Joel, you mean a believer does not need to confess their sins?
Of course not. Confessions still have some benefits, but a believer should not confess to be forgiven. We confess because it puts us back into agreement with what God says about us.
If forgiveness of sins is based on confessing them, then John would say it in Chapter 2 when he said, if anyone sins, “confess those sins”—but he never mentioned it anywhere. He instead said:
“But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
And the advocate is not waiting or asking us to confess our sins, but:
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
There is also this event where Paul and Silas were in jail worshiping, and the doors opened up. Because of fear, the jailer came asking Paul and Silas how he could be saved. I don’t see anywhere Paul saying, confess your sins; if you don’t, you’re going to hell. See what he said:
“Then he brought them out and asked, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
“They replied, Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” (Acts 16:31 NLT)
Another incident happened at the cross when the thief asked Jesus to remember him in paradise. We do not see Jesus telling the thief to confess his sins, repent, or do anything of the sort. This thief believed in Jesus Christ, and he was forgiven.
This does not mean it is wrong to confess them, but it shows how much God loves us and His willingness to save us even when we miss it.
The thief knew the truth, and if he did not know, there is no way he could be saved. I believe he was among those people who listened to Jesus while teaching and got tight of the truth.
Remember, this person is a thief, but he knows the truth—and heaven is not for those who behave well, but those who trust in what Christ has done. I believe Jesus knew who this person was and his character, but because of faith, He could not wait any longer to accept him into His kingdom.
Have you ever noticed how, in a courtroom, it’s the lawyer—not the accused—who does the speaking?
The defendant doesn’t plead their own case; the advocate handles everything on their behalf.
That’s exactly what Jesus does for us.
He stands as our advocate before the Father, and in this divine courtroom, you don’t participate in the process—He does it all.
It is our generation that does not believe scriptures. We are so blinded with religious traditions to the extent that we count everything on what we have done and not what Christ did.
“Then Jesus said to them, you foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures.” (Luke 24:25 NLT)
Confessing Sins
We do not confess to be forgiven, because we are already forgiven. The sole purpose of sin confession to a believer is to put us back into agreement with God. It shuts the devil out of our life.
Every time a believer sins, he submits to Satan who is the author of sin. Every wrong thing you do is influenced by the devil, and for you to sin, it means you submitted to him. You agreed to work under his influence and authority.
“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.” (Romans 6:16)
Through sin, Satan gains access to your life. He has a right to do anything as long as you are working under his influence. There is always a wage for every sin you do, and you have to suffer for it—because the devil came to steal, kill, and destroy.
He is Faithful to Forgive
Many of us have parents, and as children, we do wrong things to them. But does that mean they reject us if we do not confess to them? Does that mean we are no longer their children just because we did not confess our mistakes?
Let me ask you again—you who confess sins to be forgiven—how many times have you confessed the wrong things you have done to your parents? In addition, how many times have they ever said, if you don’t confess them, we shall not forgive you?
Normal parents do not do that.
Do you see how this does not even apply to our earthly fathers? Yet we apply this to God who loves us more than our parents.
“So, if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him?” (Matthew 7:11 NLT)
God loves us so much that He forgave all our sins through Christ. Whether you confess or not, He forgave all your sins.
What about Matthew 6:14–15…?
“For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”
“But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
That scripture was written before the death of Christ. The Lord’s Prayer is not even a new covenant prayer. I know this will offend some of you, but that is it.
The prayer says, let your kingdom come—His kingdom already came. His kingdom, that is Jesus, came already. But we are still reciting the same thing repeatedly.
Jesus told the disciples, pray in my name, and all the time these disciples recited the Lord’s Prayer, as many of us do. However, on the Last Supper Jesus said to them:
“Up to now you have not asked anything in my name.”
But remember, these disciples used to pray the Lord’s Prayer.
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24 NKJV)
I want you to reason with me—if the Lord’s Prayer was a new covenant prayer which we pray in His name, why could Jesus tell them:
“Until now you have asked nothing in My name”?
He said that because it is not a new covenant prayer. It is not prayed in His name. He gave it as a model prayer, not for reciting as many of us do. You cannot recite that prayer in the new covenant after His death, because many elements in that prayer cannot apply to born-again Christians.
Let us take an instance in Matthew 6:15:
“But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Do you see the condition for being forgiven? It is by forgiving others. This means if you do not forgive others, God cannot forgive you.
But does that really apply in the new covenant? Of course not. The truth is that we are forgiven because of what Jesus Christ did at the cross.
I know you may say, It is Jesus’ words. Yes, they are—but Jesus before the cross is different from Jesus Christ after the cross. Many things changed the moment Jesus Christ rose from the dead.
The moment He rose, forgiveness of sins changed from being forgiven by forgiving others, to only trusting in His blood that He shed for you.
I bet if you can find any scripture in the new covenant that says confess your sins to be forgiven, or forgive others and God will forgive you.
All scriptures that attach forgiveness on something else except Jesus Christ were all written before His death.
Let us read what Paul said about being forgiven in Ephesians 4:32:
“Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”
Do you see the difference with what Jesus quoted earlier in Matthew 6:15? Paul says forgive one another as God through Christ has forgiven, yet the Lord’s Prayer says forgive us as we forgive others.
Does that mean Paul is contradicting Jesus? Does that mean Paul is wrong? Of course not—but there is a change that happened the moment Jesus rose from the dead.
Jesus Christ gave Paul that gospel. Therefore, there is no way they could contradict.
“I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.” (Galatians 1:12 NLT)
If people can understand this truth, they will love God more, because the scripture says:
“I tell you, her sins – and they are many – have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” (Luke 7:47 NLT)
But if you still think God has not forgiven you, you will keep asking, begging, and crying for Him to forgive you—not knowing that He already forgave you at the cross through Jesus Christ.
So Joel, you mean we cannot be forgiven if we confess our sins?
I believe you can be forgiven, but it’s impossible—no one can do that.
The scripture is not wrong; it’s true, but impossible to do it. I believe this message was to show these non-believers that it’s impossible to receive forgiveness on your own. They had to put there trust in Christ.
There are some statements that Jesus said, and the purpose was to put people to the end of themselves—to look to the Savior, Jesus Christ.
It’s like the Ten Commandments—it’s impossible to live by them. Even if you keep the nine and break one, you’re guilty of all.
The purpose of the law was to show people that it’s impossible to please God by your works.
Therefore, it’s impossible to live by 1 John 1:9.
Even though it’s true that you can be forgiven through it, no one can abide by it.
Our trust should be in Christ alone.