Tag Archives: fellowship with God

The Right to Pray to God

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Christ grants believers direct access to the Father in prayer through His name (John 16:23; Eph. 2:18). This means we approach the Father on the basis of Christ’s merit and finished work, not our own performance or worthiness. Jesus said, “If you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you” (John 16:23b). To pray “in My name” is not a formula of words, but an appeal grounded in who Christ is and what He has accomplished. According to Hart, “The prayer is made for Jesus’ sake, not primarily for personal benefit. So we can ask in prayer as if Jesus were asking it. This implies that our prayers must be designed according to His will, character, and purpose (1 John 5:14–15).[1]

This access is also mediated through the Spirit. Paul writes, “through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father” (Eph. 2:18). The Son provides the way, and the Spirit enables the approach. The believer does not strive to gain audience with God; he already possesses it. This reflects the new covenant reality, where barriers are removed. The veil has been torn (Matt. 27:51), and the believer is invited to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace” (Heb. 4:16). Prayer, then, is not an attempt to secure God’s attention, but the exercise of a privilege already granted in Christ.

Jesus opened a new avenue of fellowship where the believer stands welcomed and heard because he is identified with the Son. Union with Christ is the ground of this relationship. As the Father hears the Son, so He hears those who are in Him. This establishes both confidence and responsibility. Confidence, because access is secured. Responsibility, because prayer is to be aligned with the character and will of God. John writes, “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). The believer’s requests are shaped by Scripture (His revealed will), guided by the Spirit, and directed toward God’s purposes.

This privilege results in fullness of joy. Jesus said, “ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full” (John 16:24). Answered prayer is not merely about obtaining what is requested, but about deeper fellowship with God. As the believer learns to pray in dependence on Christ and in submission to the Father’s will, he experiences the stability, peace, and joy that come from communion with God.

Reasons why prayer is not answered:

Negative answers to prayer often trace back to the believer’s condition and thinking. Scripture identifies several causes. Domestic strife disrupts prayer, for “your prayers will not be hindered” only when there is proper harmony (1 Pet. 3:7). A pattern of evil living places one out of fellowship, since “the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Pet. 3:12), and inward sin blocks effectiveness, for “if I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear” (Ps. 66:18). A lack of compassion can close the channel, since “he who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered” (Prov. 21:13). Neglect of God’s word further blocks prayer, for “He who turns away his ear from listening to the law, even his prayer is an abomination” (Prov. 28:9; cf. Zec. 7:12–13), and effective prayer assumes that His word is abiding within (John 15:7). Self-centered, lust-driven requests fail because “you ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives” (Jam. 4:3), and a lack of faith destabilizes prayer, since the one who doubts “ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord” (Jam. 1:6–7). Disobedience further hinders prayer, for answered prayer is connected to walking in what pleases the Lord (1 John 3:22). Finally, prayer that runs contrary to God’s will is not granted, for “if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). The issue is not access, which is secured in Christ, but alignment with God’s word and will.

Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

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[1] John F. Hart, “John,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1648.

Judicial and Familial Forgiveness with God

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In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs His disciples to petition, “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors” (Matt 6:12). Following the prayer, He clarifies the principle: “For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions” (Matt 6:14–15). The audience is unmistakably believers, for Jesus speaks of God as their “Father.” Thus, the forgiveness in view is not forensic but relational, not judicial but familial.

Scripture distinguishes two categories of divine forgiveness. The first is judicial forgiveness, wherein God acts as Judge toward the unbeliever. At the moment of faith in Christ, the sinner receives full and final pardon, past, present, and future, so that the eternal penalty of sin is removed once for all (John 3:16; Acts 10:43; Rom 8:1; Eph 1:7; Col 2:13–14). According to Constable, “There is judicial forgiveness that every person experiences when he or she trusts in Christ as Savior (Rom 5:1). God will never condemn believers in Christ to eternal damnation for their sins, because they trust in His Son (Rom 8:1).”[1] This act of grace grants eternal life, secures the believer’s standing in God’s righteousness, and guarantees immunity from condemnation (John 5:24). Because it rests entirely upon the finished work of Christ, judicial forgiveness is irrevocable and unrepeatable.

