Confessing to be Cleansed

We will not be completely free of sin as long as we remain in this body. We know that because God told us in 1 John 1:9, that believers are to confess their sins to be cleansed.

1 John 1:9
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

If anyone thinks they never sin again after salvation, this person will not grow in holiness, their salvation experience is in question. If someone can never admit their sins, no matter how small, then they deal with a Jezebel spirit, one that is in rebellion against God.

We should be growing and changing all the time and the very big sins ought to fall away quickly as the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and leads us to righteousness.

One who remains in monster sins, even defending them without a desire to be delivered cannot be born again, the rebellion in their heart remains, they have never been changed into a new creation. Believers do sin, but they hate it, they confess it and go one to improve in their walk with Christ.

If someone has been a "Christian" their entire lives for many years and are still indulging in obvious sin, then chances are good they were or are pretenders. That obvious sin can be as small as an inability to empathize with others or admit their own failings.

I meet them all the time, people who go to church and will argue with us that it's alright to shack up with a lover their not married to, after all they say, "God knows my heart." Many will not admit pride and arrogance.

Yes, God knows their heart, He knows they have no desire to please Him, they don't love Him and they were never born again.

There are believers who struggle with sin, the key word here is "struggle", if they are struggling with their sin then they are being trained by the Holy Spirit, eventually they will leave behind their arrogance and be humbled by God through circumstances.

Unsaved people do not struggle with their sin, they deny it or defend it, we have all met people like this, no amount of information or Biblical evidence will convince them, they are hell bent.

Exodus 7:13-14 "13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go."

A hardened heart cannot be reached by man, one must walk away from them and pray that God will do His work.

2 Timothy 4:3 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but having itching ears, they shall heap to themselves teachers in accordance with their own lusts."