If Christians are already fully forgiven, justified, and united with Christ, then why do we need to continually confess our sins to God? Why do we keep confessing our sins if all our sins have been canceled in Christ? It’s a great question from a listener to the podcast named Andy, who represents a lot of listeners out there asking this very same question. Here’s how Andy put it: “Hello, Pastor John! Can you help me understand the work of Jesus, whereby all of our sins — past, present, and future — were forgiven in Christ, and yet, we are called to continually confess? I’m thinking specifically of the ‘It is finished’ statement in John 19:30 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up his spirit. , and the amazing reality that Christ ‘forgave all our trespasses’ and ‘canceled our record of debt that stood against us’ in Colossians 2:13 13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, `I say', did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses; –14. But then we’re called to constant confession too in 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. . How do you make sense of these truths?” Read or listen to this interview at our website: https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-do-we-confess-if-our-sins-are-already-forgiven Find other recent and popular Ask Pastor John episodes: https://www.desiringgod.org/ask-pastor-john