I preached a sermon by that title ["Confessing Our Sins] on October 12. You can get the MP3 here.
My thesis was that we do not confess our sins in order to be forgiven, but to have the once-for-all work of Christ applied afresh to our hearts and consciences, thus restoring our assurance and fellowship with God.
It may sound a bit unconventional to say that we do not confess our sins in order to be forgiven, but if we believe in the the doctrines of (a) propitiation (1 John 2:2), (b) justification (Rom 5:1), and (c) union with Christ (Eph 1:4-6), then it follows that all our sins - past, present, and future - are already forgiven in Christ, even before we confess them. Our objective judicial status does not change when we sin. Thus confession of sin must have to do with our subjective relationship and sense of fellowship with God.
The text was 1 John 1:5-2:2, especially verse 7: “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” I argued that ”one another” does not refer to fellowship among believers, but fellowship with God (cp. verse 3: “… and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ”).
In addition to dealing with the why of confessing our sins, I also gave seven practical applications on the how of confessing our sins.
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