There is this error we believers, especially pastors do make whenever we try to lead sinners to the Lord. We ask them to confess their sins to God. Confession of sin is never a condition for salvation. If confession were a yardstick, then all the sins (multitude) that a sinner ever commits have to be named, and, no one can ever do that. The Apostles never asked a sinner to confess sins as they led them to Christ. All they demanded was for the sinner to believe or trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord and to repent (turn away) from sin. Acts 16:31; 2:38; 3:19; 8:37. The most the sinner can do is to acknowledge his or herself as a sinner. It is only believers that need to confess sin to receive forgiveness for a sin (not multitude of sins) committed. For instance, John was addressing the saints when he said “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,” 1 Jn. 1:9. If a believer sins, the sin will stand before him like it was to David, until it is duly confessed and repented of (Ps. 51: 3). This does not mean that a believer has to live in sin. Far be it! A believer is expected to have dominion over sin (Rom. 6:14), but in case a believer sins, he has to ask for forgiveness (1 Jn. 2:1-2).
Posted on: Thu, 24 Oct 2013 06:47:21 +0000
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