God to forgive the sins of the people, pretending that their sins are forgiven because of their Mock-Sacrifice and the Prayers of the priests asking God to forgive the sins.

If they preach the True Gospel that all the sins were already forgiven at the Cross and that all the sins for which they ask God the forgiveness were forgiven already, then they find no reason to ask God to forgive.

Can they praise God for the Great work at the Cross and thank God for His beloved Son Jesus who shed the precious Blood and died the terrible Death at the Cross, then quickly ask God to forgive the sins in the same hour of the Mass?

If we do so, what would be the answer from God?

What can we expect from God as the answer to our prayer?

This is why I have never seen the Mass telling the Gospel that Jesus bore all of our sins and paid all the price for the sins of ours at the Cross already! The Catholic Priests know that they will look ridiculous if they do so. That's why the Catholic priests don't preach the Gospel at Mass!

We can ask God to forgive our sins, but then what would be the answer from Him? Yes, one can say, your sins are forgiven. But God clearly said
" There is no Remission of sins without shedding of Blood" ( Heb 9:22)

Wouldn't He remind us of the Blood of Jesus, even for our daily sins after the Salvation? Then will it happen in the future? or did it happen in the past already?

This was the question that I addressed to the Catholic and to many of Protestants who do not know the Gospel properly.

 

[Rev. Lowery]

Thank you very much for your participation on this issue here.
Your post clarified again that our salvation doesn't depend on us, but on the Blood and Death of Jesus. It was good especially for the Salvation.

Now the main question on the OP was about the Answer from God when a Born-Again Believer after the Salvation confess his or her daily sins to God ( though my OP question may have not been very clear).

The goal of the question was "On what basis does God forgive our daily sins after our salvation when we confess our sins to God as per we read 1 John 1:9?"

I understand your post also indicated that such sins were also forgiven on the Basis of Blood and Death of Jesus which was shed and fulfilled 2000 years ago.

In that case, God would give such forgiveness retrospectivel y on our sins by opening our spriritual eyes thru Holy Spirit.

The problem is that Roman Catholic priests at the Mass never bring the Gospel that all the sins including our daily sins were forgiven at the Cross, but they repeat to Ask God to forgive the sins of the people, pretending that their sins are forgiven because of their Mock-Sacrifice and the Prayers of the priests asking God to forgive the sins.

If they preach the True Gospel that all the sins were already forgiven at the Cross and that all the sins for which they ask God the forgiveness were forgiven already, then they find no reason to ask God to forgive.

Can they praise God for the Great work at the Cross and thank God for His beloved Son Jesus who shed the precious Blood and died the terrible Death at the Cross, then quickly ask God to forgive the sins in the same hour of the Mass?

If we do so, what would be the answer from God?

What can we expect from God as the answer to our prayer?

This is why I have never seen the Mass telling the Gospel that Jesus bore all of our sins and paid all the price for the sins of ours at the Cross already! The Catholic Priests know that they will look ridiculous if they do so. That's why the Catholic priests don't preach the Gospel at Mass!

We can ask God to forgive our sins, but then what would be the answer from Him? Yes, one can say, your sins are forgiven. But God clearly said
" There is no Remission of sins without shedding of Blood" ( Heb 9:22)

Wouldn't He remind us of the Blood of Jesus, even for our daily sins after the Salvation? Then will it happen in the future? or did it happen in the past already?

This was the question that I addressed to the Catholic and to many of Protestants who do not know the Gospel properly.

You have expanded on what the Word already says our sins are forgive due to Christ Blood and the acceptance of that by the Father, the key is do we accept that? If you do then you are saved and all your sins are forgiven. We ask for forgiveness to show that we realize we are out of Gods will and that we are remorseful for the sins we commit and not because we are not forgiven!

Christ died once and that was the last sacrifice the Father needed to wash away the sins of the world! We merely have to accept that sacrifice and we can go to heaven as well. The gift of salvation cannot be removed once given or it makes God a liar, God does not change. The Blood spilled on the cross is a covenant between God the Father and Humanity and if we accept the gift, the gift cant be removed! Sin doesn't negate our salvation because what sin we commit is forgiven always and forever!

And let his people say AMEN!

 

[Eliyahu]

You have expanded on what the Word already says our sins are forgive due to Christ Blood and the acceptance of that by the Father, the key is do we accept that? If you do then you are saved and all your sins are forgiven. We ask for forgiveness to show that we realize we are out of Gods will and that we are remorseful for the sins we commit and not because we are not forgiven!

Again and again, people, the true believers often stay at the level of the Salvation. What I was asking about is " On what basis does God forgive our daily sins after we are born again?"
Our sins were forgiven at the Cross, which may be denied only by the unbelief of the Unbelievers.
But the people claim that we have to ask God to forgive! while they admit that all the sins were forgiven already at the Cross.

Could you see the Paradox in the same sentence?

