1 John 1:9 — “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive…”

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 — New International Version

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

1 John 1:9 — King James Version

But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and he will purge us from all our evil.

1 John 1:9 — Aramaic Bible in Plain English

God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.

1 John 1:9 — God’s Word Translation

If we acknowledge our sins, then, since he is trustworthy and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all wrongdoing.

1 John 1:9 — Complete Jewish Bible
 
 

Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary:

1 John 1:5-10
 

1:5-10 A message from the Lord Jesus, the Word of life, the eternal Word, we should all gladly receive. The great God should be represented to this dark world, as pure and perfect light. As this is the nature of God, his doctrines and precepts must be such. And as his perfect happiness cannot be separated from his perfect holiness, so our happiness will be in proportion to our being made holy. To walk in darkness, is to live and act against religion. God holds no heavenly fellowship or intercourse with unholy souls. There is no truth in their profession; their practice shows its folly and falsehood. The eternal Life, the eternal Son, put on flesh and blood, and died to wash us from our sins in his own blood, and procures for us the sacred influences by which sin is to be subdued more and more, till it is quite done away. While the necessity of a holy walk is insisted upon, as the effect and evidence of the knowledge of God in Christ Jesus, the opposite error of self-righteous pride is guarded against with equal care. All who walk near to God, in holiness and righteousness, are sensible that their best days and duties are mixed with sin. God has given testimony to the sinfulness of the world, by providing a sufficient, effectual Sacrifice for sin, needed in all ages; and the sinfulness of believers themselves is shown, by requiring them continually to confess their sins, and to apply by faith to the blood of that Sacrifice. Let us plead guilty before God, be humble, and willing to know the worst of our case. Let us honestly confess all our sins in their full extent, relying wholly on his mercy and truth through the righteousness of Christ, for a free and full forgiveness, and our deliverance from the power and practice of sin.

 

Thoughts on Today’s Verse

By Elizabeth Haworth

Although an unbeliever can gain much comfort from this verse, it is important to recognize that this is a verse that is addressed to Christians.

For the unbeliever this verse is certainly a glorious word of truth.. that the one who confesses their sinfulness with a penitent heart of true repentance will be forgiven – but this truth must not be divorced from the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ – the Anointed Messiah and promised Saviour, Whose sacrificial death paid the price for our sins and Whose glorious resurrection transferred us from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son – making us a new creation in Christ, clothing us in His own righteousness and sending His Holy Spirit to permanently indwell our heart.

We were born dead in trespasses and sins, separated from God and eternally damned.. but by faith in Christ Jesus our Saviour, our sins were forgiven, all our sins – all our past, present and future sins – and we were cleansed from all unrighteousness.

We were made one with Christ, united with Him – positioned in Him, brought back into fellowship with God our Maker, and given the right to enter the throne room of the Almighty .. and find grace to help in time of need. And we even became entitled to call Him “Abba – Father”, by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord.

But although the power of sin was severed at the cross, it seeks to retain authority in our lives and although justified by grace through faith in Christ, we are too often willing to be influenced to sin.. by our old sin nature – our old Adamic nature.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus and nothing can break our union with our living Lord – but sin breaks fellowship with the Father. Sin severs our communion with God. Sin is the barrier that the Christian can erect, which breaks our sweet fellowship with Himself and cuts us off from communion with the Father….. BUT if a Christian confesses their sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Although our post-salvation sins were forgiven forever at the cross of Christ, fellowship with the Father is broken when we allow the old sin nature to direct our lives, which means that the communion we once enjoyed with Him, is broken. But if we take every thought captive to Christ, walk in the light as He is in the light and if we confess any sinful acts and attitudes (whether they be wrong things that we have done or godly things that we have not done) God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness and to remember our sin no more.

My Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that Christ died to pay the price for my sins and broke the power of sin in my life… and thank You that in Him I have fellowship with You and free access to the throne of grace. I confess that I have not walked in spirit and truth but have been tempted to follow the desires and cravings of my own heart. I confess doing things that were displeasing to You and omitting to do those things that I ought to have done – but thank You that You are faithful and just to forgive all my sins and to keep on cleansing me I pray, from unrighteousness – thank You Father, in Jesus name, AMEN