If We Are Already Forgiven, Why Ask for Forgiveness?

Hey, thanks again for sending in questions related to our recent sermons. We’ve continued our series in Romans, and as I’m sure you have noticed, a common theme throughout the book is the doctrine of justification by faith alone. When we receive Christ, we receive His righteousness. We are therefore forgiven, holy, included, and accepted forever. Even in our failures and our wanderings, we are still counted as righteous because we have Christ’s righteousness.

So, the question this week is: If we’re already forgiven, included, and accepted, then why ask for forgiveness when we sin? What would be the point?

It’s a very natural question, and I’ll answer it a few different ways. First, of course, we are commanded to ask for forgiveness. In Jesus’ instruction on prayer in Matthew 6, He says, “Forgive us our debts (or trespasses) as we forgive those who trespass against us.” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” So primarily, it is a command.

But we might back the question up one step: Why would God command us to do something that has already happened?

One reason is to look at the rest of the Lord’s Prayer: “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Isn’t that going to happen anyway? Why pray for it? As many of us have experienced, there is a great joy when we pray in line with God’s will. We get to participate in what He is doing. Many people have shared experiences where they felt prompted to pray for someone’s health, only to find out later that person was indeed struggling. Why do that? Because we get to participate in what God is doing, and there is immense joy in that. Praying for forgiveness is praying in line with God’s will.

Another reason is relational. If someone asked, “Why would I need to go on a date with my wife? We’re already married,” we would recognize that as a misunderstanding of relationship. The purpose of dating isn’t just to get married; it’s to deepen the relationship. Confession works the same way. When we confess what we’ve done wrong and hear God reiterate His forgiveness, it binds us closer to Him relationally and emotionally.

Furthermore, we are instructed to confess not just to God, but to one another. James 5:16 says, “Confess your sins to one another… that you may be healed.” There is a power in verbalizing our sin to our community so they can speak God’s forgiveness and acceptance into our lives.

Psalm 32 is a beautiful account of this. The psalmist says that when he kept quiet, his “bones were wasting away,” but when he confessed, he found liberation. In Psalm 32:7, he says he was “surrounded by shouts of joy.” You have to wonder: who is shouting? It is likely those in his community, reiterating that he is still included and accepted. You never get that experience unless you actually confess.

There are enormous benefits to confession that we simply won’t receive unless we participate in the practice. It is vital, it is commanded, and it is a joy. It allows us to hear God’s forgiveness all over again and binds us closer to our community.

Hope that’s helpful. See you next time.