They are acquitted. They are forgiven. Faith accepts what is already so. But first the individual must confess his sin and believe in what Christ did for him. The Gospel brings him the reconciliation and forgiveness of God.
Confession is like an appetite.
An appetite does not feed a person. But it is a necessary prerequisite for eating. The whole life of the Christian is confession of sin and faith in the righteousness of Christ. We all fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. And at Php.