God’s grace is sovereign, salvation is secure for those truly in Christ, but believers are called to persevere in faith and obedience by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Understanding judicial and parental forgiveness keeps us from legalism on one hand and careless living on the other.
Judicial Forgiveness — The Courtroom of God
Biblical Foundation
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Romans 8:1 — “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.”
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Hebrews 10:14 — “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are sanctified.”
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Colossians 2:13 — “…He forgave us all our trespasses.”
From the Biblical standpoint:
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This forgiveness is secure as long as one remains in saving faith (Col. 1:23).
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It is not fragile — God keeps His children by grace (John 10:28–29) — but neither is it automatic apart from persevering trust in Christ (Heb. 3:14).
Parental Forgiveness — The Family of God
Even though judicial forgiveness secures our standing before God, sin still affects our fellowship with Him as our Father.
1 John 1:9 in Context
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
When we confess:
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God forgives in the parental sense — removing the relational barrier sin causes.
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God cleanses — applying Christ’s finished work afresh to our walk.
This is sanctification in action — the Spirit enabling us to walk in obedience as we live by grace.
Judicial vs. Parental Forgiveness
Judicial Forgiveness | Parental Forgiveness |
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One-time event at conversion | Ongoing throughout the Christian life |
Removes eternal penalty of sin | Removes relational hindrance with God |
Secures our standing in Christ | Restores our daily fellowship with Christ |
Rooted in justification | Rooted in sanctification |
Romans 8:1; Hebrews 10:14 | 1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:5 |
Why This Matters
If you confuse these, you may fall into two errors:
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Legalism — thinking you lose salvation every time you sin until you confess.
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License — thinking confession doesn’t matter because “grace covers all.”
From a Biblical perspective:
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We affirm the security of the believer who perseveres in faith (John 15:6; Heb. 10:39).
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We reject both lawless living and fear-based religion.
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Confession is part of walking in the light (1 John 1:7), not a way to maintain justification.
Final Encouragement
How Apostasy Fits the Picture (Reformed Arminian View)
Here’s where many Reformed Arminians differ from both Calvinists and traditional Arminians:
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Judicial forgiveness is complete — Christ’s atonement covers all sin for the one who remains in faith.
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But faith can be abandoned — Hebrews 6:4–6 describes those who have “tasted the heavenly gift” and “shared in the Holy Spirit” yet fall away.
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This is not mere backsliding; it is a decisive, willful repudiation of Christ (Hebrews 10:26–29).
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If one walks away from faith, they forfeit the benefits of judicial forgiveness because they are no longer in union with Christ (John 15:6).
Applied Exegesis of Hebrews 6
Hebrews 6 is often misunderstood, but in context:
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Hebrews 6:4–5 describes genuine believers (not false converts).
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Hebrews 6:6 warns that if they “fall away” (Greek: parapiptō — willful apostasy), repentance becomes impossible — not because God is unwilling, but because they have hardened their hearts to the point of rejecting the only sacrifice that can save them.
This harmonizes with 1 John 1:9:
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Daily confession restores fellowship for believers.
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But no amount of confession will help if one has completely renounced Christ — because they’ve left the very covenant in which forgiveness is found.
Final Takeaway
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Judicial forgiveness = Permanent standing before God, secured in Christ, covering all sins — but only for those continuing in saving faith.
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Parental forgiveness = Ongoing restoration of fellowship with God through daily confession and repentance.
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Apostasy warning = You cannot lose salvation by a single sin, but you can forfeit it by deliberately abandoning Christ.
Reformed Arminian Balance: We rest in Christ’s finished work for the security of our salvation, yet we heed the biblical warnings to remain in Him. We confess sins not to “get saved again,” but to enjoy unhindered fellowship with the Father.
Former Adventists Philippines
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