God continues to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and, although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may, by their sins, fall under God's fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of His countenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.
One of the concepts with which the early church struggled as it lapsed into a moralistic rather than grace-based faith was the fact of post-conversion (and increasingly post-baptism) sins. Their lack of understanding that Christ's work and the application of that work to the believer covered all sins inevitably led to the kind of thinking that produced the penitential system. Numerous additional errors flowed out of that flawed theology.
Here the Confession rightly puts the biblical case: A sinner justified in Christ remains justified despite his subsequent sins. This is no license to sin, however (Romans 6:1). Godly sorrow for sin, humble repentance, and renewed faith are essential. God still regards sin as disobedience. He disciplines his children but he does not disinherit or abandon them. More will be said on this subject in the chapter on perseverance.
Tomorrow: No plan "B."
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