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Myths About God’s Forgiveness
Experience an atmosphere of love and acceptance from Valdosta, Georgia.
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New Book By Pastor Dell Young
Experience an atmosphere of love and acceptance from Valdosta, Georgia.
Hi.
I totally agree with the heart of all of this. I am curious your take on if you confess your sins he is faithful and just…. To forgive…
Isn’t there a place if confessing?
I agree Jesus paid the price.
I’m also curious if forgiving others.
Isn’t there a place of forgiving, letting them go?!?! (Forgetting in a sense like God)
I’d love a little clarity on a few of those ideas.
Like the rules forgiving a debt and then the man didn’t forgive someone else. Your thoughts?
Hi Sarah:
Whenever the subjects of sin and the need of confession are raised, the verse in (1 John 1:9) is universally quoted and brought out as a proof text that confessing sins is “required”. Why? Because there aren’t any other verses to quote! Not one! 1 John 1:9 is often used to support a Law/Grace-mixed message of conditional forgiveness, as in, “God won’t forgive you unless you confess each of your sins.” Naturally this message is incompatible with the gospel of grace, the words of Jesus, and everything else the new covenant says about forgiveness.
There’s a difference between healthy and unhealthy confession. Confessing sins is good for you, but only when it’s done with a heart of faith. Sadly, confessing-to-be-forgiven often reflects unbelief or ignorance regarding the finished work of the cross. Instead of making things better, this sort of confession promotes self-trust and frustrates grace.
Much of the debate over 1 John 1:9 hangs on the question of Who is John addressing? Who are the “we” who need to confess their sins? Is John describing unbelievers, or is he describing all of us? A better question is whether Jesus will cleanse us from all sin or only some sin (specifically the sin we confess). Does he cleanse us from all unrighteousness or only some unrighteousness? Here John is unequivocal. Jesus cleanses us from “all unrighteousness” (v.9). The blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross “purifies us from all sin” (v.7). And then, just in case we missed it, John says it a third time:
I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. (1 John 2:12)
All means all! Jesus doesn’t just deal with the sin of your past, but the sin of your present and future as well. This is grace! This is the revelation that will empower you to go and sin no more. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. (1 John 2:1) Confessing sins will not help you overcome sin, but grace will! We don’t confess to expunge sin, we confess to receive grace. Big difference.
In chapter one of 1 John, he is clearly speaking to unbelievers. John tells us in verse 3 that he writes it to those (lost) who do not yet have fellowship with the Father or His Son Jesus Christ. Verse 9 is aimed at “sin deniers,” people who were deceived, who say they have NO sin. They deny that sin even exists. This is not a verse that teaches the work of Christ is not finished. In verse eight, they say they have NO sin, that they were deceived. John was telling them that if they would confess that they had sin, they could experience God’s forgiveness and cleansing. In verse nine, he says that God would cleanse them from all unrighteousness. This is another proof that he is talking to sinners. The Bible never refers to the saved as unrighteous. In verse 10, they were calling God a liar by denying that sin was real. This is the very reason Jesus came − to shed His Blood and to take away the sin of the world. They were saying that Jesus did not need to come because sin did not exist. Then in chapter 2 of 1 John, he begins with the phrase, “My little children.” He is addressing believers, and in 1 John 2:12, he writes:
12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
Notice he tells them their sins are forgiven. He doesn’t say “if you will confess them.” Did Jesus cleanse us from all sin or only some sin (specifically the sin we confess)? Does He cleanse us from all unrighteousness or only some unrighteousness? Here John is unequivocal. Jesus cleanses us from “all unrighteousness” (verse 9).
If you believe being forgiven by God is dependent upon your confession, then you believe a myth that will keep you in bondage. But if you believe what the New Testament teaches, that all your sins have been forgiven, you will live Christ conscious and not sin conscious. As you focus on Jesus and His Grace, you can’t help but walk in faith and victory.
