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Pilgrim said:
The Scriptures emphatically teach that a believer MUST confess their sins in order to be cleansed
Of course, but we have here a person who has confessed. The problem is not confession, but assurance.

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xyz also wrote:
Sanctification is taking on the mind of Christ in all areas of one's life.
This also is far from the teaching of biblical Christianity. Both OT and NT speak of holiness in various terms, e.g., to be set apart, transformation into being holy, moral purity, etc. In the NT the nouns are most descriptive. Louis Berkhof wrote the following which I find most helpful and solidly biblical:

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The New Testament word for sanctification is hagiasmos. It occurs ten times, namely, in Rom 6:19,22; 1Cor 1:30; 1 Thess 4:3,4,7; 2Thess 2:13; 1 Tim 2:15; Heb 12:14; 1 Pet 1:2. While it denotes ethical purification, it includes the idea of separation, namely, "the separation of the spirit from all that is impure and polluting, and a renunciation of the sins toward which the desires of the flesh and of the mind lead us." While hagiasmos denotes the work of sanctification, there are two other words that describe the result of the process, namely, hagiotes and hagiosune. The former is found in 1 Cor 1:30 and Heb 12:10; and the latter in Rom 1:4; 2Cor 7:1 and 1 Thess 3:13. These passages show that the quality of holiness or freedom from pollution and impurity is essential to God, was exhibited by Jesus Christ, and is imparted to the Christian. (Systematic Theology, pp. 528-529)
The entirety of chapter 6 of the letter to the Romans deals succinctly with this matter of sanctification and teaches that 1) it is absolutely essential, 2) it will naturally follow one who has been genuinely converted and justified, 3) it is something which takes effort on the part of a believer. The Lord Christ said of His followers, "be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect" (Matt 5:48). And Peter wrote more than clearly on this matter here,

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1 Peter 1:13-16 (ASV) "Wherefore girding up the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in [the time of] your ignorance: but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy."<br>
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And if that wasn't enough, Paul wrote:

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Romans 8:29-30 (ASV) "For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren: and whom he foreordained, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."

Ephesians 1:3-4 (ASV) "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love:"<br>
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So, again, the Scriptures teach that believers are actually transformed; made holy, i.e., brought into conformity with the law through a process of sanctification whereby the "old man" is put off with the thoughts, words and deeds of the flesh and the "new man" is put on which is fashioned after God in knowledge, righteousness and true holiness. (Eph 4:24; Col 3:10) The true Christian actually becomes a partaker of the divine nature. (2 Pet 1:4)
That's entirely in agreement with what I wrote, as are the quotes about love. It is because of love that the saints 'take sides with God against themselves'. If one refrains from sin only because one has been told to do so, one is under law just as surely as the Israelites under Moses were under law. But the law 'written on hearts' changes one's mind so that one no longer wants to sin; that is real transformation, because the mind of Christ hated sin.

'But about the Son he says, "Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever, and righteousness will be the sceptre of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy."' Heb 1:8-9 NIV

So to be renewed with the mind of Christ means to hate one's sins, and to love righteousness. So the cross provides motivation that law can never provide.