"But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away." 1 John 1:9

The above Scripture is the key verse that the whole theology of repeatedly asking God for forgiveness stems from. I want to address this Bible verse in context and encourage all Christians to STOP asking God for forgiveness. That may sound entirely unacceptable to many of you, but I ask that you hear me out and then comment so we can discuss it. This doesn't mean we shouldn't pray, just that we don't need to ask God for forgiveness more than once.

Here is why I am making this plea.

First, we must understand what salvation is -- which is basically what makes a Christian a Christian, or someone who has accepted Jesus as the Savior and believes He is the only way to have peace with God. Salvation is the gift Jesus sacrificed His life for on the cross. This was done because we as humans were never going to be able to meet the standards required to achieve a sin-free life. So God sent Jesus to become the one human who could and did live a sin-free life and then give His life as the payment for your and my sinful lives. Sin separates us from God which is why Jesus' life was required. See John 3:14-18 for more.

Salvation includes many things as the package Christ gives us when we choose to place our trust and hope in Him, but forgiveness of sins (wrongdoing) which gives us access to God is the primary result.

From my understanding of the Bible, there is no ritual, no process, and no specific words needed to receive salvation. One scripture says anyone who calls out to Jesus will be saved and another says we must confess Him as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead. I don't think this is contradictory. I believe it is illustrating that no matter how it's done the result is the same, forgiveness of sins and access to God.

The only so-called requirement is that we put our faith (trust) in Jesus. However, that's done isn't as important as doing it. People who can't speak at all can still be saved. People who don't go to church can still be saved. Nigerian or American can still be saved. Catholic or Baptist can still be saved. Murderer or arrogant can still be saved.

Secondly, once we are saved from our sins by placing our trust in Jesus -- making the conscious decision to trust Him as the Savior and His death and resurrection as the only way to have access to the one, true God - it's done. It's complete. Salvation is not a process. There are only two steps. One is what Jesus did on the cross and the other is a personal decision every person must make. Salvation must be accepted. It's not completed for everyone even though the first step is already done; it's dependent on whether or not they choose Jesus. It's only accepted and received by those who choose to trust Him though it's available to everyone.

Salvation, as I said, includes God's forgiveness of our sins -- past, present, and future. That's the unbelievable, spectacular, and unconditional kindness God has shown humanity. Once you make the decision to make Jesus your Savior, your sins are all forgiven. Basically, by making the decision you are confessing that you are a sinner in need of a Savior and Jesus is that Savior. This doesn't mean we have an excuse to intentionally be sinful after salvation. See Romans 6 for more on that.

Will we sin after salvation? Of course, but that's covered by the forgiveness we receive through salvation by faith in Jesus because of the grace of God. This undeserved forgiveness is what actually motivates us to follow Jesus daily and follow the instructions of the Bible. (Romans 2:4) The knowledge that when we fail we are forgiven frees us to focus on depending on Jesus instead of our failures.

Because of salvation, there is no need to continue asking for forgiveness every time you sin. In fact, that's literally insane. I say that because no one is conscious of how many times we sin every freaking day and every night! The Bible even says that those who don't do what we should do are sinning, so it's not just doing what you shouldn't. If confession and asking forgiveness every time you or I sinned was a requirement I promise we would never achieve full forgiveness. When we choose Jesus, we are forgiven (forever). It's done.

So what does 1 John 1:9 mean when it says to confess your sins and then you'll be forgiven? It's talking to unbelievers. It's talking to people who haven't made the decision to make Jesus their Savior. It's telling us how to be saved! Like I said earlier, choosing Jesus is basically admitting that you need forgiveness, confessing your sin, and saying, "I have been wrong and I need Jesus to take my sins away so I am no longer separated from God and punishment for my sins will be considered completed by Jesus on the cross; therefore, I am no longer liable!"

However, there is a place for constant confession in the life of a Christian. It's not for forgiveness of sins. It's simply being honest. Hiding our sin causes us to subconsciously choose to distance ourselves from God because we're afraid of judgement or we feel unworthy. But confessing our sins draws us closer because we see that He accepts us. It keeps us honest and it makes us grateful for His kindness. Confession also is meant to be shared between Christians, as a way of accountability and support.

This is a deep theological post that could fill book after book to really dig into the details and go through the entire doctrine. But I hope I've covered enough of it that you begin to think and consider what you believe. You can research this for yourself. I encourage you not to simply swallow everything you hear from anyone who is a preacher or teacher or writer of Christian beliefs. Hear what we have to say and then do your own homework.

What do you think?

P.S. We have direct access to God through Jesus; not Mary the mother of Jesus, not a priest or a pastor, not a ritual or a routine, not water baptism, not Jewish customs, not even the Pope.

"But you cannot make God accept you because of something you do. God accepts sinners only because they have faith in him." Romans 4:2