1 John 1:9 Nothing Could be Further From the Truth (Kajuan)
Commentary 1 John 1:9
Focus #9 True Confession
Keyword: Confess
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9 KJV
Early in my conversion, I remember when I was in predicaments to choose either my sin or righteousness, I would always say to myself things like “I mean... I’ll just ask for forgiveness later,” and go on to commit the sin. Now, do you think God forgave me, even if I confessed with a sincere heart, after I played His grace that way? You better believe He did! But do you think my fellowship with Him was affected from living this kind of lifestyle? You better believe it. In fact, after awhile I just stopped confessing my sin all together—even though He’d forgive me every time! I began feeling too guilty to go before Him in that kind of manner. Why, though, if He’d forgive me? In my last commentary, we seen what The Message was, its credibility and sincerity: God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. In this case, God is honest, and in Him is no trickery at all. So, every time I did this it was drawing me away from Him little by little; me treating God’s grace to contemplate my love for sin made it clear I wasn’t in fellowship with God. So this is not what this verse is teaching, in fact nothing could be further from the Truth. Contrarily, what it is teaching is this: it’s only possible for us to be forgiven because our debt has been paid for; and He’s faithful and just of a judge to do so, if we confess.
“Confess” generally means: homologeo in Greek: “to say the same thing” and then “agree, admit, acknowledge.”
Needless to say, God already knows we’re at fault; our problem is we also know, but we don’t like to say it plain. Instead, in the guise of rational people, we say things like “I’m just human,” or “I sin just like everyone else.” Sadly enough, everyone else isn’t the standard.
So, confessing these kind of statements are also not the confession this verse is teaching, in fact nothing could be further from the Truth. Again, confess means “to say the same thing [as God].” God sees us as thieving, blaspheming, fornicating, murdering, adulterers at heart abiding under His wrath. If we don’t say the same thing as God, and confess these faults to him as partakers of them, then we have failed to confess properly.
There’s a story in Luke 18:10-14 (KJV) that follows:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
The Publican truly confessed what God knew about him; he said the same thing as God. Therefore, he was forgiven and exalted! This is the confession verse 9 is teaching.
However, we also know that merely confessing our sins doesn’t make provision for righteousness; only the passionate blood of Jesus Christ does. If confession was the way to go, then none of us would inherit the Kingdom of Heaven because we have all committed sin that we haven’t repented for. Whether it be a very old sin we’ve committed before we were ever introduced to the idea of repentance, and have forgotten about it, or something so trivial that we don’t find the need to repent for. With this ideology, we would all be guilty of sin and thus deserving of eternal damnation. So, this is not the ideology this verse is implementing, in fact nothing could be further from the Truth—it would be ludicrous to ascribe to this.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9 KJV
So, then, if we go throughout the day, and commit a specific sin, then we’re guilty of that sin? until we confess that sin? and then we’d be righteous because God cleanses us from that sin? but, as soon as we sin again the next day, then we’re guilty again? until we confess that sin to be cleansed once more? and, so, if we sin and die before we get to repent, we’ll be guilty and deserving of Hell?...Nothing could be further from the Truth!
What John is encouraging here is living a repented lifestyle to stay in fellowship with God because without repentance we have no true fellowship with God. And fellowship is inevitable, so if we’re not fellowshipping with God (or His people, which is ultimately Him), then it’s with someone else; and everything that is not God is evil. And because God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all, fellowshipping with darkness will lead us away from Him, ultimately losing our salvation. Concisely, John is saying to confess our sins to maintain our salvation.
So, let us confess our faults to stay in true fellowship with God. It is for our sakes because He’s the same whether we confess our sins or not; we’re not, however. It keeps us close to Him, thus usable by Him, and pleased by Him.
Amen.