I think this is why 1 John 1:9 doesn't say " ASK" God, but " CONFESS"

If anyone admit that all the sins including the future sins were forgiven at the Cross, can they still ASK God to forgive the sins? Then what was the Answer from God?

The True answer can be presented only by the people who actually and trully received the answer from God.

On this thread, I have noticed some answered their Guesswork about the answer from God, not the True Answer from God.

 

[Eliyahu]

I have posted another article on the NUmbers 20:10- about the Moses and the Water problem of Israelites.

Moses could not enter the Land of Canaan because of that incident.

Therefore it is very important for the believers to study the case there so as not to commit the same mistakes as Moses did.

In case of Moses, it doesn't mean that his salvation was lost. I do understand that a certain level of Blessings were not allowed to him.

However, if we continue to remain in the level of ASKING God to forgive the sins, without remembering what Jesus has done at the Cross Once For ALL, then such person must check whether he or she was truly born again.

Such person may have never experienced that All the sins of his past and future were forgiven at the Cross.

The reason why they continue to ASK God to forgive their sins without believing that all the sins were forgiven at the Cross is because their inner deepest heart doesn't believe the Blood and Death of Jesus Christ, because it can be believed only by the Work of Holy Spirit.

They need to be born again by the Holy Spirit, then the Holy Spirit witness all the time as an Intercessor( Rom 8:16, 26) and a Comforter( John 15:26). When they committed a sin and confessed it to God, God will reveal that even such sin was forgiven at the Cross by the revelation of Holy Spirit.

If we look at the New Testament, we can hardly read that we should ASK God to forgive our sins, after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In the Lord-taught Prayer ( Lord's Prayer is John 17) of Mt 6:9 - we are told to plea Father to forgive our sins. But we should remember that the prayer was given before the Crucifixion of Jesus and therefore it doesn't say that " We thank Thee for thy forgiveness of our sins thru Jesus Christ and what He has done at the Cross, we praise Thy Grace and Love shown to us by forgiving all the sins of ours because our Lord Jesus shed the precious Blood and died at the Cross"

After the Cross we read nowhere in the Bible that the disciples repeated the Lord-taught Prayers. It is mentioned as "Pray in this manner"

After the Resurrection, we notice Acts 3:19 which says:
Repent and Return to (the fact) that your sins were forgiven ( or have been forgiven). The sentence is Aorist Passive Infinitive with Imperative verb.
It doesn't have any future meaning at all as I expained above.

This verse cannot be used for claiming that our sins were not forgiven at the Cross.

Then we can find a verse in Acts 8:22 where Peter said this:
Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven.

I think this is the only verse where people can find to ASK God to forgive the sins.

First of all, the verse means that Simon should pray God, then God may forgive his sins by revealing what Jesus did for him at the Cross, as there is no forgiveness of sins without shedding of Blood ( Heb 9:22).

It doesn't mean that Simon could say to God " sorry, I apologize you for my sins" then God says " OKay! I am a Macho God, I can forget about it, don't bother with such trivial things! you are forgiven, your prayer is enough!"

He had to repent deeply and then would have found the forgiveness at the Cross. This is in line with 1 John 1:9 where sins are forgiven byv God.

Elsewhere I find no clue or mentioning about the Asking God the Forgiveness of sins.

God is so Holy and Righteous that no sinner can approach Him. Any sinner who approach Him will surely die, and therefore we approach Him with the Blood and Death of Jesus Chris who died on behalf of us at the Cross.

This is why Jesus mentioned this:

Luke 9:
23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. ( Most Modern Versions omit this Cross)


We need the Cross for our daily redemption.

This is why Paul all the time mentioned this:

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.


Are you not a new Creature yet?

2 Cor 5:
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.


There is no Forgiveness of sins, departing from Blood and Death of Jesus at the Cross.

 

[Rev. Lowery]

You have expanded on what the Word already says our sins are forgive due to Christ Blood and the acceptance of that by the Father, the key is do we accept that? If you do then you are saved and all your sins are forgiven. We ask for forgiveness to show that we realize we are out of Gods will and that we are remorseful for the sins we commit and not because we are not forgiven!

Again and again, people, the true believers often stay at the level of the Salvation. What I was asking about is " On what basis does God forgive our daily sins after we are born again?"
Our sins were forgiven at the Cross, which may be denied only by the unbelief of the Unbelievers.
But the people claim that we have to ask God to forgive! while they admit that all the sins were forgiven already at the Cross.

Could you see the Paradox in the same sentence?

I think this is why 1 John 1:9 doesn't say " ASK" God, but " CONFESS"

If anyone admit that all the sins including the future sins were forgiven at the Cross, can they still ASK God to forgive the sins? Then what was the Answer from God?

The True answer can be presented only by the people who actually and trully received the answer from God.

On this thread, I have noticed some answered their Guesswork about the answer from God, not the True Answer from God.

