The first kind of forgiveness is included in the objective gift of salvation, powered by grace, that God has given us. This forgiveness is applied to our sins— past, present, and future. We see that in Ephesians 1: 6-8.

“…In Him [Jesus] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding”

Upon receiving Jesus, the believer’s sins are placed upon Jesus. At the same time, Jesus’ righteousness is placed upon or credited to the believer. As such, the believer’s sins are forgiven and the believer is then declared innocent. The term used for this beginning of the believer’s salvation, and throughout, is called justification.

Justified by God in this way, as innocent, falls within the context of a courtroom proceeding; all in accordance with the Law. Jesus is guilty and pays the price of sin. The believer is now innocent. Therefore, the forgiveness rendered in this situation to the believer can be thought of as judicial forgiveness.

So then, we come to the second kind of forgiveness. This forgiveness involves itself in the believer’s spiritual growth; meaning it’s there as a help while the believer subjectively experiences the objective gift of salvation. We see that in 1 John 1: 9.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The experience that the believer partakes of is Jesus’ imparted righteousness; not His righteousness that is credited to and covers us (justification), but His righteousness that works inside of us to grow us into His image. The term used for this continuance of salvation is called sanctification.

Being sanctified by God is an intimate process. Therefore, being forgiven during this development can be thought of as a relational, or better yet, familial forgiveness. After all, God, as our Creator and Father, is our closest relative.

Here’s the context for familial forgiveness. Think of any two relatives. If one wrongs the other, they remain relatives, but the wrong becomes an obstruction in the relationship until the wrong is admitted. In the same way is our relationship hampered with the Lord when we sin. Sinning is a wrong against God, and it takes us out of a right standing with Him until our sin is confessed.

At the point of confession, God forgives. The relationship is restored, and Jesus’ cleansing, sanctifying righteousness can then continue to work within us.

There’s one other thing I’m going to note about not confessing sin. It creates the risk of putting the soul in peril by grieving and driving away the Holy Spirit. So the Lord, seeking to finish what He’s started in us, will discipline us and/or put pressure upon our consciences to get us to confess. He is absolutely willing to help us work out our salvation in this way.

That’s the love of a good Father who, having legally declared us innocent at salvation through judicial forgiveness, desires to actually grow us into the innocent likeness of Jesus by way of familial forgiveness.

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I give a little more insight about the terms used in this post – objective and subjective gift of salvation – in  my posting called In Jesus. Click here to read it.