Hello again
@American Gothic, if you've seen the 1970 film,
Love Story, you may remember a famous line from it that says, "
love means never having to say that you're sorry". I saw that movie long before I was a believer, but even back then I still sensed that there was something wrong with that particular sentiment (though I admit that it sounded pretty profound to me at first blush .. then again, I was a teenager
).
We put up with a lot from our loved ones at times (and they from us), but even when we've hurt them in some way (perhaps by lying to them), the relationship that we had with them remains (they don't stop being our mom or dad, for instance), but the closeness of it always suffers (until we do something to fix it, that is, which often requires little more than simply saying, "
I was wrong and I'm sorry", yes?).
So it is for us (believers) and the ongoing relationship that we have with our loving Abba/Heavenly Father.
The Bible doesn't tell us to confess the sins that we continue to commit (as believers) to be saved again, because sinning doesn't cause believers to lose their salvation. Nor do we do so to maintain our salvation, because we are saved by grace alone through faith alone (not by anything the 'we' do or fail to do), and that from first to last/from justification to glorification.
So, while our salvation is not lost when we sin as believers, the closeness of the relationship or fellowship that we formerly enjoyed with God certainly is, and that is the very thing that we, as believers, are looking to reestablish with Him. King David is a good, Biblical example of this kind of thing I think, because when He confessed His sins (of adultery and murder) to God in
Psalm 51, he pleaded with Him to "
restore .. the ~JOY~ of His salvation", not salvation itself, because that had not be lost (even though his sins were grievous).
God bless you!!
~Deut
p.s. - here is some of what the Apostle John had to say to us about this. Please take note that he not only includes believers of every level of faith in the church in this passage (IOW, from those who are babes in Christ to those who are fathers/elders), but he ~
includes himself~ in the mix as well (see the type set in
bold) as someone who still needed to confess his sins to God (and thereby be forgiven and cleansed of them) whenever he committed them, just like all of the rest of us need to do.
1 John 1
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous 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 John 2
1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;
2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.
3 By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 The one who says, “I have come to know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him;
5 but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him:
6 the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.
14 I have written to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
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