The second category is familial forgiveness, wherein God acts as Father toward His children. Unlike judicial forgiveness, this does not concern eternal salvation but fellowship. Sin never dissolves the believer’s union with Christ, yet it does grieve the Spirit (Eph 4:30) and rupture communion with God. Familial forgiveness is restored when the believer confesses sin (1 John 1:9), acknowledging disobedience and submitting afresh to the Father’s will. Professor Hodges states, “What is considered in 1 John 1:9 may be described as ‘familial’ forgiveness. It is perfectly understandable how a son may need to ask his father to forgive him for his faults while at the same time his position within the family is not in jeopardy.”[2] Such confession does not re-secure salvation but re-establishes experiential fellowship, renewing intimacy with God and refreshing the soul. Hoyt states:

“The daily forgiveness of those who are within the family of God is distinguished from judicial and positional forgiveness which was applied forensically to all of a person’s sins the moment he believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul writes of this forensic forgiveness in Colossians 2:13: “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses.” The point Paul makes is that the believer is completely forgiven legally before the sin is even committed. The question that arises concerning a believer’s sins is between the Father and a son, and not between a judge and a criminal [italics his].”[3]

It is this latter forgiveness that Jesus addresses in the Lord’s Prayer. An unforgiving spirit is itself sinful, for Christ commands His followers to forgive as they have been forgiven (Matt 18:21–35; Eph 4:32; Col 3:13). When believers refuse to extend forgiveness, they forfeit experiential fellowship with God until they repent of hardness of heart. In such cases, the Father withholds familial forgiveness, not as judicial punishment but as loving discipline designed to restore obedience and relational harmony (Heb 12:5–11).

The principle Jesus sets forth is plain: those who have received immeasurable forgiveness at salvation are obligated to extend forgiveness in daily life. Judicial forgiveness secures the believer’s eternal standing, while familial forgiveness maintains communion with the Father. Failure to forgive never jeopardizes one’s position in Christ, but it does ensure that fellowship remains broken until grace toward others is extended in the same measure it has been received.

Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

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[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Ps 51:19.

[2] Zane C. Hodges, “1 John,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 886.

[3] Samuel L. Hoyt, “The Judgment Seat of Christ in Theological Perspective Part 1: The Judgment Seat of Christ and Unconfessed Sins,” Bibliotheca Sacra 137 (1980): 38.

Vertical and Horizontal Confession

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Biblically speaking, there are two kinds of confession: vertical confession to God and horizontal confession to people. Vertical confession is a private matter between us and the Lord. The forgiveness we seek in this instance is familial, not judicial. Judicial forgiveness refers to God’s once-for-all act of pardoning all our sins at the moment of faith in Christ, securing our eternal standing as justified believers (John 5:24; Rom 3:28; 8:1). Familial forgiveness, on the other hand, concerns the ongoing restoration of our fellowship with God as our heavenly Father when we confess our post-salvation sins (1 John 1:9).

As Christians, when we sin, we break fellowship with God (1 John 1:5–7). What is lost is not our salvation—which remains secure and permanent (John 10:28)—but fellowship. Sin grieves the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30), violates God’s righteous standard (1 John 3:4), and leaves us functioning according to the sin nature (1 Cor 3:1–3). Yet God, in His grace, has provided a simple and powerful means for us to receive familial forgiveness and be restored to fellowship and the filling of the Holy Spirit: confession. God promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9; cf. Psa 32:5).

Confession is simple: we name the sin to God—without excuses, without bargaining, and without dramatic performances. No crawling across the floor. No endless weeping to prove we mean it. We are simply honest with God. At the moment we confess, forgiveness is granted, cleansing takes place, and fellowship between the Father and His child is restored. This happens whether we feel different or not. God said that if we confess our sins to Him, “He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Faith is to trust God at His Word. He said it; He will do it. He cannot lie. We accept His forgiveness by faith, not by feelings.

In divine forgiveness, God may sometimes eliminate the consequences of sin, but not always. In His grace and sovereignty, God may choose to remove or lessen the consequences as part of His mercy, as seen in the case of David’s sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam 12:13). However, there are instances when the natural consequences of sin remain, even after forgiveness, because they serve a purpose in God’s discipline and our spiritual growth. For example, while David was forgiven, the death of his child still occurred as a result of his sin (2 Sam 12:14). This demonstrates that while God forgives and restores fellowship, the consequences of sin may still be part of His disciplinary process. Likewise, in 1 Corinthians 11:32, Paul writes that God disciplines believers for their sins so that they will not be condemned with the world, indicating that God’s discipline often serves as a means of sanctification. The key distinction is that while God’s forgiveness restores our fellowship with Him, the consequences, if not removed, remain part of the process of sanctification (Jam 1:2-4) or divine discipline (Heb 12:6).

