Must Christians Ask For Forgiveness Every Time They Sin?

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Budman

Senior Member
Mar 9, 2014
4,153
1,998
113
#1
Seeking opinions on this question.

I personally say no. As all of our sins have already been forgiven, there's no reason to ask afresh. Since God looks upon His children as never having sinned (as we have the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us) our fellowship with Him can not suffer.
 

Nehemiah6

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2017
24,167
12,760
113
#2
Seeking opinions on this question.

I personally say no. As all of our sins have already been forgiven, there's no reason to ask afresh. Since God looks upon His children as never having sinned (as we have the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us) our fellowship with Him can not suffer.
Well you don't need any opinion on this since the Bible has already given you the answer (1 Jn 1:5-2:5).

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

This is addressed to children of God -- "my little children". So you are clearly mistaken.
 

BenFTW

Senior Member
Oct 7, 2012
4,834
981
113
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#3
Must Christ go up again upon that cross? This is the only way sin is forgiven, by the shedding of blood. Without the shedding of blood there is no remission. How then does sin confession forgive sin, if no blood shed is made? It is Christ, and Him alone that grants us our forgiveness. His blood is sufficient, or he would've suffered since the foundation of the world it says in Hebrews (since He is the very sacrifice for our sin). We have forgiveness, it is not something we seek.

Ephesians 4:32 King James Version (KJV)

32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

If our forgiveness of sin is dependent upon our sin confession to God for the sake of forgiveness, who truly has saved us? Are we not saved by grace through faith? Then what error we have made to declare sin confession the means by which salvation is retained. A work of our owning doing, not Christ and Him crucified.
 

Bladerunner

Senior Member
Aug 22, 2016
3,076
59
48
#4
Seeking opinions on this question.

I personally say no. As all of our sins have already been forgiven, there's no reason to ask afresh. Since God looks upon His children as never having sinned (as we have the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us) our fellowship with Him can not suffer.
Agree with you ..Why would you ASK Jesus to re-forgive your (NEW)sins thus you are asking Him to die again???? Think about it because it is two fold.

1. He died and shed HIS blood for the world's sins. For those that believe that He died, was buried and resurrected according to scripture will have everlasting life.( 1 COR 15:1-4). Those who do not believe this Gospel, forfeit the Grace of GOD and everlasting life with Jesus.

2. Jesus has already performed His part by dying on the Cross. WHY would anyone "ASK HIM to Forgive them". Your part is to simply accept Jesus' Gift and accept HIM as Your Savior and repent of your sins by turning in a different direction away from them.

I have been Saved (Initial Forgiveness, where you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and repented (turn away from) your sins for the rest of your life thus receiving the Holy Spirit to help you do just that.)

I Am being Saved (as we go about our daily lives, we sin everyday. These too were forgiven at the Cross.)

I Will be Saved (Jesus' blood washed our sins away, past, present and future sins.)

Recognizing that you have sinned today should always be part of your prayers. One should be conscious of their sins and strive to not repeat them...Even asking the Holy Spirit to help you refrain from repeating these sins, giving you the strength to persevere is ok...LET HIM.....Lead you, Teach you and Protect you!

Hope you have a blessed evening

Blade


 

OneFaith

Senior Member
Sep 5, 2016
2,270
369
83
#5
In a way we do ask for forgiveness with our confession of guilt every time we are convicted in our hearts when we sin- which should be everytime we sin if we have a repentive heart. I think we need to ask for forgiveness to keep our attitude and effort in check. We should pray for forgiveness for both specific sins and for sins we commit in general. However, I do not think that if we missed one that it won’t be forgiven. As long as we have Christ’s blood all is forgiven.

But I think the danger is not asking for forgiveness at all, or not having a repentive attitude. Because if we don’t confess our sins He won’t be just to forgive us. Because without confessing, repenting, and a plea for forgiveness, we would then be sinning willfully and loose Christ’s blood- and therefore our salvation.

So my answer is yes but not to the extreme as if doing it for each sin earns forgiveness for each sin. But there is danger in not being in a constant sense of sin-rehab. We must work on dying to sin everyday- there must be effort to stop doing it. A Christian’s goal is to rid sins from thier life. He forgives our mishaps, but not if we take advantage of His grace.