LOL, I just realized what you are getting at and I realized I did answer but my wording was in error and I now see that error thank you for that!

To correct myself in the answering of the above question my above statement should read lke this!

You have expanded on what the Word already says our sins are forgive due to Christ Blood and the acceptance of that by the Father, the key is do we accept that? If you do then you are saved and all your sins are forgiven. We CONFESS our daily sin to show that we realize we are out of Gods will and that we are remorseful for the sins we commit and not because we are not forgiven!

AMEN!

 

[Eliyahu]

The same chapter of 1 John 1 says this:

1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Revelation 1:5
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood


Does anything else than the Blood of Jesus clean us from our daily sins?

Will Jesus shed His Blood again in the Heaven whenever we confess our sins?

Or was it shed already and we just believe what He has done already?

 

[Eliyahu]

LOL, I just realized what you are getting at and I realized I did answer but my wording was in error and I now see that error thank you for that!

To correct myself in the answering of the above question my above statement should read lke this!

You have expanded on what the Word already says our sins are forgive due to Christ Blood and the acceptance of that by the Father, the key is do we accept that? If you do then you are saved and all your sins are forgiven. We CONFESS our daily sin to show that we realize we are out of Gods will and that we are remorseful for the sins we commit and not because we are not forgiven!

AMEN!

For the truly born again believers, it is a matter of Nuance.
But for the Roman Catholics and the just-religious people, it is the matter of whether they have the true experience of Forgiveness of ALL of their sins at the Cross.

If you read my post on Numbers 20:10- it is clearer.

 

[Eliyahu]

Does this make sense?


" Father We thank Thee for Thy Grace and Love shown to us by having forgiven all of our sins because of the Blood and Death of Jesus Christ at the Cross but please forgive our sins which we committed today because you didn't forgive them yet"


If you were in God's position, what would you say unto this prayer?

 

[Matt Black]

You don't know the Bible truth, and therefore you are repeating the pagan views again here!

I see. So I'm a pagan now, am I; that's charitable of you

The sins of Sadam Hussain were forgiven already at the Cross

But the reason why Sadam doesn't go to the Heaven but to the Hell is because he didn't believe until his death what Jesus has done already at the Cross, as you don't now!
Sadam didn't believe that Jesus paid all the price for his sins already at the Cross until Sadam died! If Sadam believed that Jesus Christ died for his sins, his life would have changed totally, and would have not committed so many sins. If he had repented even after he had been arrested, he would have made a great confession!

Exactly my point! It was necessary for him to ground that forgiveness in reality in his life through repentance. So, you do agree with me.

 

[EdSutton]

Eli,

bmerr here. Where in the Scriptures is an alien sinner ever told to pray to God for the forgiveness of his sins? I can't find it.

In Christ,

bmerr

Good point!

Ed

 

[EdSutton]

There is a bit of "Biblical dualism" that is being talked all around (without really centering on it) on this thread, that I am now reading.

My "standing" or "relationship" was established 'once and for all time' based solely on the blood shed by the Savior at the cross, the mercy-seat covering, and my 'believing in Jesus' for salvation. In the words of Jesus in the upper room to the impestuous Peter, who wanted his whole body to be washed by Jesus, 'You (I) are already clean.'

However, my 'feet' get dirty, as I walk along from day-to-day. That speaks to my "state" or "fellowship". We (I) are to ask for this forgiveness ("And forgive us our sins" - note that Jesus asked this for the 'group' for He Himself was without sin), and confess that we do sin regularly. That breaks the "fellowship", and that needs be restored, as well. This was what Jesus was showing when He washed the disciples feet.

I don't pray for the "penalty" of sin to be taken away, for that has already been done, by faith. I do confess and pray for the "pollution" and.or "power" of sin to be removed, and that fellowship to be restored completely. (As the song says, "He breaks the power of cancelled sin, He sets the prisoner free. His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood was shed for me!")

Just as the 'prodigal' never ceased to be a son, his fellowship was definitely broken when he was in the 'far country'. That fellowship was fully restored when he confessed to his father, "I have sinned." But he still had lost much of what he had had, and that was not restored, just as we can also lose some of our rewards.

Hope that helps clarify a bit.

Ed

 

[Matt Black]

Thanks, Ed, that's what I've been trying to say; most helpful

 

[Doubting Thomas]

Just as the 'prodigal' never ceased to be a son, his fellowship was definitely broken when he was in the 'far country'. That fellowship was fully restored when he confessed to his father, "I have sinned." But he still had lost much of what he had had, and that was not restored, just as we can also lose some of our rewards.

Ed

And yet the father said of the son regarding his rebellion and subsequent reconcilliation: "for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.
I think certain doctrinal systems make too much of a dichotomy between "relationship" and "fellowship". Had the prodigal persisted in his rebellion he would have remained "dead" and "lost" to the father.