When you come to Christ in saving faith, the Bible teaches that you are forgiven of all of our sins, declared righteous by the blood of Jesus Christ, and are born again into God’s family. You become God’s child and Jesus tells us that “I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand” (John 10:28). This is a great promise of Scripture that confirms the hope of our faith. Yet if we are truly forgiven of all our sin (past, present, and future), then why are we told to confess our sins to God as we commit them on a daily basis? (see 1 John 1:9). The answer to this question has caused some to veer off in a wrong direction with their theology, but there is a way to understand this that is easier than you might think (and which was illustrated in a parable from Jesus himself).

In the parable of the prodigal son (see Luke 15:11-32), Jesus tells the story of a man with two sons. One was faithful and one was rebellious, took his inheritance in advance, and left home to squander it on the pleasures of this world. After coming to his senses, the prodigal son determines to go back to his father, confess his sin, and beg for a menial position of service in his father’s house. When the father sees the son returning, he is grateful, welcoming, loving, and forgiving. While a number of things are illustrated in this parable, the nature of forgiveness offered by the father is a key point. It didn’t matter how far gone his son may have been, the father would always see him as one of his own. The son may deal with the consequences of his sin, but forgiveness is always available from the father when he turns back with a repentant heart and confession.

Most of us who are parents can understand this example. I have eight kids. Two are grown and married and in the next years ahead the others will eventually grow up and into their own lives as well. Do my kids always do what pleases me? Of course not. Have I ever threatened to disown them for their disobedience? Never. They will always be my children. Nothing they can do or say will ever change that. However, I know many parents who are heartbroken over their children’s actions and are sometimes distanced in their relationship because of it (especially with grown children). In these cases, sin affects the relationship with the parents but it never corrupts the child’s identity. This is exactly how it is when we sin before God the father. Our relationship may be hindered, but our identity as one of His children is preserved.

That is a wonderful promise, but it is not a license for us to sin. For we do not experience the benefits of being in fellowship with God when we live a life of sin. That was certainly the case of the prodigal son and we see it in many households where parents are estranged from their kids. That is why it is so important to understand our Father’s disposition towards us when we are in sin. 1 John 1:9 assures us that “he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins”. He is just like the father in the parable, waiting for us to turn back to Him, to recognize our failings, to confess our pride and stubbornness and selfishness and everything else that has interfered with the bountiful relationship that we should be having with Him. When we do that, we KNOW that He is always faithful to us, willing to forgive, and cleanse us white as snow once again. We never stop being a child of God once we put our faith in Jesus Christ, but we often need to come back with a heart of repentance and be cleansed from sin so that our relationship can be restored.

In a very practical sense, we as Christians need to take advantage of this offer on a daily basis. None of us make it through a day in perfect communion and obedience to God. Knowing that we can have that relationship restored from our loving heavenly Father is a great comfort. But what about your family? Maybe you have unrepentant and wayward grown children and the relationship has been strained or broken. Do your children know that you have that same disposition toward them as God the Father has toward you? Do they know that if they turn back and ask for forgiveness that they will find you waiting with grateful, welcoming, open arms? Let’s learn to take not only comfort from the promise of the prodigal son, but be an example of the Father’s love to those who should be closest to us.