”But if you sin willfully there no longer remains a sacrifice for your sins.”
 

Adstar

Senior Member
Jul 24, 2016
7,417
3,468
113
#6
Seeking opinions on this question.

I personally say no. As all of our sins have already been forgiven, there's no reason to ask afresh. Since God looks upon His children as never having sinned (as we have the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us) our fellowship with Him can not suffer.
No we do not need to ask for forgiveness every time.. But we need to never deny our sins or seek to justify our sins or embrace teachings that say a sin is not a sin..

Once you make it a law that we must ask for forgiveness every time we sin you have set up a works salvation doctrine where your salvation is secured by your 100% unfailing work of always asking for forgivness for each and every transgression you have ever committed..

Imagine if one day you are driving home and someone cuts you off in traffic and you hurl abuse and cuss at the offending driver.. Because of this your attention to your driving is reduced and you end up hitting another car and die in a fiery accident.. You did not have time to ask for forgiveness for your last sin.. So if you believe you need to ask for forgiveness for every sin to be saved then you having failed to ask for forgiveness for your last sin you will be damned to the eternal lake of fire..

Apart from that who on this world can remember and ask for forgiveness for each and ever sin they have ever sinned???

No one..
 

BenFTW

Senior Member
Oct 7, 2012
4,834
981
113
33
#7
In a way we do ask for forgiveness with our confession of guilt every time we are convicted in our hearts when we sin- which should be everytime we sin if we have a repentive heart. I think we need to ask for forgiveness to keep our attitude and effort in check. We should pray for forgiveness for both specific sins and for sins we commit in general. However, I do not think that if we missed one that it won’t be forgiven. As long as we have Christ’s blood all is forgiven.

But I think the danger is not asking for forgiveness at all, or not having a repentive attitude. Because if we don’t confess our sins He won’t be just to forgive us. Because without confessing, repenting, and a plea for forgiveness, we would then be sinning willfully and loose Christ’s blood- and therefore our salvation.

So my answer is yes but not to the extreme as if doing it for each sin earns forgiveness for each sin. But there is danger in not being in a constant sense of sin-rehab. We must work on dying to sin everyday- there must be effort to stop doing it. A Christian’s goal is to rid sins from thier life. He forgives our mishaps, but not if we take advantage of His grace.

”But if you sin willfully there no longer remains a sacrifice for your sins.”
God doesn't want us begging for forgiveness (pleaing, as you say). He wants us believing in Jesus Christ, who through His shed blood granted us the remission of our sins.

How can you set an unstated standard of confession, such that you don't have to confess every sin, for forgiveness? You say its an extreme, but if sin must be forgiven and forgiveness happens as a result of confession, then only the extreme will suffice.

I agree that we continue to repent, change our ways, and grow. This being a result of God's process of sanctification, chastisement, renewing of the mind, and so on. We don't need to make excuses for sin when God's word says that we are dead to sin and alive unto God (to reckon ourselves such). We are no longer slaves to sin (Romans 6).
 

graceNpeace

Senior Member
Aug 12, 2016
2,180
107
63
#8
We do need to repent of known sin and unknown sin - not because our salvation is compromised but because our relationship with God is tainted by that sin...
 
Sep 4, 2012
14,424
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#9
I think the real question is must Christians acknowledge what sins they are aware of having done, and acknowledge their general lack of godliness. If folks think not, then it makes me wonder if they are really interested in hearing what the holy spirit tells them. Do you think that GOD, who wants us to grow in righteousness and holiness, is not going to tell us when we are doing things that aren't righteous and holy?

Modern grace thinking wants to do away with the issue of sin altogether. Some maintains that the awareness of sin is bad. The most extreme form considers acknowledging sin to be a sin itself. But how can we grow in godliness if we're doing things that are contrary to godliness? The best way to not deal with a problem is to deny that the problem even exists.
 

Noose

Senior Member
Apr 18, 2016
5,096
932
113
#10
"...forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.."

Christians must seek forgiveness but must forgive others always.
Remember Christ's yoke is lighter and that yoke is love one another.
 
Dec 9, 2011
13,703
1,715
113
#11
No we do not need to ask for forgiveness every time.. But we need to never deny our sins or seek to justify our sins or embrace teachings that say a sin is not a sin..

