Assurance in Christ: If I sin and die suddenly without confessing my sin, will I still go to heaven?
1 John 2:1 - "My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous." Many believers wrestle with questions about sin and forgiveness. "What happens if I sin and then die before I have the opportunity to confess?" "What if I forget to confess a sin—does that mean I am not forgiven?" These concerns, while understandable, stem from a misunderstanding of the foundation of our salvation. Our salvation is not based on our ability to perfectly confess every sin, but on the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. When we place our faith in Him, we are forgiven—past, present, and future. This is what is known as positional forgiveness —we are declared righteous before God because of Christ's righteousness, not our own (2 Corinthians 5:21). This does not mean that we should take sin lightly. John encourages u...