If we confess our sinsHe is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness – 1 John 1:9.
If we confess our sins
That’s one of the first verses many new Christians memorize, and with good reason. It presents the comforting promise of forgiveness and cleansing for all of us who have struggled with guilt in this sin-stained world. However, there are some today who, because they fail to understand the extent of divine forgiveness, deny the clear teaching of 1 John 1:9 and teach others to do the same. They say that praying for forgiveness reveals unbelief. After all, a healthy Christian experiences no guilt because he understands the full forgiveness of Christ. Why seek forgiveness when you already have it?
However, his brand of guilt-free Christianity not only burdens guilty people with more guilt, it also eliminates the only means of alleviating the guilt of sin: confession. Instead of helping Christians get closer to God, they are reinforcing the barrier of sin that cuts off their relationship with God. But that is not the end of the story.
seek forgiveness
The Bible clearly teaches that Christians should seek forgiveness.
Consider this:
- In each of the penitential psalms (Ps. 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143), the psalmist is demonstrating the heart of a justified believer when seeking forgiveness. In each case, the psalmist is already a believer, fully forgiven.
In the gospels, Christ taught believers to ask the Father to forgive their sins (Matthew 6:12; Mark 11:25; Luke 11:4). Some of those he spoke to had already been born again.
In 1 John 1, the tenses show that confession and forgiveness must be an ongoing experience. Verse 7 literally says, “The blood of Jesus, his Son, keeps cleansing us from all sin,” and verse 9 also says, “If we continually confess our sins.” Those to whom John wrote were already fully forgiven believers (cf. 5:13).
But the question remains: Why are you supposed to seek God’s forgiveness if He has already justified you? If justification takes care of past, present, and future sin, so that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (Rom. 8:1), why pray for forgiveness? Aren’t you praying for something that is already yours?
divine forgiveness
The answer is that divine forgiveness has two aspects. One is the judicial forgiveness that God grants as Judge. It is the forgiveness that God purchased for you through Christ’s atonement for your sin. That kind of forgiveness frees you from any threat of eternal damnation. It is the forgiveness of justification. Such forgiveness is complete immediately, you will never need to seek it again.
The other is a fatherly forgiveness that God grants as your Father. He is saddened when his children sin. The pardon of justification takes care of the judicial guilt, but it does not nullify his fatherly displeasure for your sin. He punishes those he loves, for their good (Hebrews 12:5-11).
Let me show you the difference:
- Judicial forgiveness deals with the penalty of sin-paternity forgiveness deals with the consequences of sin.
Judicial forgiveness frees us from the condemnation of the just and omniscient Judge whom we have offended; parental forgiveness sets things right with a grieving and disgruntled but loving Father.
Judicial forgiveness provides an unshakable standing before the throne of divine judgment: parental forgiveness deals with the state of our sanctification at a given time and is dispensed from a throne of divine grace.
So the forgiveness that Christians are supposed to seek in their daily walk is not forgiveness from an angry Judge, but mercy from a grieving Father.
Some object to the idea that God could be displeased with his own children. They ask: Can our sins forgiven once and for all cause divine displeasure? The answer is a resounding yes.” In fact, it is because of God’s righteous displeasure at your sin that He refuses to leave you as you are: a sinner.
In a very practical sense, God’s indignation at your daily sins demonstrates His love for you. . That is the thought of Hebrews 12:5-11 where some form of the word discipline is used seven times. Divine displeasure for your sin brings discipline, rebuke, and scourging. That is a good thing, not only because it helps rid your life of sin, but it also shows His love for you and confirms your relationship with Him: “Whoever he loves, the Lord disciplines him and whips everyone he accepts as his son. ” (v. 6).
God’s discipline, which sometimes involves punishment for disobedience, is painful; no one will argue with that. But you must remember: He is making you partaker of his holiness (v. 10); He is training you (v. 11); He is producing in you the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (v. 11). So when you have sinned, humble yourself, confess your sin and submit to his loving discipline.
1 John 1:9 Verse Meaning – Confess our sins and be forgiven
Remorse for sin, daily confession, and a continual attitude of repentance are marks of a healthy Christian life. What is the benefit? Look again at 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (italics added). Forgiveness and cleansing: those promises are as refreshing to the sinner as a cold drink of water to a thirsty man.
David testified to the power of confession in Psalm 32: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away in my groaning all day long, because day and night your hand was heavy on me, my vitality was spent as with the feverish heat of summer… I knew my sin, and my iniquity did not hide me, I said: “I will confess my sin to the Lord”, and you forgave the guilt of my sin” (vv. 4-5). The guilt of David’s sin affected him physically; he found relief only through full confession.
We have already discussed the difference between judicial and parental forgiveness; the latter is in view in 1 John 1:9. It is a type of subjective and relational forgiveness. It is restoration to a place of blessing in the eyes of a disgruntled parent. Similarly, the cleansing of 1 John 1:9 does not refer to regeneration. Rather, it is a spiritual cleansing to rid you of the contamination caused by sin in your daily walk. The verse speaks of continual forgiveness and cleansing from sin, not the cleansing and forgiveness of salvation.
The forgiveness of justification and the washing of regeneration do not eliminate the need for you to deal with subjective reality. of sin in your life. If you entertain such an idea, you will either be consumed by your guilt or strengthen yourself against the pangs of your conscience; Either reaction will separate you from a loving Father.
Instead, keep confessing your sins. ; seek God’s forgiveness and cleansing daily. As the verse says, He is faithful to Himself to forgive your sins and He is righteous, having already made full atonement for your sins through the sacrifice of His beloved Son. When you confess your sins, you are restored by a loving Father who delights to shower the brokenhearted and repentant with his mercy and compassion.
Adapted from Freedom and the Power of Forgiveness, © 1998 by John MacArthur. All rights reserved.