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NASB | 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 1:9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. |
Bible Question:
I am a mature Born Again Christian and have a friend that is also a mature Born Again Christian man. We have length discussions on Christian topics and the Bible, have both attended many Bible Studies and I have facilitated bible studies for over 10 years now. One belief that my friend has is that once we have been sanctified and professed Christ as Savior, there no longer is a need to pray for forgiveness. He studies the Bible constantly and reads many books by noted Christian authors. He maintains that once we are forgiven and the Holy Spirit lives within us, that there is no need for furthur forgiveness. This is not to say that he is a sinner and blatantly lives a pagan lifestyle while professing to be saved as he doesn't. He simply is a sinner in the same perspective that all of us are in spite of the fact that we try to live a virtuous sin free live. Any suggestions as to how I might approach what I believe is a mistaken belief. I believe that we must seek forgiveness with each conviction of sin in our lives????? This simply restores communion with God in my mind even though we are still saved!!! Need some wisdom from another mature learned Christian. |
Bible Answer: windjammer, hi! It is an interesting position! I met a young man that invited me to his services (the place where he worshiped); for some unknown reason he genuinely wanted me to join. After the service we had a lengthy interchange where a third person joined in. Their theme is (or was, we did not keep in touch) that once saved we cannot lose salvation because we’re above the law (similar to your friend’s position). I vividly recall that the second gentleman slurred almost every word; since there was no alcohol odor emanating from his immediate area, I believed that he was under the influence of drugs. I tested their conviction by presenting just such a scenario (drugs, alcohol, gambling; lying; cheating; fornication…). My host was not so quick to answer but his friend attempted to use Romans 7:6 and Galatians 5:18 as catch-all and exonerate-all clauses to allow those who are “saved” to behave as they please! (Apparently they never read 1 Corinthians 6:12-13--Paul is nor referring only to sexual conduct but to everything that separates us from the Lord!) I believe that your friend is misinterpreting the Scripture: If we say, ‘We have no sin,’ we are deceiving ourselves, and truth has no place in us; if we acknowledge our sins, he is trustworthy and upright, so that he will forgive our sins and will cleanse us from all evil. If we say, ‘We have never sinned,’ we make him a liar, and his word has no place in us. My children, I am writing this to prevent you from sinning; but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the upright. He is the sacrifice to expiate our sins, and not only ours, but also those of the whole world. (1 John 1:8 - 2:2) So confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another to be cured; the heartfelt prayer of someone upright works very powerfully. (James 5:16) In these two passages (1 John 1:8 - 2:2; James 5:16), both John and James are speaking not to the unbelievers or converts, but to the seasoned believers and they distinctly demonstrate our need to confess our sins--there’s no other interpretation (or spin) that can be applied to such explicit teachings. John and James are echoing our Lords words to Simon: So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my community. And the gates of the underworld can never overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’ (Matthew 16:18-19) Why would Jesus talk about something that is irrelevant? Why would God?. Ezekiel 18 is an excellent source of God’s views on sin, especially verses 24, and 30-32 : ‘But if the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong by copying all the loathsome practices of the wicked, is he to live? All his upright actions will be forgotten from then on; for the infidelity of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, he will most certainly die.’ ‘So in the future, House of Israel, I shall judge each of you by what that person does--declares the Lord Yahweh. Repent, renounce all your crimes, avoid all occasions for guilt. Shake off all the crimes you have committed, and make yourselves anew heart and a new spirit! Why die, House of Israel? I take no pleasure in the death of anyone--declares the Lord Yahweh--so repent and live!’ We may decide to take liberties with one or a few Biblical verses (the JW are experts at this!), but when judged against the totality of the Bible does our interpretations measure up? This was happening way back when--Paul had to admonish the Corinthians because they were allowing a strange fellowship to be intertwined with the Truth: But I am afraid that, just as the snake with his cunning seduced Eve, your minds may be led astray from single-minded devotion to Christ. Because any chance comer has only to preach a Jesus other than the one we preached, or you have only to receive a spirit different from the one you received, or a gospel different from the one you accepted--and you put up with that only too willingly. (1 Corinthians 11:3-4) Some of the times misinterpretation comes from not listening to the complete teachings of the Bible passages. James 5:15 is one of those verses: The prayer of faith will save the sick person and the Lord will raise him up again; and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. Thinking that this verse applies to all Christians could derail us from the Truth: prayer does not replace confession! James 5:15 is intended not for all believers, but for those that are sick--if they are meant to die, the prayer of faith can cleanse them! God Bless! |