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Answer
In 1 John 1:5–10, the apostle John describes genuine fellowship with Jesus Christ as walking in the light. One way believers walk in the light is by honestly admitting their human tendency to sin: “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).
John portrays God and Jesus as light (1 John 1:5; John 1:4-9). Often, Jesus referred to Himself as light (John 9:5; John 12:35-36). God’s absolute holiness shines light into the utter darkness of a sinful world. Those who desire to have an authentic relationship with God must obey His Word and live in His light. But, to do this, the problem of sin must be dealt with openly before the Lord. John explains, “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us” «If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.», (1 John 1:10).
The way to deal with sin is to repent and confess it as soon as we recognize it. Otherwise, guilt will weigh heavily on us, as it did on David (Psalm 32:3-4). “Finally,” David said, “I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, ‘I will confess my rebellion to the LORD.’ And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone” «I acknowledged my sin unto thee, And mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; And thou forgavest me.», (Psalm 32:5).
e iniquity of my sin.” (Psalm 32:5, NLT).
The word “confess” refers to admitting a sin. When we confess our sins to God, we agree with Him that we have broken His law and therefore deserve punishment. Confession recognizes that we are wrong—we are personally guilty. Confession confronts our denial of sin head-on. We are humble enough to say, “Lord, I have sinned against you.” And believers who want to walk in God’s light must be willing to let Him deal radically with their lives.
It’s important to note that, at the point of salvation, all of our sins are forgiven. On the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, once and for all time (Ephesians 1:7; Romans 5:6-11; Hebrews 10:1-18). After we are sealed with the blood of Christ’s covenant, there is nothing we can do that will keep us from heaven “for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”, (Matthew 26:28). All of our sins—past, present, and future—are forgiven through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Yet, Jesus taught that believers must continue to seek God’s forgiveness daily (Matthew 6:11-12). After salvation, Christians frequently miss the mark (Proverbs 28:13). But if we are honest with ourselves, we can repent and confess our sins to God and experience His forgiveness and cleansing «Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; », (Acts 3:19).
Sometimes we may need to admit that we’ve wronged a family member, a co-worker, or a brother in Christ. Scripture teaches us to confess our sins to other believers and seek forgiveness from those we have hurt (James 5:13-16; Matthew 5:23-25; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).
Maintaining any healthy, loving, intimate relationship will require the giving and receiving of forgiveness, for this is how relationships work. In our fellowship with God and other people, if we offend the other party, we mend the relationship by confessing our failures and asking for forgiveness.
Thankfully, God is “faithful” and “just.” These terms in 1 John 1:9 describe the nature of God. The word faithful means “characterized by steadfast affection or allegiance.” God will never give up on us. We can always count on His steadfast love and forgiveness (Isaiah 43:25; Romans 8:38). When we turn to the Lord, He willHave mercy on us and freely pardon our sin «Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. », (Isaiah 55:7).
Just refers to being “legally or ethically right, righteous, and especially free from bias, favoritism, or deception.” God is morally honorable. He has promised in His Word that, “if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just.” Therefore, we can trust Him to “forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Paul affirms, “He himself is fair and just, and he makes sinners right in his sight when they believe in Jesus” «To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. », (Romans 3:26, NLT).
