When a person accepts Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, they are forgiven of all past sin.
Think about that statement for a moment. "When a person accepts Christ for the forgiveness of sins."
Where is that taught in the Bible? It isn't is it?
This "accepting Jesus" is found in many religious denominations but it is not found in the Bible.
Repentance is something one does automaticallly when they accept Christ.
Does the Bible teach this contention? Repentance is "automatic" upon "accepting Jesus." Where is that or anything like it in the Bible?
Now this statement makes me think this might be a semantics issue where you are simply using "popular rhetoric" without really realising its connotations, for a genuine repentance is inclusive of a forsaking of sin. If the sin is not forsaken then no change of mind could have really taken place.
If they continue in the same sins after accepting Christ (and they believe they are saved by a mental acknowledgment that He is the Savior), then something is not right.
Something is indeed not right. Firstly the Bible nowhere teaches that one merely "accepts Jesus" and that "repentance is automatic."
The Bible teaches that godly sorrow works repentance unto salvation (2Cor 7:10-11). Verse 11 lists what godly sorrow produces.
In Acts we see this...
Act 2:37 Now when they heard this,
they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
Act 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
These "hearers" were convicted at the words of Peter. Peter then told them they had to "repent" and be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ. Baptism is a picture of dying to sin and being raised up to newness of life by the Spirit.
Can you see how this is very different to "accept Jesus" and "repentance is automatic"?
Repentance is the result of a crisis of conviction. It is through this crisis of conviction that our old man (who served sin) is put to death. The iniquity in our hearts is purged completely through this process and thus our vessels are prepared to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit.
This notion of "accept Jesus" negates this crisis and therefore leads people into a Christianity where they perceive they are saved when in fact nothing really happened. They might change somewhat due to a strong emotional experience and due to being surrounded by people that are more or less moral, yet the root of iniquity was never purged from their hearts, they never truly died to sin. This is why after a time they "cool off" from their perceived conversion experience and thus find themselves in the sin/repent/sin/repent/sin/repent cycle. They are then often given assurance that things will work our in the end because they "trust in Jesus and His finished work."
It is all a very diabolical and insidious deception. It is extremely dangerous and extremely deceptive and it has deceived millions of people.
For if a beleiver sins again (after having accepted Christ), they need to confess and forsake that sin. This is in line with 1 John 1:9 and 1 John 1:7.
No. This kind of rhetoric plays right into the sin/repent/sin/repent/sin/repent cycle many have been hoodwinked by. 1Joh 1:7-10 is presented in the context of initial cleansing of unrighteousness and sin when one is genuinely converted. John is contending against those who claim to have never sinned and that one's actual walk is not a reflection of their true spiritual state. The Gnostics disconnected the spirit from the flesh in the context that the spirit could be pure whilst the flesh still sinned (because they tied sin to matter). Thus under Gnosticism one could be manifestly sinning but not spiritually sinning. John was refuting that by claiming that the "walk" must match the "profession" and that the blood of Jesus only cleanses the truly repentant individual who has forsaken the corruption that is in the world through lust (via the death of the old man).
1Joh 1:7-10 is about how we initially enter the faith, it is not about ongoing cleansing from ongoing sinning. Compare 1Joh 1:7-10 to Heb 10:19-22.
1Jn 1:7 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.
1Jn 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Heb 10:19 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,
Heb 10:20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;
Heb 10:21 And having an high priest over the house of God;
Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
The issue John is getting at is this...
Pro 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
The issue is not an ongoing cleansing for repeated misconduct. The blood is not for ongoing sin. The blood is for a one time cleansing whereby we are then to endure in the faith till the end. This is why Heb 10:26-29 states categorically that there is no sacrifice remaining if we willfully sin after having been sanctified by the blood. The blood of Jesus is not a get out of jail free card to be used over and over, such an attitude is to despise and treat grace with contempt.
Generally, modern theologians cannot comprehend this because they believe in the sin/repent/sin/repent/sin/repent cycle and thus, by necessity, they do not believe in genuine heart purity as being connected to the salvation experience.
Confession is more for after you have accepted Christ, all be it, a person can confess certain sins when coming to the Lord in some cases.
Confession after being reconciled is only for sins of ignorance. Willful sin is a completely different matter and one would have to find godly sorrow that works a genuine repentance again and such a thing is not something easy. To willfully sin from a state of full knowledge is extremely dangerous to the soul and any believer who falls and does this is in a more dangerous position than they were in when originally lost. Peter warns strongly against doing something like this.
Most conversions today are false and thus very few people can do this for they were never truly sanctified by the blood in the first place. There old man was never crucified and they never truly died to sin, they just entered into a delusion of false assurance which naturally leads into the sin/repent/sin/repent/sin/repent cycle. This is why the warning of Heb 10:26-29 does not apply to most professing Christians.
Please reflect on these things. The deception today is mind boggling in how it works.
But as a general rule, confessing is for someone who has already accepted Christ and they have sinned (after receiving Him as their Savior).
Again you are reading modern theological rhetoric into 1Joh 1:7-10 and not seeing it for what John is actually teaching. Please try and grasp this as I know it can be difficult. We are constantly barraged with the rhetoric and slogans of the lie and it is very hard to extricate ourselves from it. This is why we have to be so diligent in examining EVERYTHING we hold to be true. The deception taught in the churches has turned the Bible upside down and twisted it to a fine degree, Satan is a master theologian and his deception is very elaborate in how it works on the human mind.
However, forsaking sin is a requirement in both receiving Christ and in choosing to abide in Him or to walk with Him.
You have this part correct. You can see this which is great.
Forsaking sin is indeed the requirement for this. James tells us...
Jas 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
Jas 1:22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
One cannot receive the Spirit of life in Jesus Christ inwardly lest they forsake all known evil. It is obedience to the truth from the heart which sets us free from sin and it is being obedient that the Spirit indwells us and we are thus purified.
The modern deception is premised on the doctrine of Original Sin which really means "sin you will and sin you must."
"Sin you will and sin you must" is then read into passages like Rom 7:14-28 and 1Joh 1:8-9 for they can easily be twisted into proof tests and proclaimed to the ignorant who then repeat the lie without examining it.
Please think on these things for it seems you are on the right track.