1 John 1:9 was written to the church who were being influenced by Gnosticism. Gnostics didn’t believe in the existence of sin and therefore the need for a saviour. They denied Christ having come in the flesh and were therefore not walking in accordance to truth which is light. They were walking in darkness which is outside of Christ. To walk in the light is not to walk sinless it’s to walk in the truth of Jesus Christ as Christ is in the light and is the light. John was combating this antichrist doctrine of the Gnostics that was confusing the believers and telling them that these people who deny they sin are making Christ out to be a liar. If someone believes they have not sinned they are walking in darkness for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. But anyone who confesses their sin God is then faithful to forgive them their sins and cleans them from all unrighteousness. The teaching of 1 John 1:9 is not about believers having to continually confess and repent of sins in order to stay forgiven. That is clearly not the context. Of course you can try and make that the context since it very much can sound like that if you just isolate that one verse. However when you read the whole chapter it’s clear this is about people who are denying sin and denying Christ and are walking in darkness. But if they would come into the light by confessing their sins and receiving Christ as saviour then God would forgive them of all their sins and cleanse them from all unrighteousness.
Being forgiven of our sins is a once off act and can never happen again just as Christ dying for our sins was a once off act and can never happen again. When we receive Christ we receive the full gift of the forgiveness of all our sins. Christ’s gift is not incomplete forgiveness, it’s total forgiveness of all our sins past, present and future. We must reason with Scripture and its logic. How could Christ’s once for all sacrifice only deal with our past sins and not our future sins? How many sins had you committed when Christ died? None yet! All our sins were in the future still. How could Christ only deal with our past sins and not our future sins if ALL our sins were in the future? If Christ didn’t deal with all our future sins on the Cross then none of our sins are forgiven and we’re still in our sins! No! Col 2:13 says, “having FORGIVEN us of ALL our sins.” Christ dealt with all of our sins and when we confess our sins and receive Him as saviour then we receive the forgiveness of all our sins and God cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness! To believe that we need to continue to get forgiveness of sins is to not see the finished work of Christ. I know this stretches people because for their whole life they’ve been taught you need to keep getting forgiveness if you sin but you have to see that that is based on an Old Covenant way of thinking not New Covenant. Old Covenant sacrifices had to keep being offered and were a continual reminder that your sins weren’t forgiven, they were only temporarily covered. But when Christ offered a single sacrifice for all sins for all time he sat down on the throne because that one sacrifice was enough to make all who come to Him perfectly forgiven and righteous forever! (Hebrews 10:1-14). They Holy Spirit even testifies to this and backs it up! (Hebrews 10:15)
Of course being forgiven of all your sins, even before you’ve committed then, isn’t a license to run out and sin. In fact it’s really silly to even suggest that it could be a license to sin. People suggest that as though it’s a counter argument and a reason for why we mustn’t preach total forgiveness. It’s like saying if I knew my wife would forgive me of adultery then I’d just want to run out and commit adultery. That’s not the reason why I don’t commit adultery! The reality is if people are looking for a license to sin they’ll use anything. In fact they don’t even need a license, they’ll just sin anyway. If you’re looking for a way to get away with lots of sin it’s a clear sign that you’re not even saved! Born again people don’t look for a license to sin.
Believing that someone needs to continually confess their sins and get forgiven of them and are not right with God until they do in reality is also a license to sin if you’re looking for a license to sin. If I know that I can sin and then simply confess it and ask for forgiveness and I’ll be forgiven – how is that not also a license to sin? The counter argument for that would be if you do that it’s probably also a sign that you’re not born again right? Both ways are a license to sin if you’re looking for a license to sin! Neither has the power to stop someone from sinning if they are just determined that they are going to sin. If knowing that you are forgiven before you sin or will be forgiven after you sin makes you want to sin more, I’d suggest that you’re not born again and if you are then you’re not living in a loving relationship with God.
We don’t tell believers they’re forgiven of future sins to give them a licence to sin, we tell them that because it’s the truth. And truth sets people free. Not to sin but to reign over sin! Telling a believe that if they sin they must confess that sin and get forgiveness for it, is not where the power to overcome sin comes from. If that’s what you’re putting your trust in to stop believers from sinning then you are missing the true power to overcome sin and are not actually being helpful to people. The power to overcome sin doesn’t come from fear of separation and punishment from God, it comes from:
-Firstly being born again where we die to sin and now have victory over it because of our new identity.
-Secondly from receiving and walking in the grace of God that sets us free from sin and empowers us to overcome it.
-Thirdly by living in an intimate relationship with Jesus by grace that is both fulfilling and purposeful.
-Fourthly by seeing the destructive and distracting nature of sin to our walk with God (even though we are forgiven) and with others (who may never forgive us) and we should neither accept it as ok or deny that it is wrong. Instead we must flee from sin, say no to sin and not let sin reign in us! And we CAN do this because we are born again!
For a clearer understanding of what 1 John 1:9 is really all about, please watch this full length sermon where I explain it. Please watch it all with an open heart and not with offensiveness and debate. It really is straight out of the Bible teaching in context that is not a new teaching but in line with Christ, Paul and all the other New Covenant writers. Many blessings, Ryan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97_91LKxlU0
