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NASB | 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 1:9 If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose]. |
Bible Question: Is 1 John 1:9 applicable to Christians? Or is it addressing those in 1 John 1:8? Are Christians forgiven by Christ's blood at the cross shed 2000 years ago or by just asking for forgiveness now? Did Jesus forgive all our sins at the cross or does He only give the ones we confess to Him? |
Bible Answer: I think Tim answered well in answering your other question. Christ died for our sins while we were yet sinners in order to bring us to God (Ro 5:8), and He petitioned the Father to forgive those who crucified him -- who knew not what they were doing (Luke 23:33-34). When we confess our sins to God, He not only affirms His forgivess; He goes further to sanctify us by purifying us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). Repentant confession of sin releases purification and sanctification into our lives. The eternal consequences of sin are removed by grace through faith (John 1:12, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8f). The ongoing erosion and pollution of sin are removed through consistent and repentant confession. (See Psalm 32, Psalm 51 and James 5:13-16, among other passages.) There is even room for the consideration of the concept as to whether all sins could have been actually removed by the shedding of Jesus blood on the cross for all men as to their power to damn us SAVE A SINGLE UNFORGIVABLE SIN -- the final refusal to humble onself in the face of the persistent, faithful and eventually incontrovertible testimony of the Spirit as to the identity, truth, holiness and surpassing worthiness of God (Mark 3:28-30)-- and consequently my own need to worship Him and my utter unworthiness and inability to do so by any merit of my own (John 9:39-41). There is clearly a forgiveness already owned by the believer -- either received upon initial beleif or even prior to it, and there is a deeper cleansing from sin that is facilitated by confession. |