Justin J. Petrick

In Part 1 of “Is God Sin Conscious?”, we found that there are two forms of the word ‘convict’, or ‘reprove’ in God’s Word.  One form that is used, is in the context of the Holy Spirit bringing a conviction of shame to unbelievers, or to the world (John 16:8). This form is always used in the context of unbelievers, and never with a believer because the Gospel, or Word of God which is synonymous with the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 4:12), never brings shame (Romans 1:16).  The second form of the word ‘reprove’ used in the word, is a reproving that is a ‘proof’ (2 Timothy 3:16).  We found that the Holy Spirit reproves, or proves that a believer is the righteousness of God, guaranteeing what is to come (the rapture, which is when our righteousness manifests in our resurrected body) (1 Corinthians 1:21-22), the polar opposite of convicting us of individual sin, which would bring shame.  We also looked at Romans 4:8 and Psalm 32:1-2, and saw that God does not hold our sin against us, which makes sense after just seeing that He doesn’t convict us of sin, but of our righteous standing.

In Part 2, we looked at what Christ accomplished on the cross.  We looked at Christ as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and found that there are 2 different forms of the word ‘atonement’, an Old Testament version which means ‘a covering’, and a New Testament version which means ‘an exchange’.  We found that when Christ died on the cross, He literally became our sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) in exchange for His righteousness (Romans 5:11).  When God looks at us, there is no sin to see because Christ has traded His righteousness for our sin.  Our sins do not exist on God’s radar.

This brings us to Part 3.  If God is not conscious of our sin because they have been exchanged for the righteousness of Christ, why confess?  To answer this question, we need to understand what ‘confess’ really means, because I doubt it is what most of us believe it is!

1 John 1:9 (KJV):  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins,and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

The word ‘confess’, is the Greek word, “homologeō” (ὁμολογέω), and means, “to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent”, or ” to concede”.  In this context, it is meaning to say the same thing as God.

Now, here is where it gets interesting.  The word used for “sins”, as in “If we confess our sins“, is the Greek word, “hamartia” (ἁμαρτία).  This word means, “to be without a share in”, “to miss the mark”.  It is a negative particle, meaning it is making a statement or fact about ones existing state.

To further understand, we will look to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, which states that the Greek word “hamartia” (ἁμαρτία), for sins, is referring to “a principle or source of action, or an inward element producing acts; It is the most comprehensive term for moral obliquity [or moral state]”.  When 1 John 1:9 speaks of sin, it is speaking of where it is originating from, ‘the inward element of producing acts’.  It is not talking about each, individual sin as most of us think it is, but our sinful nature which is the root of sin.

In other words, when we confess that we need a Savior, we acknowledge our need of Christ dying on the cross, we acknowledge His forgiveness, that He has exchanged our sins for His righteousness.  When we confess, we are acknowledging, saying the same thing as, or agreeing with God’s Word, which is that God has condemned our sinful nature (Romans 8:3), therefore cleansing us from our unrighteousness, from our sin.  You confess you are the righteousness of God, through Christ, therein your perfect standing (Romans 5:2)

When you confess, you remind yourself of what Christ has done for you.  You remind yourself of grace.  If you bring to light each and every sin that you do, which is impossible because you will never remember all of them, you will experience shame and guilt.  It is the natural product of being conscious of the Law, which is a curse (Galatians 3:10).  It brings a guilty conscience. Christ has freed us from the curse (Galatians 3:13), and has freed us from a guilty conscience (Hebrews 9:14, 10:22).  When you are grace conscious rather than sin conscious, you are reminded of God’s perfect love for you.  When you are grace conscious, it keeps you humble, in a good way.  Those who are not humble find seeking God and experiencing Him to be very difficult, because their lack of humility stems from the belief that what God has given them is based on their own works, and not the grace and love of Christ.

When you confess, you acknowledge your thankfulness of Christs sacrifice, God’s forgiveness, thus taking hold of your righteous nature.  You confess that God has condemned sin in you (Romans 3:8), and what God condemns, He does not see because it has been judged and executed through the death of Jesus Christ.  When we fail to realize this, it makes confession difficult because it makes us sin conscious rather than grace conscious.  God has condemned your sinful nature.

Romans 6:11 (NIV):  In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:19-20 (NIV):  …..Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.  (20)When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness.

It is easy for us to believe that before we were saved, it is logical for us to understand that no matter how much good we did, we were condemned in our sinful nature, thus needing a Savior.  Why can’t we believe, now that we are the righteousness of God, that when we sin it doesn’t affect our righteous standing (Romans 5:2).  Being that your sinful nature has been condemned by God, sin doesn’t make you a sinner any more than having a sliver makes you a piece of wood!

When you sin, confess in thanking God for His son, thank God for His grace and that you have already been forgiven, agree with God, saying the same thing as His Word which is that you have been cleansed of unrighteousness, that He does not hold your sin against you (Romans 4:8), that you are the righteousness of God!  You will see results as you acknowledge grace, and the bondage of sin will lose its grip on you.  That my friend, is the power of the Gospel of grace!  (Romans 1:16; Acts 20:24)