Why do Protestants confess their sins if they believe that sins are already forgiven through faith alone?

Jan 23

In an interview with John Piper, [1] a Reformed Baptist pastor, someone asked this question: “Why Do We [Protestants] Confess If Our Sins Are Already Forgiven?” In response, Piper attempts to reconcile the Protestant assurance of salvation by Faith Alone (Sola Fide) with the clear biblical mandate to confess sins. His response rests on several theological assumptions that the Orthodox Church does not share, especially about how Christ’s work for our salvation is applied to us, what “once for all” means, and what confession actually is.

1. “Once for all” and ongoing repentance

The interview takes “once for all” (Hebrews 7:27; 9:26; 10:14) to mean that every sin—past, present, and future—is juridically forgiven at the Cross in such a way that later repentance and confession cannot be truly instrumental, only evidential. Orthodoxy affirms the uniqueness and sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice, but sees its application as dynamic and personal, not as a completed legal transaction merely recognized over time. Scripture speaks of both the finished work of Christ and of a real, ongoing appropriation of that work:

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you.” (Philippians 2:12–13)
“He who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
“If you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live.” (Romans 8:13)

St. John Chrysostom, commenting on Hebrews, stresses that “once for all” refers to the uniqueness and perfection of Christ’s sacrifice, over against repeated animal offerings, not to an automatic, timeless cancellation of all sins irrespective of subsequent life and freedom. The faithful must still “run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1).

2. Confession as participation, not mere evidence

The interview says: “Confession of sin is not the basis of our forgiveness; it is one of the traits that show we are truly in Christ, where all our sins are covered by his blood.” This is framed in a purely forensic way: forgiveness is entirely secured in the past, and confession only proves we already have it.

Orthodox teaching is different. Confession is:

An act of real repentance (metanoia) by which the believer returns to communion.
A sacramental act in which Christ Himself heals and forgives through the Church.

Scripture consistently links forgiveness of the baptized to ongoing, real repentance and confession, not merely as a sign but as a God‑ordained means:

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.” (Acts 3:19)
To the already baptized Ephesians, Paul says: “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed,” urging them to put away sins (anger, slander, malice), clearly implying that sin after grace is real and must truly be forsaken. (Ephesians 4:30–32)

St. Basil the Great describes confession as a real opening of the wound to be healed: “It is necessary to confess our sins to those to whom the dispensation of God’s mysteries is entrusted… that we may be healed.” St. John Chrysostom speaks of confession as a “medicine” that actually cures, not merely demonstrates that one is already healthy.

3. The Church and the Sacrament of Confession

The interview never mentions the Church’s sacramental role, but Scripture and the Fathers place confession within the ecclesial, priestly ministry Christ gave to the apostles:

“Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:22–23)
“Is any among you sick? Let him call for the presbyters of the church… And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” (James 5:14–16)

Although we ask for forgiveness of our sins in both private and community prayers, Confession is a specific act (sacrament) of offering repentance with a witness (James 5:15) and receiving God’s forgiveness from an ordained minister (John 20:22-23).

St. Cyprian of Carthage (c. 200–258) writes of those who sinned gravely after baptism coming to confession before the bishop and clergy, “making a confession of their conscience” so that “through the priests they may receive the right of communion.”

St. John Chrysostom connects the apostolic authority in John 20 with priestly absolution, speaking of priests as entrusted with a “power which God has given neither to angels nor to archangels… the power of binding and loosing.” This is not a mere recognition of an already‑forgiven status; it is a real exercise of Christ’s authority in His Body (the Church).

4. Assurance, freedom, and the danger of presumption

The interview’s logic is this: all sins (including future ones) of the elect are already forgiven; God ensures they will believe; confession is a mark that they truly were among those for whom Christ died. This rests on a strict limited atonement and an irresistible application of grace.

Orthodoxy, by contrast, emphasizes:

The universal extent of Christ’s saving work: “He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)
The real cooperation (synergy) of human freedom with grace, so one can truly fall away even after confessing faith in Christ: “You have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:4)

St. John of Damascus summarizes this: “It is impossible that God should predestine some to evil, for He wishes all to be saved… but it is in our power to remain or not remain in virtue.” Therefore, ongoing confession is not a mere “proof” that one belongs to a fixed group of the elect; it is the humble, repeated turning of the prodigal to the Father, who truly restores him (Luke 15:11–24).

The Fathers speak strongly against presumption based on past grace. St. Basil warns that “we must not trust in the grace given once, but we must show the same diligence until the end of life.” Confession is part of this vigilance: not anxiety that Christ’s sacrifice is deficient, but sober awareness that sin after baptism wounds the relationship and must truly be healed.

5. Why confess if Christ “paid in full”?

The Orthodox answer, drawing from Scripture and the Fathers:

Christ’s sacrifice is indeed perfect and unique, “once for all,” and nothing can be added to its objective sufficiency (Hebrews 9:26; 10:14). This aligns with the Protestant view but differs in how its application is interpreted.
The fruits of that sacrifice are not applied automatically or mechanically but personally, through faith, baptism, Eucharist, repentance, and confession in the life of the Church (Acts 2:38; 1 John 1:7–9).
Confession is not a rival to the Cross, but the very way Christ’s Cross touches the concrete sins of the baptized soul, restoring the lost or damaged communion.
Biblically and patristically, Confession is both the condition for forgiveness of our sins, and a gift of God’s grace; it is not reduced to a mere sign of a status fixed entirely in the past.

St. Isaac the Syrian beautifully holds both divine mercy and ongoing repentance together: “This life has been given you for repentance; do not waste it in vain pursuits.”

Conclusion

The Orthodox response, then, is that confession is necessary precisely because Christ has truly opened the way back to the Father. That way is actually walked, step by step, through faith, tears, and sacramental forgiveness within His Church.

[1] https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-do-we-confess-if-our-sins-are-already-forgiven