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1 John 1:9 - Confession Brings Forgiveness and Cleansing.1 John 1:9 (KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.INTRODUCTION All people are sinners by nature and by practice. At conversion all our sins are forgiven--past, present, and future. Yet even after we become Christians, we still sin and still need to confess. This kind of confession is not offered to gain God's acceptance, but to remove the barrier to fellowship that our sin has put between us and him. It is difficult, however, for many people to admit their faults and shortcomings, even to God. It takes humility and honesty to recognize our weaknesses, and most of us would rather pretend that we are strong. But we need not fear revealing our sins to God - he knows them already. He will not push us away, no matter what we've done. Instead he will draw us to himself.... True confession also involves a commitment not to continue in sin. We wouldn't be genuinely confessing our sins to God if we planned to commit them again and just wanted temporary forgiveness. We should also pray for strength to defeat temptation the next time we face it. [Life Application SB] COMMENTARY PEARL I Confess One of the most important aspects of the Christian life is to know what it means to confess our sin. In fact, our very forgiveness hinges on our understanding of the term. The Hebrew word for confess means to acknowledge. In the New Testament, confess could be translated as "to agree with someone" or "to say the same thing as another." The apostle John used this word in 1 John 1:9 when he said, "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness" (NLT, emphasis mine). That word confess is essentially saying that if you'll agree with God about your sin, if you'll acknowledge it for what it is and not make excuses for it, and if you'll turn from it, God will forgive you. The problem is that people think they've confessed their sin when they haven't. New believers, people who aren't used to confessing their sins, may struggle at first. In addition, far too many people believe that to confess their sin is merely to acknowledge their sin. Therefore, when they sin and get caught, they say something to the effect of, "I acknowledge what I did. I confess that sin. That was a bad thing." And they go out and do it again. And when they get caught again, they say, "I did it again. I confess." That's not a true confession. They're simply recognizing what is obviously sin. Genuine confession means understanding that sin puts distance between you and your heavenly Father. Isaiah 59:2 says, "It's your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, he has turned away and will not listen anymore" (NLT). Sin interferes with your ability to recognize God's will for your life and enjoy the blessings that come with it. Sin also undermines your Christian witness. It gives people a distorted view of Christ and the difference He makes in a person's life. God wants people to see His Son in you. Your sin keeps them from doing that. The more we understand about the seriousness of sin, the more genuine our confession will be. The Holy Spirit helps us in this regard. Everyone who receives Christ as Savior and Lord has the Holy Spirit inside them. Jesus said the Holy Spirit "will convict the world of its sin" (John 16:8 NLT). He calls out our sin from deep within us and convicts us to confess it. Confession means to see sin for what it is, to be sorry for it, and to turn from it. You must recognize that it's offensive to the one and only true God and respond accordingly. Are you willing to do that? If so, then God will forgive you and cleanse you from all your wickedness. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] COMMENTARY The Road of Denial Denial is a refusal to admit the truth or accept reality - most often of something unpleasant. The defense mechanism of denial kicked in right after our first parents disobeyed God and tried to hide; Adam denied reality, blaming his sin on Eve (Genesis 3:1-13). Now it is common to see children denying a disobedient deed, or perpetrators pleading not guilty; or even people denying life-threatening illnesses. But although those in denial seem to succeed in avoiding their issues, sooner or later, as John Bunyan wrote, "the road of denial leads to the precipice of destruction." The apostle John explained the grave consequences of denial by introducing five hypothetical rebukes in 1 John 1. These "if/then" conditional statements unveil illogical conclusions created by the denial of truth: "If we say that we have no sin, [then] we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us" (v. 8) is one example. Another is: "If we say that we have not sinned, [then] we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us" (v. 10). But tucked in between these two examples is a promise repeated by millions in moments of honesty: today's verse. If we don't deny - but confess - the truth that we are sinners, God promises to not only forgive our wrongs but also cleanse us. That is, He's going to help us cease from "all unrighteousness" (emphasis added) - from ever doing wrong again. Denying denial is the means to receiving God's richest promise: He will wipe your slate clean and keep it clean. So turn around if you're on "the road of denial." There's still time to experience God's promise of full rehabilitation. Lord Jesus, I am a sinner in desperate need of forgiveness. I confess freely that I have broken Your law. Please forgive me. [The Most Amazing Bible Promises by Amazing Facts] We should not try to lessen our guilt by excusing sin. We must accept God's estimate of sin, and that is heavy indeed. Calvary alone can reveal the terrible enormity of sin. If we had to bear our own guilt, it would crush us. But the sinless One has taken our place; though undeserving, He has borne our iniquity. "If we confess our sins," God "is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9. Glorious truth! - just to His own law, and yet the Justifier of all that believe in Jesus. MB 116 When we pray for earthly blessings, the answer to our prayer may be delayed, or God may give us something other than we ask, but not so when we ask for deliverance from sin. It is His will to cleanse us from sin, to make us His children, and to enable us to live a holy life. Christ "gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." DA 266 Confess your sins to God, who only can forgive them, and your faults to one another. If you have given offense to your friend or neighbor, you are to acknowledge your wrong, and it is his duty freely to forgive you. Then you are to seek the forgiveness of God, because the brother you have wounded is the property of God, and in injuring him you sinned against his Creator and Redeemer... True confession is always of a specific character, and acknowledges particular sins. They may be of such a nature as to be brought before God only; they may be wrongs that should be confessed to individuals who have suffered injury through them; or they may be of a public character, and should then be as publicly confessed. But all confession should be definite and to the point, acknowledging the very sins of which you are guilty. SC 37, 8 LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY 1 John 1:9 - Confession Brings Forgiveness and Cleansing. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250121-1317.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240717-1251.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240630-1121.html https://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230731-1057.html http://www.abible.com/devotions/2023/20230131-0945.html 1 John 3:4 - Definition of Sin. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2009/20090219-1311.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |