Replies

While it is true that the Accuser will remind us of our sin, it is also true that our own conscience does, too.

Romans 2: 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15 since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.)

But, more to the point, the Apostle John says "if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves..."

Therefore, the Holy Spirit convicts our hearts of sin.

Jesus said in John 16: 7 But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10 in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. 12 "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will take from what is mine and make it known to you. 16 "In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me."

It is for our good that God convicts our hearts of our sin. Our response is supposed to be that we "confess our sins" because "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 John is written in large part as a response, rebuke, and correction of the "Gnostics" who were trying to pervert the gospel of the Lord Jesus. In 1 John Chapter One, John is actually speaking to nonbelievers. If you notice, John only addresses "my little children" (believers) beginning in Chapter Two. You'll notice too, that to the believer, he doesn't say to confess your sins but says, "if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John 2:1).

The Holy Spirit convicts ("reproves") unbelievers of sin. "He will reprove the world of sin...because THEY do not believe in me" (John 16:8-9). On the other hand, the Holy Spirit does not convict the believer of sin, but of the believer's righteousness because of Jesus. "He will reprove the world of righteousness...because I go to my father, and YOU see me no more“ (John 16:8, 10).

If we are going to "earnestly contend for the faith that was once delivered to the saints" (Jude 3), we must "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Tim 2:15).

Romans, the definitive book on the gospel of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, makes it crystal clear that the only true righteousness is God's righteousness, not our righteousness (Rom 1:17, 2:21-22). Righteousness is a gift from God through Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17. We are not righteous because of what we do but because of what He did. We don't earn it - he earned it for us.

Hebrews also hammers home the truth of the New Covenant in His blood: "for I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more" (Heb 8:12). ALL of your sins, past, present, and future were judged and completely condemned on the body of Jesus Christ on the cross. God exhausted his full wrath and condemnation of all of our sins, past, present, and future on His son on the cross. There is no more wrath or condemnation left for you and I. Otherwise, God is an unjust God. It would be unjust for God to judge you or condemn you because of your sins because He would be committing double jeopardy - condemning the same sin twice - once on Jesus Christ on the cross and again on you. God will not do that because God is a just, holy, and righteous God.

It is, therefore, not God's will for you to go around remembering your sins because "their sins will I remember no more." When we do otherwise, we fall from grace (Gal 5:4) and discount righteousness judgment of God. The perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us was ONCE and FOREVER for ALL of our sins, past, present, and future (Heb 10:12,14).

The sign, therefore, of a believer who is living and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18) is not his remembrance of sins which the blood of Jesus has completely wiped clean, but his remembrance of the gift of righteousness and the abundance of grace by which he reigns in life (Rom 5:17).