Dear Ben,

This is not a question that will change the foundation of my prayer life or anything, but it often pops up in the back of my mind when I pray. It is about forgiveness. When I do something that upsets my wife, I apologize and ask her to forgive me. The next time I do something stupid again, I apologize and ask her to forgive me. And so on… Often when people pray (and I do this myself), we ask God to forgive us of our sins. It struck me a few years ago that God has already forgiven me. I believe that the day I became a Christian and accepted that the Blood of Christ paid the price for all my sins (past, present and future), I was forgiven. Forever. Done. Whenever I am convicted of something and need to confess it to my Father, I say to Him, “Please forgive me.” It never fails that in the back of mind I think, why did I ask Him that. He has already forgiven me. I just wonder if it is a lack of trusting that I am truly 100% forgiven, if I continually ask Him to forgive me. (Which is something I struggle with, even though I know better.) I know when I stand before the Father one day, I am forgiven. The price is paid. This question is not something foundational to my faith (I don’t think!) but I am curious to know what you think.

A Church Member

Dear Church Member,

This is a good question and I appreciate your candor. Here’s what I think the Bible clearly teaches, and I believe you already know this… Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ, according Romans 8. John 10:10 says that nothing can “snatch you out of His hand.” So, there should be no fear in your heart that is caused by the idea of losing your salvation. That cannot happen if you are truly saved. However, when you disobey God, there is a distance created in your relationship with him. Just like when you hurt your wife, she doesn’t cease to be bound to you in marriage, but there is a newfound tension in the home. In the same way, when we confess our sins to God, it keeps the relationship fresh and free of any obstacles. 1 John 1:9 is a verse that you should probably write down on a note card and memorize. If I were you, when you feel convicted, keep asking for forgiveness from the Lord, but with the full confidence that He will never reject one of his own children. He died so that you wouldn’t live with fear, guilt, and shame. He loves you more than you love your own children. Would you ever refuse to forgive your apologetic son for breaking one of the house rules? In the same way, Scripture says that “God’s kindness leads us to repentance.” (Rom. 2:4) God is kind, caring, and loving. Just read John 14:1-3 and you will see how much Jesus thinks of those who are his. He wants them near to him and he goes to great lengths to make that happen. Now, I do need to offer this one caveat. 1 John 2:9 says very clearly that born again believers will not live continually in sin. Persistent, unrepentant sin is not a mark of a believer, but of a lost person. “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” Far too many people believe that they can live any way they please so long as they ask God for forgiveness. If a man feels no conviction for blatant rebellion against God’s laws, then he needs to reconsider whether he truly understands the price that was paid for his freedom. These are just some truths from the Word.

Have a great day.

Ben