No—believers do not need to keep asking or begging for forgiveness, because forgiveness is already complete in Christ.
Les Feldick teaches that the believer is already forgiven and therefore does not have to beg for forgiveness. When a believer sins, the proper response is to confess it and receive the daily cleansing that comes through exposure to Scripture. God has already poured out His mercy at the cross and says, 'You are forgiven. Believe it.'
Colossians 2:13 — Shows the believer has already been forgiven all trespasses, which is the direct biblical basis for Les's answer.
Ephesians 5:26 — Connects cleansing to the washing of water by the Word, pointing to the continual role of Scripture rather than repeated pleas for forgiveness.
2 Corinthians 5:19 — Declares that God was reconciling the world to Himself and not imputing trespasses, showing the completed work of forgiveness.
Scripture reveals the finished nature of forgiveness in Christ. Colossians 2:13 says 'having forgiven you all trespasses,' and 2 Corinthians 5:19 says God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses. These are completed actions, not ongoing pleas. The Bible also associates the believer's continued cleansing with the Word. Ephesians 5:26 speaks of sanctifying and cleansing 'with the washing of water by the word,' and Joshua 1:8 instructs that the book of the law should not depart from one's mouth but be meditated in day and night.
Les Feldick is emphatic: believers do not need to beg for forgiveness. He points to the cross as the place where all mercy was poured out, so God does not expect someone to beg—He says, 'You are forgiven. Believe it.' When a believer sins, Les says they still do not have to beg; the proper response is to recognize the sin and call it what God calls it, in other words, confess it. God then lifts the believer up and says, 'You're forgiven, you're cleansed, now move on.'
Les says that when a believer sins, the answer is not to beg for forgiveness. 'We are forgiven, but we've got to recognize our sin and call it what God calls it, and what's the word? We confess it.' He compares God to a patient mother who picks up a fallen child and says, 'You're forgiven, you're cleansed, now move on.' The cross makes the difference—all mercy was already poured out—so the believer's response is confession and moving on, not repeated pleading.
Les explains that although a believer has been cleansed and forgiven, living in a defiling world makes daily cleansing necessary. Just as people in Bible times had to wash their feet after walking from the bath back home, believers need constant cleaning. Paul speaks of this cleansing 'with the washing of water by the word' (Ephesians 5:26). Les says today we receive that cleansing by saturating ourselves in the Book—not just in a worship service, but throughout the week.
No. Les specifically clarified that when he said there is no need to ask for forgiveness, he was talking about an unbeliever in search of salvation. For the believer, that is not licensed. When a believer sins, they still do not have to beg for forgiveness, but they must recognize and confess sin.
Scripture Meditation as the Believer's Pattern
Les reads the admonition that the book of the law should never depart from one's mouth and that believers should meditate in it day and night, using this Old Testament pattern to show the importance of continual exposure to Scripture in the believer's walk.
Confession Instead of Begging, Cleansing Through the Word
Les says believers do not have to beg forgiveness because they are already forgiven; instead, when sin is recognized, it should be confessed, and cleansing comes by saturating ourselves in the Word.
No License, But No Begging for Believers
Les clarifies that 'no need to ask for forgiveness' refers to the unbeliever in search of salvation and is not a license; when believers sin, they confess their sin but still don't have to beg for forgiveness.
Forgiveness Already Declared at the Cross
Les answers that begging for forgiveness is not necessary because all mercy was poured out on the cross, God has already forgiven every human being's sin, paid in full, and tells us to believe it.
Already Forgiven—Colossians 2:13
Les points to Colossians 2:13 to show that believers are already forgiven; the cross makes the difference, so there is no need to beg to be forgiven.
Daily Cleansing by the Word
Les compares the believer's ongoing need for cleansing to the washing of dusty feet, and says that cleansing comes from the Word, not from a tub of water or repeated requests for forgiveness.
Forgiven People Forgive Others
Les uses the truth that the believer is already forgiven to argue that believers should freely forgive others, rather than forgiving only so they can be forgiven.
God, the Patient Father
Les compares God to a patient mother who never gives up on a believer; when we trip and fall, God picks us up and says, 'You're forgiven, you're cleansed, now move on.'
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;
This verse is the direct basis for Les's teaching that forgiveness has already been granted to believers.
2 Corinthians 5:19: To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Shows that God was reconciling the world to Himself rather than requiring repeated pleading for forgiveness.
Ephesians 5:26: That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
This verse points to the Word as the instrument of the believer's cleansing, which Les emphasizes over repeated requests for forgiveness.
Joshua 1:8: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Les uses this Old Testament admonition to continual meditation in Scripture to illustrate the principle of daily exposure to the Word.
No. Les says believers are already forgiven, so the response to sin is to confess it, not to beg for forgiveness.
Yes, but it is a daily cleansing that comes from the Word. Les compares it to washing dusty feet; believers need regular exposure to Scripture, not repeated prayers for forgiveness.
No. Les specifically clarifies that this teaching is not a license to sin. When a believer sins, they recognize and confess it, but they do not beg for forgiveness.
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