The second kind of confession is horizontal: confession to people. This is a relational issue between human beings. When we sin against someone—whether by lying, stealing, slandering, or deceiving—we have not only offended God but also injured our neighbor. Jesus taught that before we waltz down the center aisle with our offerings, we need to go make things right with our brother (Matt 5:23-24). James also emphasizes the importance of confession among believers when he writes, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed” (Jam 5:16), highlighting the role of mutual honesty and prayer in maintaining spiritual health within the body of Christ. Confession to people involves humbly admitting the wrong, asking for forgiveness, and making restitution when necessary. And importantly, we keep the confession limited to the person we sinned against. There is no need to turn it into a public spectacle; we address it directly and appropriately. Horizontal confession promotes peace, restores relationships, and prevents bitterness from taking root and growing into spiritual cancer (Heb 12:15). Sometimes the right moment for confession is immediate; other times, it requires prayerful patience and wisdom. We cannot control the other person’s response, but we are responsible for confessing when necessary, trusting God with the outcome.

A Difference in Outcome

Vertical and horizontal confession are both biblical, but they differ in direction, purpose, and outcome. Vertical confession is directed to God alone and always results in forgiveness, cleansing, and restoration of fellowship (1 John 1:9). God is faithful and unchanging—His grace never fails. We confess. He forgives. Period. Horizontal confession, on the other hand, is directed toward people whom we have wronged. It is relational, and its purpose is to seek reconciliation and peace within the human sphere (Matt 5:23–24; Jam 5:16). But unlike God, people are not always ready to forgive. Sometimes they respond with grace and reconciliation; other times with silence, anger, or rejection. The outcomes of horizontal confession are uncertain and dependent on the will of the other person. With God, the issue is always resolved when we confess; with people, we obey God by confessing, but we entrust the results to Him. Our responsibility is honesty, humility, and obedience; the other person’s response is between them and the Lord.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both vertical and horizontal confession play crucial roles in the believer’s life, but they serve different purposes and yield different outcomes. Vertical confession restores our fellowship with God and secures forgiveness, as it is based on His unchanging faithfulness (Psa 32:5; 1 John 1:9). This process is always certain, for God’s forgiveness is not contingent upon our feelings or external circumstances. Horizontal confession, however, is a relational matter that seeks reconciliation with others and healing within the body of Christ (Matt 5:23–24; Jam 5:16). While God is always ready to forgive, people may not always respond with the same grace, and the outcomes are not guaranteed. Nonetheless, whether confessing to God or to others, our responsibility remains the same: to confess honestly, humbly, and with a sincere desire for reconciliation, trusting God with the outcome, whether or not the consequences of our sin are removed.

Steven R. Cook, D.Min., M.Div.

If this article has enriched your understanding and walk with Christ, and you feel led to support my ministry, your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your gifts enable me to continue sharing the gospel of grace and providing in-depth biblical teachings. Thank you for partnering with me in this mission.

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Restoring Fellowship with God

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Confession of SinWhat person can say, “I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin”? (Prov 20:9). No one is ever free from sin in this life, “Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins” (Eccl 7:20). Sin (from the Hebrew חָטָא chata or the Greek ἁμαρτία hamartia) means to fall away or miss the mark of God’s intended will. Sin is failure to do God’s will, and both unbelievers and believers commit sin. According to Unger, “The sinfulness of sin lies in the fact that it is against God, even when the wrong we do is to others or ourselves (Gen 39:9; Psa 51:4).”[1] The Bible teaches everyone is a sinner (Rom. 3:9). We are sinners because of our relationship to Adam (Rom 5:12, 19; 1 Cor 15:21-22), we are sinners by nature, born with a rebellious heart (Rom 7:14-25; Gal 5:17), and we are sinners by choice every time we yield to temptation (Jam 1:14-15).

At the moment of faith in Christ, all sins (past, present, and future) are forgiven (Eph 1:7; Col. 2:13), and the believer’s relationship to Adam is terminated as the Christian begins a new identity in Christ (Eph 2:5-6). At the moment of the new birth, the believer is completely justified in God’s sight, and this is by grace, because Christ died in our place and bore the penalty that rightfully belongs to us (Mark 10:45; Rom 5:6-10; 1 Cor 15:3-4; 2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 3:18). Believers stand acceptable before God, not because of any righteousness of our own based on good works (Eph 2:8-9; Tit 3:5), but because of the righteousness of Christ that has been imputed to us by faith (Rom 4:1-5), “the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith” (Phil 3:9). As Christians, we are “justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom 3:24). God made Christ “who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21). Christ died a death He did not deserve, that we might have a life and enjoy spiritual riches we could never earn (Rom 5:5-10; Eph 2:1-6). Salvation is truly a gift from God.

