Author: Kurt Composed: 02/20 09:57 PM
Subject: 1John 1:9
Category: THE_WORD
John 1:8 starts off the thought with: If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
KJV If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The NIV uses Purify for Cleanse.
From "What the Bible is All About". Admit You Are a Sinner. You cannot walk with God and practice sin in your life at the same time. God keeps showing us the sin in our lives. On the cross He redeemed us from the penalty of sin once and for all. But let us know too that if we confess our sins He keeps cleansing us from the sins that creep into our lives by our contact with this world.
When a farmer plows his field he throws out every stone that he finds. But the next year as the plow goes deep into the furrow, he finds other stones that had remained hidden the year before. He throws these aside as they turn up. Then the next year the same thing occurs. So in our lives! God will reveal by the plow of His Spirit the sins that are hidden in our lives that we did not know were there. Don't be discouraged, but use His remedy.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Don't pray in an indefinite way. Name it before God. Is it pride, lack of trust, anger, love of pleasure more than God? Well, whatever it is, lay it out before God and tell Him what it is. Call it by name. Then claim God's promise. He is faithful and just not only to forgive us our sins but to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. A human parent can forgive our misbehavings, but only God can cleanse us from sin.
Here is some background on the letter of 1John from the NIV Life Application Bible notes:
(1:8) Here John was attacking the second claim of the false teachers: that people had no natural tendency toward sin, that they were "without sin," and that they were then incapable of sinning. This idea is at best self-deception and at worst a bald-faced lie. The false teachers refused to take sin seriously. They wanted to be considered Christians, but they saw no need to confess and repent. The death of Christ did not mean much to them because they didn't think they needed it. Instead of repenting and being purified by Christ's blood, they were encouraging sin among believers, in this life we are always capable of sinning, so we should never let down our guard.
(1:8-10) The false teachers not only denied that sin breaks our fellowship with God (1:6) and that they had a sinful nature (1:8) but they also denied that their conduct involved any sin at all (1:10). That was a lie that ignored one basic truth: 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.
(1:9) Confession is supposed to free us to enjoy fellowship with Christ. It should ease our consciences and lighten our cares. But some Christians do not understand how it works. They feel so guilty that they confess the same sins over and over, they wonder if they might have forgotten something. Other Christians believe that God forgives them when they confess, but if they died with unconfessed sins, they would be forever lost. These Christians do not understand that God wants to forgive us. He allowed his beloved Son to die just so he could offer us pardon. When we come to Christ, he forgives all the sins we have committed or will ever commit. We don't need to confess the sins of the past all over again, and we don't need to fear that God will reject us if we don't keep our slate perfectly clean. Of course we should continue to confess our sins, but not because failure to do so will make us lose our salvation. Our relationship with Christ is secure. Instead, we should confess so that we can enjoy maximum fellowship and joy with him.
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.
(1:9) If God has forgiven us for our sins because of Christ's death why must we confess our sins? In admitting our sins and receiving Christ's cleansing, we are: (1) agreeing with God that our sin truly is sin and that we are willing to turn from it. (2) ensuring that we don't conceal our sins from him and consequently from ourselves. and (3) recognizing our tendency to sin and relying on his power to overcome it.
Starting again at verse 8, there is a clear accusation that "we are sinners" and "tend to hide that fact". If there is doubt of the accuracy of this premise; Who do you know that is perfect? We all fall short of the glory of God but that is the standard. There is but one exception and praise God that he bridged the gap between sin and righteousness through the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; who loved me and gave himself for me.
Verse 9 then is the a covenant prayer (If we... He will). Forgiveness and purification come after confession.
The Greek for confess is homologeo: to assent, covenant, acknowledge, give thanks, promise. It is a compound of homou and logos. Homos: at the same place or time, together the same or akin. Logos something said, including the thought that implies a subject or topic, also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive.
This word confess is used in:
(Romans 10:9: That if you confess with your mouth "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.)
(1 John 4:15: NIV If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God)
(2 John 7: NIV Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.
The awareness of our sin and the consealing it to God's Spirit can be a bad move.
