The First Epistle of John

1. The First Epistle of John Confession of Sin - I John 1:9,10 • I John 1:9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” • ‘If’ or ‘Since’? • A conditional participle • which makes reference to time and to experience • introduces something future • but not determining before the event, whether it is certainly to take place. • Therefore – ‘if in case’ here • But I thought our sins had already been forgiven? • we confess – present active subjunctive • When we keep on declaring or admitting that we are guilty. • Notice ‘sins’ not ‘sin’. • The same Greek verb, homologeō, is almost always used in the NT to mean profess (say the same thing), not confess. • Why do you think that this is the only time in the epistles that confess is used? 1 Feb 6, 2011 Bob Eckel

2. The First Epistle of John Confession of Sin - I John 1:9,10 • Of what are we guilty and what is the consequence? • Our sins and broken fellowship. • One of many roles of the Holy Spirit • Never forget your position – that’s where He has us! • Perhaps ‘profess’ or ‘tell it like it is’ is more positionally correct here? • We see our sins as God sees them; therefore the emphasis is on fellowship! • He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins • He is – present indicative • To forgive or dispense or put away – 2nd aorist active subjunctive • Typically not a process but a single act in time • How is this verb tense relevant here? • To what is God faithful and just? • Faithful to His word. • Heb 10:23 ‘Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.’ • And just. • Rom 3:26 ‘to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.’ 2 Feb 6, 2011 Bob Eckel

3. The First Epistle of John Confession of Sin - I John 1:9,10 • And it’s all wrapped up in Christ! • To forgive us our sins– removing the guilt • Which is His gracious pathway of restored fellowship. • Yet already accomplished - I Cor 15:3, Gal 1:4, Heb 1:3, I Peter 2:24, I John 2:2, I John 3:5, I John 4:10, Rev 1:5 • and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. • Cleanse – to make clean, physically and/or morally. • What is unrighteousness? • Being offensive to Him, who "is just" and righteous • Sin (source of unrighteousness)  sins (acts of unrighteousness) • Titus 2:14 ‘who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.’ • And in context, let’s return to I John 1:7. • Constable – ‘Conversion (forensic) forgiveness, makes us acceptable as members of God’s family. Continual (family) forgiveness enables us to 3 Feb 6, 2011 Bob Eckel

4. The First Epistle of John Confession of Sin - I John 1:9,10 • experience intimate fellowship as sons within God’s family.’ • I John 1:10 “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.” • Verb tenses are critically important here! • If we say – 2nd aorist subjunctive again • we have not sinned – perfect active indicative • we make - perfect active indicative • is – present indicative • I John 1:8 revisited. • Rom 3:10 ‘As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;’ • Thus, we make God a liar. • Does the believer really need to be reminded of this? • 1 John 5:10 ‘He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.’ Sin nature denied 4 Feb 6, 2011 Bob Eckel

5. The First Epistle of John Confession of Sin - I John 1:9,10 • and His word is not in us. • You mean we’re not saved? • John 5:38 ‘But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.’ • The contrast: • Truth from 1 John 1:9 – confession restores fellowship with God. • False claim from I John 1:10 – we have not sinned. • Is this simply ignorance (One Naturist) or the absence of salvation? • The perfect tense, and particularly when in the negative, implies all past time up to the present. • This would indicate then that one never sinned! • Your final conclusion? 5 Feb 6, 2011 Bob Eckel