Confession of our sins is important. (1 John 1:9) “But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing.”
Confession of our sins is not what saves us. (Eph 2:8-9) I’m not saying that isn’t a by-product of salvation, it is, but there is no way that we can confession every sin we’ve ever done. The confession of sin restores our relationship with God, but does not initiate our relationship with Him for salvation. One is saved, according to Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It’s started by the drawing of the Holy Spirit according to John 6:44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” This conviction and drawing by the Holy Spirit causes belief or faith. Romans 10:9-10 “because, if you confess with your month that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” A confession of the need for Christ as Savior is necessary. The conviction of sin draws us to our need for salvation.
Confession of sin is for restored fellowship. (Col 2:13)
A sure passage that gives us peace about unconfessed and sin and eternity is Colossians 2:13. “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,” Our past, present, and future sins were forgiven through the work of the cross. Confession of sin is for restored fellowship with God, not salvation. Repentance is a fruit of the Holy Spirit wanting to make things right because the Holy Spirit convicts the Christian that change is needed!
1 Peter 3:18 “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit.”
Like repentance, the confession of sins is a part of a Christians’ spiritual growth or sanctification. It’s healthy and joyous to confess. “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” James 5:16
The Confession of sin theological & doctoral background. (John 10:28)
Where did some get the idea that if you have unconfessed sin when you die you will go to Hell? Part of this doctrine or thought comes from a theology called Arminianism. One tenant of Arminianism is that one can lose their salvation. If one does not confess their sin, they will go to Hell. Jacob Arminius (1560-1609) noted that eternal security is conditional, where as historical Baptist would say that eternal security is unconditional if one is truly in Christ. When one can loss their salvation is conditional, one cannot loss their salvation is unconditional. It’s the dangerous works-based thought that you must be saved again. Examine the fruit. Satan will cause doubt in seasons in our life, but if we are truly saved, Jesus said, “those who endure to the end will be saved.” Here are some at peace verses that give us eternal security.
John 10:28 “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” Romans 8:38 “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Repentance is a sign of the Holy Spirit’s work, and the confession of sin is sign of the Holy Spirit’s work toward restored fellowship with God, but not for salvation.