Just so you know, the teaching that says “Christians do not need to repent when they sin,” is a false doctrine. Some ministers say all sin has already been forgiven, including anything a person might do in the future. According to this teaching, asking God for forgiveness shows a lack of faith. That is not what the Bible says.
First John 1:9 tells us, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
John wrote this letter to the church. He was speaking to Christians about their fellowship with the Lord. In verse six he said, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” A Christian cannot live in sin and claim that everything is right between them and God.
The next verse says, “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.” The Lord has made provision for us to be cleansed when we do wrong. We must follow what His Word tells us to do.
When a Christian sins, that does not mean they are immediately unborn again. Sin interferes with their fellowship with the Lord. First John 1:9 tells them how to deal with it. Admit the sin to God and ask His forgiveness. He is faithful to forgive and cleanse.
However, a person who has never been born again receives salvation according to Romans 10:9–10:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The sinner is told to confess Jesus Christ as Lord. They are not required to remember and name every sin they have committed. I could not have remembered everything I had done before I was saved. Neither could you. Thank God, that was not the requirement.
After I was born again, I still needed help overcoming things from my old life. While in prison, I asked a preacher what to do about those struggles. He told me I would sin every day for the rest of my life. I knew that was not right. The Lord had delivered me from the devil, and I wanted to learn how to live for Him.
Being tempted does not mean a person has already sinned. James 1:14–15 explains that a person is drawn away by their own lust and enticed. When lust has conceived, it brings forth sin. We must quit yielding to the desire that is drawing us away.
If someone keeps feeding a habit, it will grow stronger. It is like feeding a little puppy while telling it to leave. Before long, that puppy is a big dog. Stop giving the habit what it needs to remain in your life.
God will help us. First Corinthians 10:13 says He “will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” The temptation is not something He expects us to surrender to.
A man once came to me who was struggling with a particular issue. He had received prayer and gone through counseling, but he kept saying he was a failure. I told him to begin saying what the Bible said about him. Second Corinthians 5:21 says we are made “the righteousness of God in him.”
About a year later, he told me he had received his freedom. He had begun believing and speaking what God said about him. Confessing the Word did not give him permission to continue in sin. It helped him act on what belonged to him in Christ. If a Christian stumbles, they should ask forgiveness and continue putting the Word into practice.
Repentance is a key to walking in victory and fellowship with God. Do not overlook and do not neglect it. It is not something for someone else. It is for the Christian. It is for you and me. God is with us.
