Confession Heals
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
Acknowledging or confessing our sin is the first step in any recovery program, and for many, it is the hardest step to take. Those who can’t say, “I did it,” will never be fully restored. Those who can are walking in the light.
When the authors of the New Testament use the word “confess,” it literally means “to speak the same thing” or “to agree with.” It is the opposite of denial, whether spoken or unspoken. Sometimes this refers to a public confession of faith, such as when Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, “Whoever [confesses] me before others, I will also [confess] before my Father in heaven.” Sometimes this refers to an act of praise, such as when Paul says, “Therefore I will [confess] you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name” (Romans 15:9). It can also mean the acknowledgment of sin (see 1 John 1:9).
When John wrote his first letter to the churches, his concern was that the believers had fellowship with God and with one another (see 1 John 1:2-4). He knew it would be impossible for them to have this type of fellowship if they were living in denial and covering up their sin. For this reason, he urged them to “walk in the light” (verse 7) as God is light and live in moral agreement with Him. Claiming “to be without sin” (verse 8) is self-deception and pollutes our relationships with God and one another, while confession leads to purification from unrighteousness.
Unconfessed sin hinders the relationship we have with God and others. However, as we walk in the light and speak the truth in love, God has made provision to cleanse us from whatever transgression would otherwise mar our fellowship with Him and others. Note that God does not forgive our sins because we confess them. Rather, He forgives us because “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). The cross is the only moral ground on which God can forgive. Thus, failing to confess all our sins will not lead to eternal damnation. God is faithful to forgive us because He has promised to do so, and He is just because His Son died for our sins (see verse 9). Believers’ destinies are not at stake if they fail to confess every sin, but their daily victory may be. Knowing that we are already forgiven is what enables us to live in conscious moral agreement with God. Besides, God already knows our moral condition.
John concludes by stating that if “we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us” (verse 10). It is likely that those who claim to have never sinned haven’t come to Christ in the first place, because they don’t see the need of salvation. However, as far as we are concerned, John wants us to live a confessional life in which God not only removes the guilt of our sin (forgives us) but also the stain of our sin (cleanses us).
Confession brings healing to the soul. James writes, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed” (James 5:16). Confession reunites people, leads to a breakthrough in community, and enables them to have fellowship with God and one another.
questions to consider
Review 1 John 1:1-10. What does John say he is proclaiming to the believers? What is the purpose for writing the letter to them?
Why is it impossible for a believer to claim to have fellowship with God and yet not walk in the light?
Why is it harder to say “I did it,” than “I’m sorry?”
Why does God want you to confess your sins if you have already been forgiven?
What is keeping you from living in conscious moral agreement with God and others?