From the moment of my spiritual birth until I leave this world for heaven, I am in Christ and all my sins are forgiven (Eph 2:5-6; Col 2:13). In addition, I have a new spiritual nature (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15), and the power to live righteously in God’s will (Rom 6:11-14). However, during my time in this world, I still possess my sin nature (Rom 7:14-25; Gal 5:17), and occasionally yield to temptation (both internal and external) and commit sin. According to MacDonald, “Conversion does not mean the eradication of the sin nature. Rather it means the implanting of the new, divine nature, with power to live victoriously over indwelling sin.”[2] My acts of sin do not jeopardize my eternal salvation which was secured by the Lord Jesus Christ (John 10:28), but is does hurt my walk with the Lord (1 John 1:5-10), and stifles the work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within me (1 Cor 3:16; Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19). I sin every day, and some days more than others. As I grow spiritually in my knowledge of God’s Word, I will pursue righteousness more and more and sin will diminish, but sin will never completely disappear from my life. Living in the reality of God’s Word, I know three things are true when I sin:

  1. There is no condemnation (Rom 8:1). Though I have sinned against God, my eternal security and righteous standing before Him is never jeopardized. I am eternally secure (John 10:28), and keep on possessing the righteousness of God that was imputed to me at the moment of salvation (Rom 4:1-5; 2 Cor 5:21; Phil 3:9).
  2. I am walking in darkness and have broken fellowship with God (1 John 1:5-6). When I sin, as a Christian, I have broken fellowship with God and stifled the work of the Holy Spirit who dwells within me (1 John 1:5-6; Eph 4:30; 1 Th 5:19). If I continue in sin, or leave my sin unconfessed, I am in real danger of divine discipline from God (Psa 32:3-4; Heb 12:5-11; 1 John 5:16-17; cf. Dan 4:37), which can eventuate in death (1 John 5:16; cf., Lev 10:1-2; Acts 5:3-5).
  3. If I confess my sin directly to God, He will immediately forgive my sin and restore me to fellowship (1 John 1:9; cf. Psa 32:5). Being in fellowship with God means walking in the sphere of His light (1 John 1:5-7), being honest with Him about my sin (1 John 1:8, 10), and coming before His throne of grace in transparent humility and confessing my sin in order to be forgiven (1 John 1:9; cf. Heb. 4:16). God is faithful and just to forgive my sins every time I confess them because of the atoning work of Christ who shed His blood on the cross for me (1 John 1:9; 2:1-2).

Concerning 1 John 1:9, William MacDonald states:

The forgiveness John speaks about here [i.e. 1 John 1:9] is parental, not judicial. Judicial forgiveness means forgiveness from the penalty of sins, which the sinner receives when he believes on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is called judicial because it is granted by God acting as Judge. But what about sins which a person commits after conversion? As far as the penalty is concerned, the price has already been paid by the Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. But as far as fellowship in the family of God is concerned, the sinning saint needs parental forgiveness, that is, the forgiveness of His Father. He obtains it by confessing his sin. We need judicial forgiveness only once; that takes care of the penalty of all our sins—past, present, and future. But we need parental forgiveness throughout our Christian life.[3]

God’s grace compels me to pursue righteousness and good works (Tit 2:11-14). But since I still have a sinful nature and live in a fallen world with temptation all around, I occasionally fall into sin. When I sin, I agree with God that I have done wrong and I confess it to Him seeking His forgiveness. When I sin against others and wrongly hurt them, I confess my sin to them and ask for their forgiveness. Because my sin hurts others (and their sin hurts me), there is a need for love, patience, humility, and ongoing forgiveness among the saints. The apostle Paul wrote, “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful” (Col. 3:12-15)

God’s grace is wonderful to me. By grace he saves, and by grace he forgives and restores me to fellowship. It is very simple. Daily I confess my sins directly to God, and He faithfully forgives me and restores me to fellowship with Him. It is all His goodness, and I am the fortunate recipient of His mercy and love.

Dr. Steven R. Cook

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[1] Merrill F. Unger and E. McChesney, “Sin” In , in The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, ed. R.K. Harrison, Rev. and updated ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1988).

[2] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 2310.

[3] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 2310-11.