Question: “What Happens if I Confess and I am Forgiven of my Sins, but I Don’t Repent?”

By Brother Michel Lankford

That would be FOOLISH. Beloved of YHWH Almighty God. I PRAY that you DO NOT take that approach to life. It would be FATAL; (eternally fatal). It would cost you your Eternal Life. That is highly, dangerous. Beloved of YAH, don’t you understand?! You would be piling more sin on top of sin. To do that, you would be sinning on purpose! To refuse to repent IS Voting to REMAIN and CONTINUE in SIN. Why would you EVER be that STUPID?

Here is the Problem: If you know enough to CONFESS your sins,Then that also means that you KNOW that you should repent and turn away from your sins. If you choose NOT to practice REPENTING from your sins, then you WILL come under MORE SEVERE, judgment, punishment, and condemnation; because you would be choosing to sin on purpose and with full knowledge that what you were doing was wrong. That’s BEYOND Dangerous. That is evil. I BEG you. Please DO not live that way.

Michel Lankford

First, let’s review what it means to CONFESS Biblically:

To CONFESS literally means to be of ONE MIND in AGREEMENT with YHWH, and to SPEAK the SAME thing. A CONFESSION of FAITH then would mean that you were TRULY in AGREEMENT with YHWH concerning your BELIEFS, and you would SPEAK the SAME thing that YHWH has SPOKEN.

To CONFESS SIN, means that I come into AGREEMENT with YHWH, that I DID in fact SIN, and then I SPEAK the SAME thing that YHWH has SPOKEN concerning what I did, or what I failed to do. Anything less is NOT a GENUINE CONFESSION of sin.

You can see the critical implication, can’t you? It’s CRUCIAL to understand what YHWH says, and HOW HE defines things, otherwise I CANNOT truly CONFESS.

For example, if I don’t understand and AGREE with how YHWH defines SIN, then I CANNOT truly CONFESS my sins, to be forgiven, (1 John 1:8-9).

(Sin Defined: Daniel 9:11; Hosea 8:1; 1 John 3:4; Isaiah 5:20-24).

“Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4 KJV cf. Romans 7:7).

God’s Righteous Targets. Hitting These Targets is Righteousness. Missing These Targets is Sin

• Is it done in Love? (1 Corinthians 13:4-8; Ephesians 4:32; Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 7:12).
  
• Is it done in Faith, toward YHWH Almighty God, and Messiah? (Romans 14:23b; Hebrews 11:1,6; Romans 10:17; Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; 1 John 2:22).
  
• Is it done in OBEDIENCE to the Heavenly Father and Messiah’s Commandments? (Deuteronomy 7:9; 1 John 3:4; Hosea 8:1; Daniel 9:11; John 12:49-50; John 14:21; John 15:10; Romans 8:5-8).
  
• Is it done on purpose to glorify and honor God? (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17-23; James 2:12; John 5:19, 30; 1 John 2:1-6).
  
• Did I do the good that I know to do and that God has taught me to do in His Word? (James 4:17; Isaiah 5:20-24).
  
• Did I treat the other person the same way that I would like to be treated myself (Matthew 7:12)?

If you can honestly and truthfully answer yes to these questions, then you are doing right. If the true answer is no to those basic questions, then you have sinned and you need to repent, and get back on track as quickly as you can.

Second, let’s review and remember what it means to repent Biblically:

To repent; (in Hebrew: TESHUVAH= Literally to destroy or to forsake your own sinful ways, and to RETURN to YHWH Almighty God and to HIS ways);

in Greek: METANOEÔ.

• To CHANGE one’s MIND
  
• To CHANGE one’s PURPOSES and INTENTIONS
  
• & to CHANGE one’s DIRECTION and BEHAVIORS AWAY FROM what YHWH considers to be SIN, and then to RETURN TO what YHWH considers to be RIGHTEOUS.

(E.g. Ezekiel 18:21-22; Luke 15:11-32; Luke 19:1-10).

Unless we progressively do those things, we are NOT repenting.

Yahshua/Jesus (ישוע) the Messiah SAID, that if we do not repent, we WILL PERISH, (see Luke 13:3).

• Every time you refuse to repent, you are actively casting a vote to be separated FROM God and FROM Jesus Christ, and from God’s People (Exodus 33:3; Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:2; Psalm 95:7-11; Proverbs 15:8-9, 29; Matthew 5:21-26).
  
