Vital Signs: Confessing Sin

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

If… Then #1

1 John 1:8 ESV

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

If. . . Then #2

1 John

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If. . . Then #3

1 John 1:10 ESV

10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

If. . . Then #4

1 John 2:1–2 ESV

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 2:1

Denying our sins

If then #1 & #3 begin and end with a very similar statement “If we say we have no sin” and “If we say that we have not sinned” and the response or the “then” is that we . . . What? Look in verse 8 & 10. verse 8 says. . .

Saying that we have not sinned

Deceive Ourselves/The truth is not in us

The phrase “we deceive ourselves” means to lead ourselves astray, as a sheep is lead astray or away from the flock.

The New Bible Commentary 1:5–2:6 Fellowship with God

Modern fallacies claim that sin is a disease or a weakness, something due to heredity or environment, necessity or the like; people come to regard sin as their fate, not their fault. Such people deceive themselves. 9 In contrast we may confess our sins. The plural is significant: we confess specific sins, not simply that we sin.

1 John 1:8 ESV

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Verse 10 says . . .

This is in essence the difference between genuine confession and repentance (an honest evaluation of our sinful state accompanied by remorse and a new transformed heart) and feeling poorly because we have been caught in our sin. Or giving lip service, but inwardly minimizing, excusing or shifting the blame for our sin.

. . . We make Him a liar

1 John 1:8–2:2 ESV

If we say that we have not sinned, we don’t actually cause God to lie, but in making such a statement we are insinuating or claiming that God is a liar. His word clearly

. . . His Word is not in us

the statement “His word is not in us”, is the same as “the truth is not in us.” The meaning here is that it is not in us in a permeating and abiding sense, which is necessary for sanctification to continue.

Sandwiched in the middle of these two If . . . Then statements is another if then.

1 John 1:9 ESV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This “IF. . . Then is the rose between two thorns. It is the light breaking through the clouds. It gives us hope and peace and joy. Though it is likely that we often find it hard to believe that is the case when we are faced with the decision to confess or hide our sin.

When we are faced with the choice of confession vs. abiding in or hiding our sin, we don’t always see confession as the wisest choice do we?

Confession is a vital sign of our fellowship with God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the body of Christ, His church.

If we confess our sins

If we have sinned, and we all continue to sin, we need to confess our sins.

The false teachers that John is writing to combat, were likely teaching that in order to have fellowship with God, one needs to be blameless/perfect.

Two things are a problem here. First is that they claim this to be necessary, though our sinless perfection will not happen this side of Heaven (see vs 8 again)

Second, this meant that these false teachers apparently thought they had achieved such perfection as they were claiming to have fellowship with God.

Confession in this passage, is an Admission of my guilt, Acknowledgement of my unrighteousness, Declaration of my failure/sin. There are other passages in Scripture which instruct us and give us examples of others truths that we need to confess.

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

1 John 2:23 ESV

23 No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

1 John 4:2–3 ESV

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

1 John 4:

1 John 2:

Our heavenly father desires that we confess, specific sins, not just that we sin. That is why John uses the plural noun “sins” “hamartias” in verse 9. We need to identify and admit to God specific ways that we have failed to obey His law.

According to the Shorter Westminster Catechism Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.

Jonathan Edwards when speaking of “gracious affections” or genuine fruit of a believer’s life, he said they are accompanied with or “attended w/ evangelical humility”. Meaning that the true believer will recognizing their own sinfulness and their need for cleansing and forgiveness. As opposed to those who claim to be humble but hold onto their self-righteous pride as they compare themselves with other people.

It isn’t quite the same when it comes to confessing to God, because He already knows every sin, but He desires for us to confess this, to make proper recognition or acknowledgement of our failure to obey His commands.

This is important for us to understand. We need to be able to identify the difference between genuine confession and repentance (an honest evaluation of our sinful state accompanied by remorse and ultimately a new transformed heart). Versus feeling poorly because we have been caught in our sin. Or admitting our guilt while continuing to grasp a hold of our pride, as we compare ourselves against ourselves.

The only standard we ought to compare ourselves to is the WORD of GOD, which is the righteousness of Jesus Christ

Here are three very dangerous, yet common responses when we discover our sin or it is revealed to us.

Minimize

Excuse

Shift the blame

These are three things that we tend to want to do when we are confronted about our sin. True confession and repentance is never accompanied with any of these three ingredients.

Minimize-

Luke 18:11 ESV

11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.

Excuse-

Romans 1:19–23 ESV

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Shifting the blame

Adam and Eve were a prime example of shifting the blame. They each attempted to blame someone else for their sins.

But as we saw in verse 9, there is a positive result when we admit our sins.

God will forgive us and cleanse us

He is faithful - relating to his promised Word of forgiving those who confess

He is just- relating to the reality that such an act is right because the conditions have been met by the blood of Jesus Christ.

Confession allows us to abide in truth and in fellowship with God, who is “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

This forgiveness is a means for restoring unhindered fellowship with the Father and Son. This isn’t referring to the forgiveness, which takes place at the time of Salvation. Which has been descried as a legal remission f guilt.

John is writing to people who have already experienced that.

Luke 7:37 ESV

37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment,

The attitude we need to have is that of the women who came to worship Jesus, and saw her own sinfulness

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. IX The Sinner’s Advocate (No. 515)

Is God so good?—then I will not grieve him. Is he so ready to forgive my transgressions?—then I will love him and offend no more. Gratitude hath bands which are stronger than iron, although softer than silk.

Increasingly Obedient

1 John 2:1 ESV

1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

As we walk in the light, our perception of our actions, motives and beliefs will increasingly be enlightened to see our shortcomings and our needful reliance upon Christ. This process must involve the act of confession our our sins, which Christ our advocate/ our attorney/ our intercessor presents before the Father.

See John doesn’t just tell us to admit our sins, recognize our sins and God will say, Ok, as long as you are willing to admit you were wrong, we’re good.

John gives us the wiring diagram, the blueprint, the story behind the or the method of our sanctification.

Jesus is our Advocate/Paraklete

He is our counselor and He is our attorney, representing us. He goes before our Father and pleads our case.

AND. . .

Jesus is our Atoning Sacrifice/Propitiation

He is the sacrificial Lamb that took upon Himself our sins and made atonement for them, in His death.

He made amends for our sin, He redeemed us, He made atonement, penance, reparation, restitution.