Well first let me say... there is a difference between being forgiven before you were born, (some say
even before the earth was created) and being saved after you make a conscious choice to accept
Jesus. After you are saved, all sins you have committed up to that point are forgiven.
Often, many people feel the need to confess past sins, I don't know that this is required in every
instance, but most Christians I know have done this at some point in their walk, not so much because
it's required, but rather they felt compelled in their spirit to do so.
Sometimes when people become Christians, they are living in sin when they become a Christian.
There are several kinds of sin.
Sins that we do that we don't really think about, or may be unaware that we are doing.
Even going over the speed limit in your car is technically a sin, but we usually don't stop and
think about it everyday. I hear new Christians often say OMG, or "Jeez", and taking the Lords
name in vain is a sin. But they don't usually think about it.
Scripture says the only unforgivable sin is Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, all other sins will be forgiven!
Sins that we are still struggling with, even after we become a Christian. maybe drugs, smoking,
pornography, homosexuality, usually some type of addictive sin.
Sins against God, vs sins against another person. If I think a lustful thought about a woman,
and never tell her, or anyone else. The only person it affects is me (unless I'm married).
But it's still a sin against God, even if it doesn't hurt anyone but me. If I steal something from
someone, or lie about someone, or physically (or emotionally) hurt someone... then it no longer
is only between me and God. Now someone else is involved.
There are big, weighty sins... fornication, adultery, murder, abortion, etc... These aren't more
of a sin than any other sin, but they have greater consequences.
Finally there are sins that are sin... but we refuse to call them sin. So we keep "practicing them".
We go on "willfully" sinning. Unrepentant sin.
We don't always fully repent of every sin immediately when we get saved.
Some still struggle with smoking, pornography, homosexuality even after they get saved.
They pray about it. They really want to quit... but for some reason they haven't been able to yet.
There is something called grace. Grace is for sins that we don't know are sins. Unconscious sins.
Grace is for sins we have repented of... and possibly even sins we are trying to repent of even after we become saved.
But if we know about certain sins... I might be living with someone, I might be in a homosexual relationship,
I might be an alcoholic, perhaps I work for an abortion clinic. It's not always easy or possible to quit these
things at the exact moment we get saved.
Sometimes it takes time.
So if I repent and quit practicing them after some time.... that's great. But I was still doing them after I got
saved.
Also... what if I claim to be saved... but never quit... am I still forgiven?
I just go on living in fornication, or homosexuality, or child molesting, or whatever it might be.
Am I forgiven? Am I forgiven of these things in advance? I never have to quit doing them?
I never have to ask for forgiveness?
When the disciples asked Jesus how they should pray, Jesus gave them the Lords prayer....,
Jesus tells us to ask for forgiveness (from the Father) just as we forgive others.
Were they already forgiven? If so... why would they need to pray this?
Also... perhaps someone sinned against me. Maybe they had an affair with my wife, or molested one
of my children, or stole something from me. I have to forgive them. The Bible says
God forgives us as we forgive others. What if I never forgive them? Am I still forgiven?
1st John... says if we confess our sins... he is faithful to forgive us... but what if we never ask?
If we say we have no sin... we are liars.
. WHat made me say I did not think you answered the question about a Christian who sins you said something like no Christian sins willfully, which was not what I was getting at, or maybe just to take it a step farther what about when a Christian sins un willfully, for example a Christian may have un pure thoughts of lust which may creep into his or her mind. I would say that might be a example of a person who sins unwillingly but never the less knows they sinned so they should repent, so do you think they do not have to repent on this matter??
