Bible Study Discussions with Gary Panell

Question: If justification takes care of sin past, present, and future, so there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1), why pray for forgiveness? Aren't you praying for something that is already yours?

Answer: Thank you for your question. It is true that our sins are forgiven, past, present and future positionally; however, our relationship with God in the area of fellowship is also important. The best way we can illustrate it is like a family. Children are in a family, that is not in question, but their fellowship with their parents is important. So if they disobey their parents they need to ask their forgiveness, it is not a question of being kicked out of the family. That is why we have 1 John 1:9 in the Bible for Christians. This book was written for us as believers, and it says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Another passage that has to do with this subject is: “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

“And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, are You washing my feet?'

“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘ What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this.'

“Peter said to Him, ‘You shall never wash my feet!'

“Jesus answered him, ‘ If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.'

“Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head!'

“Jesus said to him, ‘ He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.' For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, ‘ You are not all clean.'" (John 13:1-11)

These verses help us to see what happens when we are saved. Jesus says we are clean; it is just that we are walking around in a dirty world, so to speak. So our feet get dirty, but we don't have to get washed all over all the time, we need to take care of the sins that come into our lives day by day. We need to ask forgiveness for these to clean as it were, our spiritual feet.

I hope this helps, but write if you want to discuss this or any other subject more.

Your brother in Christ,

Gary Panell

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Keywords: forgiveness of sins, past sins, present sins, future sins, condemnation, prayer