Why Ask God for Forgiveness?

There is a saying “Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven.” This is a statement that non-Christians usually do not understand. They often react with shock and anger at a Christian whose sin is exposed. “How can that person call himself a Christian and act that way?” They have what Chuck Swindoll refers to as a “horizontal perspective” of life. When a Christian stumbles, non-Christians discount our faith because we are not perfect. 1 Cor 2:14 (CEV) reads “This is why only someone who has God’s Spirit can understand spiritual blessings. Anyone who doesn’t have God’s Spirit thinks these blessings are foolish.” Or in Chuck Swindoll’s words “most (non-Christians) will never get it.” The natural man subscribes to the belief that you get what you pay for. Thus, they cannot comprehend this free gift.

Yes, we Christians are not perfect. Yes, we are forgiven. God, in His infinite wisdom, knows this. Yet He wants what is best for us and that best includes eternal life with Him in Heaven. God loves us with a perfect love. But He doesn’t force Himself on us. Our sin creates an impenetrable wall preventing us from being ushered into heaven. But God provided a solution. Jesus came to earth, lived as one of us, died on a cross, and was resurrected. The wall came down. Why? Jesus was perfect and suffered in this way for our sins. He paid the price. When He was nailed to the cross, He hung in our place to bear the burden of our sins. We receive this magnificent gift simply by accepting Him as our Lord and Savior. When I received Him into my life, all my sins – past, present, and future were forgiven. Look at Colossians 2:13-14 “You were dead, because you were sinful and were not God’s people. But God let Christ make you alive, when He forgave all our sins. God wiped out the charges that were against us for disobeying the Law of Moses. He took them away and nailed them to the cross.” There are references in the New Testament about the Lamb’s Book of Life. Revelation 3:5 (NASB) reads “I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Guess how many sins are found in our entry. Exactly zero.

This begs the question “If my sins have been forgiven why do I need to ask God to forgive me? They are already forgiven.” God tells us to ask for forgiveness. I think there are four reasons God wants us to seek forgiveness. First, confessing our sins will bring them to mind and remind us of the tremendous sacrifice that Jesus made so our sins could be forgiven. We are human. We stray from God’s path. When we recall what He has done for us, we are justified. Most of us may have become aware of this term when we started using computers. Computer software “justifies” the text. It automatically aligns the text for us. Applying this word to our faith, we are aligned with God, we become righteous.

While it is true that all our sins are forgiven, confessing those sins to God can serve as a spiritual marker, helping us to recall the things God has done for us, putting us in a spirit of praise for His mighty works for us. I have a coffee mug on my desk. I’ve never used it for coffee. Instead, it is a mug commemorating the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning winning the Stanley Cup. This is especially memorable to me as I was present for the final game of that series. The mug reminds me of that night of celebration. Just as confession reminds me of what God has done in my life.

Second, forgiveness leads us to sanctification. When we are justified, we can then be sanctified. This word simply means that we are made holy, set apart for God’s use. 2 Timothy 2:20-21 reads “In a large house some dishes are made of gold or silver, while others are made of wood or clay.” Some of these are special, and others are not. This is also how it is with people. The ones who stop doing evil and make themselves pure through confession will become special. Their lives will be holy and pleasing to their Master, and they will be able to do all kinds of good deeds.” God can use anything or anyone for His purposes. But in confessing our sins, God can use us in a special way.

Third, confession cleanses us. I remember I once took a mission trip to Ghana. When I landed at the Orlando airport, my wife met me. I had been up and traveling for over 24 hours. Her first words to me were “You stink.” I didn’t disagree. I was well aware my deodorant had worn off long ago. I needed a cleansing. Confessions cleanses us spiritually. I John 1:7 reads “And the blood of his Son Jesus washes all our sins away.”

Fourth, when we are forgiven it helps us maintain a spirit of forgiveness. The Lord’s prayer includes a prayer for forgiveness “Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others.” Matthew 6:12. God forgave us, we are to continue that cycle of forgiveness.

Confession is agreeing with God that we have sinned, asking forgiveness, and repenting. To repent we change directions and move away for the object of our sins. Our lives are taking a new direction. We have already been forgiven. That occurred when Jesus hung on the cross. Our confession is to change us, not God. The only condition for being forgiven is to be in Christ. Ephesians 1:7 “Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means our sins are now forgiven.” Confessing should bring us to a point where we live a lifestyle of forgiveness towards others. Do you want that lifestyle?

Scripture is from the Contemporary English Version.

Photo credit to CrisG, Alexander PlaNet, Andrea Don, and Julia Prelmus all on Pixabay.