1 John 1 is about walking in the light. It talks about following Jesus and confessing our sins to Him. Today, I want us to think more about 1 John 1:9. It’s a verse that is so simple, yet so easily misunderstood. It says, “If we confess our sins, He [Jesus] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.â€
But sometimes, what do we do instead of confessing our sins? We plead with God to forgive our sins. We promise God we will not sin again. We confess the same sin over and over again, just in case God hasn’t forgiven us. We think if we say we are sorry, truly sorry, that He just might forgive us.
God doesn’t say beg for forgiveness, He says CONFESS. He doesn’t want us to bargain with Him, so that if we promise not to do it again, He will perhaps forgive us. He says CONFESS. He doesn’t tell us to apologize over and over— He says CONFESS!
Walking in the light means confessing our sins or simply telling God what we did wrong. Just admit it. That’s our part. What is God’s part? “ He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.â€
He forgives. Why? Because He is faithful! He is just! And our faithful, just God has already paid the price for our sins through the cross. Once we’ve put our trust in Jesus, His death and resurrection has made us holy before God so we don’t have to earn our salvation by pleading for forgiveness.
Notice God not only forgives our sins but also cleanses us! Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are clean and can freely walk with Him! • Daniel Dore
• If we know Jesus, through His death and resurrection, all of our sins—past, present, and future—are forgiven. How does this truth free you to follow Jesus with joy and gratitude?
• Do we need to confess each individual sin in order for God to save us (Psalm 19:12-13; Luke 23:39-43)?
• What else does the Bible say about God cleansing us (Isaiah 1:18; Ephesians 5:25b-27)?
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 (NIV)
Read Verses:
Leviticus 16; Hebrews 9:1-14
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