Your other questions:
Forgiving others is encouraged by Paul and absolutely beneficial. The parable Jesus told in Matthew 18 that speaks of the man not forgiving the one who owed him a debt. Again, this is pre-cross, Jesus is preaching law to those under law. Everything changed with His resurrection as the New Covenant of Grace began.
Hope this helps. You can find many articles on forgiveness at dellyoung.net
Blessings!
Hi Sarah:
Whenever the subjects of sin and the need of confession are raised, the verse in (1 John 1:9) is universally quoted and brought out as a proof text that confessing sins is “required”. Why? Because there aren’t any other verses to quote! Not one! 1 John 1:9 is often used to support a Law/Grace-mixed message of conditional forgiveness, as in, “God won’t forgive you unless you confess each of your sins.” Naturally this message is incompatible with the gospel of grace, the words of Jesus, and everything else the new covenant says about forgiveness.
There’s a difference between healthy and unhealthy confession. Confessing sins is good for you, but only when it’s done with a heart of faith. Sadly, confessing-to-be-forgiven often reflects unbelief or ignorance regarding the finished work of the cross. Instead of making things better, this sort of confession promotes self-trust and frustrates grace.
Much of the debate over 1 John 1:9 hangs on the question of Who is John addressing? Who are the “we” who need to confess their sins? Is John describing unbelievers, or is he describing all of us? A better question is whether Jesus will cleanse us from all sin or only some sin (specifically the sin we confess). Does he cleanse us from all unrighteousness or only some unrighteousness? Here John is unequivocal. Jesus cleanses us from “all unrighteousness” (v.9). The blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross “purifies us from all sin” (v.7). And then, just in case we missed it, John says it a third time:
I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. (1 John 2:12)
All means all! Jesus doesn’t just deal with the sin of your past, but the sin of your present and future as well. This is grace! This is the revelation that will empower you to go and sin no more. My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. (1 John 2:1) Confessing sins will not help you overcome sin, but grace will! We don’t confess to expunge sin, we confess to receive grace. Big difference.
In chapter one of 1 John, he is clearly speaking to unbelievers. John tells us in verse 3 that he writes it to those (lost) who do not yet have fellowship with the Father or His Son Jesus Christ. Verse 9 is aimed at “sin deniers,” people who were deceived, who say they have NO sin. They deny that sin even exists. This is not a verse that teaches the work of Christ is not finished. In verse eight, they say they have NO sin, that they were deceived. John was telling them that if they would confess that they had sin, they could experience God’s forgiveness and cleansing. In verse nine, he says that God would cleanse them from all unrighteousness. This is another proof that he is talking to sinners. The Bible never refers to the saved as unrighteous. In verse 10, they were calling God a liar by denying that sin was real. This is the very reason Jesus came − to shed His Blood and to take away the sin of the world. They were saying that Jesus did not need to come because sin did not exist. Then in chapter 2 of 1 John, he begins with the phrase, “My little children.” He is addressing believers, and in 1 John 2:12, he writes:
12 I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.
Notice he tells them their sins are forgiven. He doesn’t say “if you will confess them.” Did Jesus cleanse us from all sin or only some sin (specifically the sin we confess)? Does He cleanse us from all unrighteousness or only some unrighteousness? Here John is unequivocal. Jesus cleanses us from “all unrighteousness” (verse 9).
If you believe being forgiven by God is dependent upon your confession, then you believe a myth that will keep you in bondage. But if you believe what the New Testament teaches, that all your sins have been forgiven, you will live Christ conscious and not sin conscious. As you focus on Jesus and His Grace, you can’t help but walk in faith and victory.
Your other questions:
Forgiving others is encouraged by Paul and absolutely beneficial. The parable Jesus told in Matthew 18 that speaks of the man not forgiving the one who owed him a debt. Again, this is pre-cross, Jesus is preaching law to those under law. Everything changed with His resurrection as the New Covenant of Grace began.
Hope this helps. You can find many articles on forgiveness at dellyoung.net
Blessings!