Once you make it a law that we must ask for forgiveness every time we sin you have set up a works salvation doctrine where your salvation is secured by your 100% unfailing work of always asking for forgivness for each and every transgression you have ever committed..

Imagine if one day you are driving home and someone cuts you off in traffic and you hurl abuse and cuss at the offending driver.. Because of this your attention to your driving is reduced and you end up hitting another car and die in a fiery accident.. You did not have time to ask for forgiveness for your last sin.. So if you believe you need to ask for forgiveness for every sin to be saved then you having failed to ask for forgiveness for your last sin you will be damned to the eternal lake of fire..

Apart from that who on this world can remember and ask for forgiveness for each and ever sin they have ever sinned???

No one..
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Adstar again.
 

Shamah

Senior Member
Jan 6, 2018
2,735
692
113
#13
Well you don't need any opinion on this since the Bible has already given you the answer (1 Jn 1:5-2:5).

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

2
And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

3
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

4
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

5
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

This is addressed to children of God -- "my little children". So you are clearly mistaken.
Odd how people can read what is written and say "nope"


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]1 John 1:8-10, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us."[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]1 John 3:4, "Whoever commits sin, transgresses also the Law; for sin is the transgression of the Law."[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]1 John 2:1-2, "My little children, I write these things to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father: Yahshua Messiah, the Righteous; and He is the sacrifice of atonement for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."[/FONT]
 

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
Feb 21, 2014
70,860
9,579
113
#14
Thank you for this thread, Bud. :) I've wondered about it myself.

So, does this mean we don't have to say "I'm sorry" every time we sin?


Seeking opinions on this question.

I personally say no. As all of our sins have already been forgiven, there's no reason to ask afresh. Since God looks upon His children as never having sinned (as we have the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us) our fellowship with Him can not suffer.
 
Dec 12, 2013
46,515
20,395
113
#16
It is an interesting concept....that the Holy Spirit convicts the WORLD of SIN because THEY BELIEVE NOT ON ME........

It is another interesting concept...Where sin abounds grace did much more abound <---written unto believers

Another interesting concept...did the woman taken in adultery ask to be forgiven or did Jesus just forgive her and not condemn?

Another truth....Either Jesus has paid ALL of the believer's sin or he has not.

Another truth....He said it is finished = paid in full

Another truth..he paid for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD<---blood applied upon belief

Another truth...It is the spirit that has been born again of INCORRUPTABLE SEED and DOES NOT SIN

Another truth...The body is dead because of SIN and is not subject unto the law/word of GOD

Another truth...There is not a just man upon the earth that does good and sins not

Another truth...SIN IS NOT THE ISSUE, it has ALREADY been dealt with..the issue is FAITH!

Just some points to ponder
 

LW97

Senior Member
Apr 10, 2018
1,140
246
63
#17
I say no. Otherwise it would be a problem. Jesus paid all sins (Roman 4:6-8). What if we get shot in the very moment we commit a sin? Would we have to go to hell then? The answer would be yes, if God wasn't a merciful God. But his. The reason to confess our sins is a matter of fellowship, not sonship. Please don't mix those two with each other. You also can be your father's son without having a true relationship to him ;)
 

LW97

Senior Member
Apr 10, 2018
1,140
246
63
#18
Here's what repentance is according to the Greek:

[FONT=&quot]3340 metanoéō (from 3326 /metá, "changed after being with" and 3539 /noiéō, "think") – properly, "think differently after," "after a change of mind"; to repent (literally, "think differently afterwards").[/FONT]
 
D

Depleted

Guest
#19
Seeking opinions on this question.

I personally say no. As all of our sins have already been forgiven, there's no reason to ask afresh. Since God looks upon His children as never having sinned (as we have the righteousness of Jesus imputed to us) our fellowship with Him can not suffer.


I gather you're not married? Because think of this in terms of your spouse. "Oh, honey, you already gave me forgiveness, so why bother asking again, each and every time I blunder?"
 

LW97

Senior Member
Apr 10, 2018
1,140
246
63
#20


I gather you're not married? Because think of this in terms of your spouse. "Oh, honey, you already gave me forgiveness, so why bother asking again, each and every time I blunder?"
Well, God hates divorce :)