• Every time you refuse to repent, you are actively casting a vote to be deceived and enslaved to sin (Hebrews 3:13; Isaiah 44:20; Matthew 8:31-34; Romans 6:16; Romans 7:11; 7:14; 7:25; Ephesians 4:22).
  
• Every time you refuse to repent, you are actively voting for Lawlessness, and for your Love to grow COLD. (Mathew 24:12-13). You are also actively voting NOT to be saved.
  
• Every time you refuse to repent, you are actively casting a vote to belong to the ANTICHRIST and NOT to the Savior (2 Thessalonians 2:7-12).
  
• Every time you refuse to repent, you are actively casting your vote NOT to GROW, and NOT to be Perfected in Love (1 John 2:5).
  
• Every time you refuse to repent, you are actively casting a vote NOT to REMAIN in the Heavenly Kingdom (John 8:31-35).
  
• Every time you refuse to repent, you are actively casting a vote for DEATH and NOT Life ((1 Chronicles 10:13; Proverbs 11:19; Ezekiel 18:4; James 1:13-15; Romans 6:23).
  
• Every time you refuse to repent, you are actively casting a vote to be thrown into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 14:9-11; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:8; Matthew 25:41; Matthew 13:41-42; Matthew 24:41; Matthew 25:30; Luke 16:19-31).
  
• Every time you DO choose to practice Repenting, you are actively casting a vote to belong to God, to belong to Messiah, and to be a citizen of His Heavenly Kingdom (1 John 3:7-10).
  
• Every time you choose NOT to repent, you are actively voting to belong to the devil and NOT to God (1 John 3:7-10). That is NOT merely MY OPINION. It is what the “New Testament” physically says. Don’t just take my word for it. Read it for yourself:
  

As it is written: Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” (1 John 3:7–10, NKJV)

“To WHOM do YOU WANT to BELONG?” Do you WANT to belong to Almighty God, or do you want to belong to the devil? Make no mistake. When you are deciding whether or not you are going to repent of any sin, that is the ultimate decision you are making.”

RML

Yahshua/Jesus (ישוע) the Messiah taught, that if we know the will of God, and we do not do it, we will be punished MORE SEVERELY, (see Luke 12:35-48; Ezekiel 18).

The apostle James said that if we know to do good and we do not do it, that is sin.

Piling more sin, on top of sin

As It Is Written:

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. (James 4:17 NKJV)

So, you would be piling more sin on top of sin. If you know enough to confess something as a sin, that means that you also know enough that you need to practice repenting and turning away from that thing. By refusing to repent when you know that you should, then you are just committing another sin.

Refusing to repent is the SAME as saying that you DON’T Love God, or that you love your sin more than you love God. That becomes IDOLATRY, because you love YOUR ways more than you love God.

Beloved, please think about it. It is absolutely CRITICAL to understand that 18 times throughout the Whole Testament of Scriptures, YHWH Almighty connects the idea of Loving Him directly with Keeping His Commandments. In other words, most often, whenever loving YHWH Almighty is discussed, OBEYING His Commandments is closely connected. It’s noteworthy that in all of Scripture there is NOT a single example that teaches that we can love YHWH Almighty by disobeying His Commandments or by ever doing the OPPOSITE of what YHWH said to do. There is never a way to show the Almighty Creator that you love Him, by breaking His Commandments or doing the opposite of what His Word instructs you to do. Loving YHWH is always closely connected with OBEYING His Commandments and doing what He said to do.

(Exodus 20:6; Deuteronomy 5:10; Deuteronomy 7:9; Deuteronomy 11:1; Deuteronomy 11:13; Deuteronomy 11:22; Deuteronomy 19:9; Deuteronomy 30:16; Joshua 22:5; Nehemiah 1:5; Psalm 119:127; Daniel 9:4; John 14:15; John 14:21; John 15:10; 1 John 5:2;1 John 5:3; 2 John 6; cf. John 12:49-50).

As It Is Written:

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. (1 John 5:3 NKJV)

A key part of the definition of loving God is practicing KEEPING His Commandments. That is even in the New Testament. So, you can’t love God, without repenting and Doing His Will. That’s impossible.