Supporting Scripture:
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psalms 51:2 KJV
Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
Psalms 25:18 KJV
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
1 John 1:9 Nothing Could be Further From the Truth (Kajuan)
Commentary 1 John 1:9
Focus #9 True Confession
Keyword: Confess
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9 KJV
Early in my conversion, I remember when I was in predicaments to choose either my sin or righteousness, I would always say to myself things like “I mean... I’ll just ask for forgiveness later,” and go on to commit the sin. Now, do you think God forgave me, even if I confessed with a sincere heart, after I played His grace that way? You better believe He did! But do you think my fellowship with Him was affected from living this kind of lifestyle? You better believe it. In fact, after awhile I just stopped confessing my sin all together—even though He’d forgive me every time! I began feeling too guilty to go before Him in that kind of manner. Why, though, if He’d forgive me? In my last commentary, we seen what The Message was, its credibility and sincerity: God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. In this case, God is honest, and in Him is no trickery at all. So, every time I did this it was drawing me away from Him little by little; me treating God’s grace to contemplate my love for sin made it clear I wasn’t in fellowship with God. So this is not what this verse is teaching, in fact nothing could be further from the Truth. Contrarily, what it is teaching is this: it’s only possible for us to be forgiven because our debt has been paid for; and He’s faithful and just of a judge to do so, if we confess.
“Confess” generally means: homologeo in Greek: “to say the same thing” and then “agree, admit, acknowledge.”
Needless to say, God already knows we’re at fault; our problem is we also know, but we don’t like to say it plain. Instead, in the guise of rational people, we say things like “I’m just human,” or “I sin just like everyone else.” Sadly enough, everyone else isn’t the standard.
So, confessing these kind of statements are also not the confession this verse is teaching, in fact nothing could be further from the Truth. Again, confess means “to say the same thing [as God].” God sees us as thieving, blaspheming, fornicating, murdering, adulterers at heart abiding under His wrath. If we don’t say the same thing as God, and confess these faults to him as partakers of them, then we have failed to confess properly.
There’s a story in Luke 18:10-14 (KJV) that follows:
Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.”
The Publican truly confessed what God knew about him; he said the same thing as God. Therefore, he was forgiven and exalted! This is the confession verse 9 is teaching.
However, we also know that merely confessing our sins doesn’t make provision for righteousness; only the passionate blood of Jesus Christ does. If confession was the way to go, then none of us would inherit the Kingdom of Heaven because we have all committed sin that we haven’t repented for. Whether it be a very old sin we’ve committed before we were ever introduced to the idea of repentance, and have forgotten about it, or something so trivial that we don’t find the need to repent for. With this ideology, we would all be guilty of sin and thus deserving of eternal damnation. So, this is not the ideology this verse is implementing, in fact nothing could be further from the Truth—it would be ludicrous to ascribe to this.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9 KJV
So, then, if we go throughout the day, and commit a specific sin, then we’re guilty of that sin? until we confess that sin? and then we’d be righteous because God cleanses us from that sin? but, as soon as we sin again the next day, then we’re guilty again? until we confess that sin to be cleansed once more? and, so, if we sin and die before we get to repent, we’ll be guilty and deserving of Hell?...Nothing could be further from the Truth!
What John is encouraging here is living a repented lifestyle to stay in fellowship with God because without repentance we have no true fellowship with God. And fellowship is inevitable, so if we’re not fellowshipping with God (or His people, which is ultimately Him), then it’s with someone else; and everything that is not God is evil. And because God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all, fellowshipping with darkness will lead us away from Him, ultimately losing our salvation. Concisely, John is saying to confess our sins to maintain our salvation.
So, let us confess our faults to stay in true fellowship with God. It is for our sakes because He’s the same whether we confess our sins or not; we’re not, however. It keeps us close to Him, thus usable by Him, and pleased by Him.
Amen.
Supporting Scripture:
Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
Psalms 51:2 KJV
Look upon mine affliction and my pain; and forgive all my sins.
Psalms 25:18 KJV
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 KJV