When we sincerely (as much as we are able) repent and forsake a sin, should we have confidence that God will forgive our sin practically immediately and that should consider our relationship with him to be restored? Should verses like 1 Jn 1:9 be taken as a promise that God will always forgive immediately after we sincerely repent (even though the physical consequences of sin may still remain) or is there a period of waiting upon the Lord before we receive forgiveness?

I believe John Owen in Mortification of Sin chapter 13 seems to imply the latter position. Am I reading him wrong? What is the biblical position?

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Mark
Independent baptist
Singapore

I think God immediately forgives us, these will not be charged to our account on the day of judgment (believers before Christ). As you say, God may or may not relieve us of the consequences to deal with and we must rely on God's grace to forgive ourselves and forsake the sin.

"Waiting" in any sense sounds conditional, and I would take God at His Word- it is, in fact, forgiveness right now.

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Scott
PCA
North Carolina


"Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised)"
Hebrews 10:23

Forgiveness to God's elect, IMHO, is immediate for Christ's sake, not ours. Christ has paid the price for those sins and God forgives us based on His merit, not ours.

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Josh Hicks, Chloë's Dad
Christ Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church, RPCGA
Facebook - The Calvinist Vent
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It is God that multiplies our sorrows.... God, as a righteous Judge, does it, which ought to silence us under all our sorrows; as many as they are, we have deserved them all, and more: nay, God, as a tender Father, does it for our necessary correction, that we may be humbled for sin, and weaned from the world by all our sorrows; and the good we get by them, with the comfort we have under them, will abundantly balance our sorrows, how greatly soever they are multiplied. - Matthew Henry

Yes, forgiveness for Christ's Elect is necessarily immediately effective i.e. you can't die in between the repentance and the forgiveness and end up not forgiven! The efficacy of the cross of Christ makes that clear.

But how do you know you are one of the Elect? This is Owen's point - do not speak peace to yourself before God does. Do not appropriate the promises God has made to the Elect when you do not have assurance that you are of the Elect. If you do not have 100% assurance, join me on my knees waiting on God, as the watchmen wait for the morning...

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Paul
No denomination, affiliated with FIEC
"Deliver me from worldly dispositions, for I am born from above and destined for glory" - Valley of Vision
"They think it strange that you do not plunge with them into the same flood of dissipation" - Peter