Perhaps I have misconceived and therefore misrepresented the nature of the application of God's forgiveness of our sins, and this has contributed to my friend's present confusion/difficulty.

In response to a question about Bob George's teaching that Christians should not confess their sins since their sins "were forgiven at the cross" Ra McLaughlin writes:

Quote
This last point highlights an important distinction that Bob George fails to make, specifically the distinction between what Jesus did on the cross, and what the Holy Spirit and Jesus do now. Jesus obtained forgiveness for us on the cross, but we were not forgiven of all our sins at that time. Rather, the application of forgiveness comes to us in our own lives as the Holy Spirit applies forgiveness to us and as Christ intercedes for us - and they do not do these things before we sin. Rather, it is an ongoing application. As we continue to sin, the Holy Spirit continues to apply forgiveness to us. This is what makes Christ's current intercession so important. If his work on the cross had finished his intercession for us, then all that would remain for him to do would be to wait for his return. But the Bible tells us that Christ is in heaven right now interceding for us (e.g. Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25), meaning that he is now before God's throne pleading the merit of his shed blood on behalf of believers who continue to sin. As Jesus maintains God's approval through this intercession, the Holy Spirit is free to forgive and cleanse us of the sins we regularly commit.

Would you agree or disagree with this?


The full article is here:
Is It Wrong to Confess Your Sins?

[Linked Image]