(Genesis 3:9-10 But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.) God knew where Adam was and Adam knew that he had sinned. He tried to hide behind a fig leaf and pointing blame toward someone else. God did not let the sin go unpunished nor did he let the full punishment of sin destroy the man but made atonement for him and clothed him with garments made by the hand of God.
(Acts 5:1-2 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.) God knows our heart as well. Do not let a false impression of your giving persist where it is not true. The covenant of confession does not necessarily require that it be public. To me, the thought is more a relationship between the confessor and God. An act of acknowledgement that we are sinners before a our Holy God. However public confession is not excluded.
(James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.)This passage uses confession as another compound word exomologeo: to acknowledge agree fully with the public. The prefix ek or ex: the origin, the point whence motion or action proceeds and the suffix logos in this usage is the spoken word.
Faithful or pistos: in the objective case trustworthy in the subjective case trustful sure and true.
(Hebrews 3:1-2 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.)
(Psalm 36:5 Your mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens; and your faithfulness reaches unto the clouds.)
(Psalm 89:1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.)
Just or dikaios: equitable in character or act by implication innocent, holy, meet, right and righteous.
From the NIV Study Bible: about Faithful and Just. Here the phrase is virtually a single concept. It indicates that God's response toward those who confess their sins will be in accordance with his nature and his gracious commitment to his people. He is faithful to his promise to forgive. He will provide the forgiveness that restores the communion with God that had been interrupted by sin.
(Leviticus 19:36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.)
(Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.)
(Romans 1:16-17 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. )
(Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.)
Forgive or aphiemi the intense form in a compound word Apopime: off or away, separation, departure, cessation, completion and or reversal. Hiemi: to send forth forgive, forsake, lay-aside, leave, let, omit, suffer, yield up.
(Matthew 6:12 & 14 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors...For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:)
Purify or in the KJV Cleanse is challaq or smooth. Like smooth stones for use as lots, to apportion or separate, deal, distribute divide. To take away a portion, separate self. To be smooth or smoother. Flatten. Some uses of this word would be that of a long process of sanctification. It can also be an immediate and complete thing. We are cleansed once and for all by the blood of Jesus Christ. Then we begin the process of becoming holy as he is holy.
(Matthew 10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely you have received, freely give.)
This verse in Leviticus is a picture of sin. Not pretty. We are cleansed from sin but the effects of sin are still with us. He heals us but we are looking for the ultimate healing.
(Leviticus 15:13 And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue; then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.)
(2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.)
(Ephesians 5:25-26 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.)
Unrighteousness or adikia pronounced adeekeea: legal injustice, the act of, by implication unjust, wrong derived from adikos as a negative particle. Wickedness, treacherous, heathen.
(1 John 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.)
(Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;)
Not the same word but the Positive view would be found in:
(Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;)
(Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.)
From the Life Application Bible: Confession, Repentance, and Forgiveness in the Psalms.
Over the centuries, many believers, overcome by an awareness of their own sins, have found in the words of the penitential (confession) psalms a ray of hope. The psalmists share with God both the depth of their sorrow and repentance, as well as the height of joy at being forgiven. They rejoiced in the knowledge that God would respond to confession and repentance with complete forgiveness. We, who live on the other side of the cross of Christ, can rejoice even more because we understand more. God has shown us that he is willing to forgive because his judgment on sin was satisfied by Christ's death on the cross.
As you read these psalms, note the pattern followed by the psalmists in responding to God: (1) they recognized their sinfulness and tendency to do wrong; (2) they realized that sin was rebellion against God himself; (3) they admitted their sins to God; (4) they trusted in God's willingness to forgive; and (5) they accepted his forgiveness.
Use these psalms as a reminder of how easy it is to drift away from God and fall into sin, and what is needed to reestablish that fellowship.
6 O LORD, rebuke me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
14 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
31 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.
32 Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
38 O LORD, rebuke me not in thy wrath: neither chasten me in thy hot displeasure.
41 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.
51 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
102 {A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.} Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
130 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD.
143 Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness.
