It says.. if we confess, God is faithful and just to forgive...it doesn't say...if we confess, God forgives...
You said the same basic thing twice but insist they are not the same meaning.
If God only forgives because we confess, then the maintenance of salvation is incumbent upon the believer. Jesus would be the author of salvation, and we would be the finisher of our salvation.
No, confessing is not equal to finishing. It's the smallest part of the entire process and is important and required to show we accept the sacrifice of Christ. The unrepentant suffer the wrath and ultimate judgment of God.
Mat_11:20 Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not:
Mat_21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it,
repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
Rev_2:21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she
repented not.
Rev_9:20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet
repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:
Rev_16:9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they
repented not to give him glory.
Rev_16:11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and
repented not of their deeds.
And last, but not least, we would all go to hell, as everyone has unconfessed sin.
That would be something God would have to judge. There is a
HUGE difference between people who refuse to repent, and someone who repented their entire life then died suddenly and wasn't able to confess a sin or two.