Refusing to repent is the SAME as saying that you DON’T REALLY KNOW Jesus Christ

Jesus the Messiah specifically SAID that in order to have Eternal Life, we had to KNOW Almighty God, and we had to KNOW Jesus Christ the Son Whom He has sent:

As It Is Written:

“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (John 17:3 NKJV)

So, in order to have Eternal Life, according to Jesus, I must KNOW YHWH Almighty God, and I must KNOW Jesus the Messiah. If I don’t know Him, then I DO NOT have Eternal Life. Therefore, it becomes CRITICAL that I understand the biblical definition of what it means to KNOW Him:

As It Is Written:

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1 John 2:3–6 NKJV).

So, the PROOF that I really KNOW YHWH Almighty God is that I practice KEEPING His Commandments.

The PROOF that I have come to really KNOW Messiah is that I practice KEEPING His Commandments.

Anyone who claims to KNOW Him, but refuses to practice keeping His Commandments, is a liar. If you are a liar, then you are not saved, (Revelation 21:7-8). There is no getting around that.

Refusing to repent and obey Messiah is the SAME as physically testifying that you are not saved, and that you are headed for judgment, NOT Salvation:

As It Is Written:

““He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” (John 3:36 NASB95)

As It Is Written:

“And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation, (Hebrews 5:9 NASB95)

Did you notice it? Yahshua/Jesus (ישוע) the Messiah became the source of eternal salvation to those who OBEY Him. He is NOT the source of salvation for those who REFUSE to OBEY Him. To those who REFUSE to OBEY Him, He is the source of JUDGMENT, and NOT salvation. That’s in the New Testament.

God Gives us ALL the Grace We Need to Repent and to Overcome Sin

• By His Grace, God provides everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). So, everything we need to achieve the Godliness that God wants from us, God makes available and provides for us cf. Titus 2:11-15).
  
• By His Grace, God provides us the ability to read, to believe, and understand the Scripture. We couldn’t do that without His Grace.
  
• By His, Grace God has provided us with 7,487 Promises from God to humankind in Scripture. The WHOLE PURPOSE of God’s Promises, is to CONVERT our nature into a new godly nature and to help us escape the corruption that is in the world through lust, sinful passions, and evil desires (2 Peter 1:4), That is WHY His Promises exist. So, are we using the Grace that God provides to help us learn and USE His Promises to achieve those goals, or not?
  
• By His Grace, God works inside of us to make us both willing and able to do what pleases God (Philippians 2:13). So, are we choosing to learn and to use the Grace that God provides to help us learn to live that way, or not? It obviously pleases God when we repent, turn away from sin, and RETURN to walking with God, and walking in His Ways. So, are we choosing to use the Grace that God provides to help us do that successfully, or not?
  
• By His Grace, God has provided Jesus Christ the Messiah to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins (Isaiah 53:1-6; Daniel 9:26; John 1:29; 1 John 2:2; Colossians 1:20; 1 Timothy 1:15).
  
• By His Grace, God has Promised that if we continuously call upon Him, He will save us (Joel 2:32).
  
• By His Grace, God Promised to receive us when we come to Him (Isaiah 55:1-11).
  
• By His Grace, Jesus the Messiah Promised to receive us when we come to Him (Matthew 11:28-30; John 6:37). So, are we using the Grace that God provides to come to YHWH and to come to Messiah regularly until we succeed, or not?
  
• By His, Grace God Provides the Holy Spirit for us. He comes to live inside of us. He helps us to see the truth, to recognize our sin, to confess our sin, and to obey God (John 16:13; John 16:8; Ezekiel 11:19-20; Ezekiel 36:25-27; Philippians 2:13). Are we using the Grace that God provides to help us submit to the Holy Spirit and accomplish these things, or not?
  
• By His Grace, God provides us ALL of these blessings and more. All we have to do is ask, and continue asking; seek, and continue seeking, and knock, and continue knocking until all of these blessings are a living reality in our lives. We are Biblically GUARANTEED to RECEIVE these things if we continue and we DON’T quit (Matthew 7:7-8; Galatians 6:7-9).

When you refuse to practice repenting, you are inviting Eternal Punishment:

That is just a sample of the blessings and provisions that God makes available to us so that we can and will repent successfully. So, all things considered, we have ZERO excuse for choosing NOT to USE the Grace that God provides us. We should be USING the Grace that God provides to HELP us repent and overcome successfully. If we foolishly choose NOT to use the Grace that God provides to help us accomplish those tasks, then we deserve whatever punishment results from that. Make no mistake.

As It Is Written:

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26–31 ESV)

RML-WTDS

Thank you for your kind attention.

Shalom.

Brother Michel Lankford