Sanctification & Prayers of Repentance

Dear Church Family,

In our continuing Sunday school lessons on church membership, this past Sunday we began our lesson on the third vow of church membership: “Do you now resolve and promise, in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit, that you will endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ?” A promise to endeavor to live as becomes the followers of Christ entails the believer’s pursuit of holiness and growth in sanctification.

And so, we considered the teaching of the Westminster Confession of Faith on the doctrine of sanctification. Here is a very brief summary overview of the Confession’s teaching on sanctification:

WCF 13.1 – Born again believers’ sanctification is begun in their receiving a new heart and a new spirit. They are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, by His Word and Spirit dwelling in them. There are basically three parts of God’s sanctifying work which leads to the practice of true holiness: (1) the rule of sin is destroyed, (2) the lusts of sin are increasingly weakened and killed, and (3) believers are increasingly made alive and strengthened. (See Romans 6:8-14)

WCF 13.2 – Born again believers experience sanctification in their whole person; however, because of the remnants of corruption which remain, the Christians experiences and fights in a continual war: the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. (See Romans 7:14-25)

WCF 13.3 – Though sin is no longer our master, it still has power to temporarily prevail; however, because of the sanctifying power of the Spirit of Christ in us, the regenerate part will eventually be victorious. And, even as saints continue to sin, they will grow in God’s grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (See Romans 8:1-11)

Continually Asking for Forgiveness?

One of the topics that arose during our lesson was the question of praying to God for forgiveness; specifically, since the believer’s sins are forgiven in his being justified by faith, why does he have to continue to pray and ask God for the forgiveness of sins?

In seeking an answer to this question, let’s consider three passages of Scripture. First, God’s Word encourages believers to pray and seek God’s forgiveness, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). These words are written to those who have fellowship with God, walk in the Light, have fellowship with one another, and “the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 7). As we walk in the light, our sins become more apparent, and we see them more clearly. Then, as we confess our sins, God will continue to forgive our sins.

Second, the Scriptures teach us that Jesus is the permanent and perfect high priest of a new and better covenant who “is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25). Since Jesus continues to intercede on our behalf before God the Father, we can be assured that as we approach God in faith, He will forgive our sins because of our perfect Mediator, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Third,  consider the fifth petition of the Lord’s prayer, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). In directing His disciples how to pray, the Lord Jesus is prescribing how the children of God are to approach their Father in heaven. This is evident by the address which Jesus teaches us to use in prayer, “Our Father, who is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). The point here is that our God is not only the Judge of all the earth who declares our sins forgiven through the atoning sacrifice of His Son, He is also the Father of all those united to Jesus Christ by faith. And, as a loving Father, He desires a continuing relationship with His children, a relationship that is marked by growing in holiness and Christlikeness. And, one of the primary means which the Lord has given us to grow in our relationship with Him and in holiness is prayer, and that includes praying for the forgiveness of sins.

Conclusion

So, in one sense, we can say that for those who are justified by faith in Christ, God as Judge has forgiven all of our sins (past, present, and future) – He has “forgiven us all our transgression, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14). And, in another sense, we can say that for those who are justified by faith in Christ, God as Father desires for His children to grow closer to Him and to become more like Him – God “disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness” (Hebrews 12:8-10).

In the end, it would seem that we are asking the wrong question. Instead of asking, “Why does the believer have to continue to pray and ask God for the forgiveness of sins?” we ought to ask, “Why does the believer get to continue to pray and ask God for the forgiveness of sins?” And, the only answer can be because of “the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).

The Lord be with You,

- Pastor Peter M. Dietsch