There is a recent documentary that addressed the issue of future sins. As Christians, we know that are all our sins are forgiven but there are some that believe that future sins will not. One of the arguments was 1 John 1:9, which says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
What some are saying is if God forgave future sins, then this verse is useless. That is not true. When we confess ours, we are doing is acknowledging that we have sinned and gone against the Spirit of God in us. We acknowledge that Christ's work is sufficient. 1 John 2:1-2 says, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world."
Christians know their past sins are forgiven and we can rest knowing that our future sins are forgiven because Jesus declared on the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30). Christ's finished work on the cross covers not only our sins we have committed in the past, but the ones will commit in the future. This also includes sins we are not even aware of.
What would happen if God did not forgive future sins? Imagine a husband and wife getting into a heated argument. Both say some harsh comments to one another, and the husband walks out to cool off. The wife feels convicted by what she says and confessed her sins to God, now she needs to ask her husband for forgiveness. Time goes by and someone is knocking on her door, which the wife opens to the sight of a police officer informing her that her husband was found dead.
As horrible as this scenario could be, the belief that God not forgiving future sins could be worse. Did the husband confess his sins to God? If he did not, what does that mean for his soul? Does that mean if he did not ask God to forgive him, does that mean he has forfeited his eternity? Does that mean this man would have to go somewhere until that sin was atoned for by someone else that is more powerful than Christ?
If God cannot forgive our future sins, then Jesus’ death on the cross was useless. We have no hope for our sins to be forgiven. Also, what if we sin just before we die and haven’t had a chance to repent that does that mean sin has not been atoned for?
You see what despair and even heresy could lead someone if they truly believe that God does not forgive future sins. Does this mean we live however we want because God forgives future sins? Absolutely not. 1 John 3:6 says, "No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or has come to know Him." This does not mean we gain sinless perfection (wouldn't that be nice), this means what Romans 6:14 says that "sin shall not be master over you." We have been a desire to love and follow God "through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5).
Romans 4:25 says that Christ "was delivered over on account of our transgressions, and was raised on account of our justification." Christ died for sinners (Romans 5:8) and if Christ was not raised, "your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins" (1 Corinthians 15:17).
We have confidence knowing that our sins are forgiven, past, present and future, all because of the finished work of Christ on the cross.
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