Having received Christ as Savior and Lord, Christians must learn how to grow in their new relationship with the Living God. This is the reason the Apostle John' wrote his first Epistle. After affirming the truth of his testimony concerning the Word of Life, Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1-4), John introduces his topic on living in fellowship with God by declaring that "God is light; in him there is no darkness at all."
How do you live in fellowship with One who is perfect in Moral Purity ... Who has absolutely no fault or blemish? Though you may be tempted to, it would be futile to pretend to be perfect and sinless yourself! God, who is Light, will easily expose the lie! So what are we to do? 1 John 1:9 teaches us the right path to follow!
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Principle #1: Confess Your Sin!
"If we confess our sins,"
There is no shame in admitting that you have sinned! Scripture teaches that all people are sinners and commit sin! But the question is, what do you do when you give in to temptation and sin? John teaches us that we must "...confess our sins". Seems so easy doesn't it. But how many times have we sought to deny our sin ... or excuse our sin ... or tried to rationalize our sin? Though we may deceive ourselves into thinking we really didn't sin, John's declaration brings us back to reality. "God is Light". We may have deceived ourselves, we didn't deceive God.
How many of us who have children fall for their lies and deceptions? If our children can't fool us as human parents, what chance do we have of trying to fool God? None ... nada ... zip! Forget it! John's instruction is our best recourse. Admit your sin! Agree with God that you have sinned! That is the only sensible act of one who walks with the God who is Light ... For He is not only Perfect in Purity, but is able to Expose all that we do and think!
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Principle #2: God Will Forgive the Sins We Confess!
"He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins"
Before I explain this Principle, have you figured out the inconsistency of this verse yet? Have you wondered, if God has already forgiven all our sins through Christ's death on the cross, why do we have to receive more forgiveness through confession? The answer is simple. What John is speaking about in this verse pertains to our fellowship with God, not our relationship with Him.
Think about your own relationship with your earthly parents. No matter how many times you may have disobeyed them, your relationship with them as their child is not changed. However, your fellowship with them will be broken and you must now ask their forgiveness to re-establish that fellowship! In the same way, when we, as Believers, sin against God, though our relationship to Him as His children is secure, we confess our sins to re-establish our fellowship with God.
The original Greek text seems to imply that when we confess our sins, God forgives the very sins we confess. Notice that God's forgiveness is conditional, based on our confession. Notice, also, that God's forgiveness is based on Himself! God's Faithfulness and Justice ensures that our sins are forgiven! When you admit your sins to God, you have the firm assurance that He has forgiven you completely and has re-established His fellowship with you.
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Principle #3: God's Forgiveness Cleanses and Heals
"and purify us from all unrighteousness."
If you never took a bath, how healthy would you be? Your body would probably be covered in sores, and disease would invade your body. Sin affects our spiritual lives in a similar way. It causes our heart to be calloused and also allows the devil to invade our lives and gain a "foothold"! The accumulation of Sin's effects result in a life defiled and stained by unrighteousness.
But 1 John 1:9 teaches that when we confess our sins to God, He cleanses us from all unrighteousness! He wipes us clean! He scrubs away the guilt, the fear and the hardness that sin brings, and in their place leaves a renewed sensitivity to God, clean and soft toward His Spirit!
May God Grant You His Heart, to Hate Sin as He Does, and to Seek Righteousness as He IS. Amen!
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