8 God’s Faithfulness to the Believer
God’s faithfulness to all believers in rebound and recovery, as stated in 1JO 1:9 says, “if we acknowledge [name and cite] our sins, he is faithful and righteous, with the result that he forgives us our sins [known sins] and purifies us from all unrighteousness [unknown sins].” That is, when we name or cite the sins that we know that we have committed, God is faithful to forgive us of our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness, which refers to the unknown sins. The same principle is taught in the following passages:
But if we judged ourselves rightly, we should not be judged. (1CO 11:31)
Only acknowledge your iniquity, that you have transgressed against the Lord your God and have scattered your favors to the strangers under every green tree, and you have not obeyed My voice, declares the Lord.
I acknowledged my sin to Thee, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; and Thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin. Selah. (PSA 32:5)
For I confess my iniquity; I am full of anxiety because of my sin. (PSA 38:18)
God knew in eternity past all of the sins that we would ever commit. God the Father imputed those sins to the Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross, and judged them. Therefore, God is impressed only with Jesus Christ, and His sacrificial work on behalf of us sinners. As such, God is justified to forgive us because He has been propitiated, or satisfied, by the sacrifice of His perfect Son. As a result, there is no compromise of His integrity when He faithfully forgives us as we name and cite our sins.
A very important principle emerges here: There is no merit in naming a sin. Although legalism says you must feel sorry in order to be forgiven, grace says that the way you feel is inconsequential, and not the issue. When we name and cite our sins, God faithfully forgives us, regardless of how we feel. Therefore, you can forget the sin, and move on immediately.
There are four mechanics involved in rebound:
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