Word Study of 1 John 1:9

Word Study of 1 John 1:9
March 19, 2007
Particular emphasis on underlined words

1 John 1:8-9 New King James Version (NKJV)

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:8-9 Amplified Version (AMP)

If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not dwell in our hearts]. 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 [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action].

Confess - with the lips, from a contrite heart; involving confession to God and our fellow-men of offences against Him and them.
He - God.
Faithful - to His own promises: 'true' to His word.
Just. Not merely the mercy, but the justice of God is set forth in the redemption of the penitent believer in Christ. God's promises of mercy, to which He is faithful, harmonize with His justice (Rom 3:25-26).

Romans 3:23-26

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (NKJV)

Romans 3:23-26

Since all have sinned and are falling short of the honor and glory which God bestows and receives.[All] are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is [provided] in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward [before the eyes of all] as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood [the cleansing and life-giving sacrifice of atonement and reconciliation, to be received] through faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment. It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time ( in the now season) that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous him who has [true] faith in Jesus. (AMP)

To, [hina (NT:2443)] - 'in order that.' His forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from, etc., further the ends of His eternal faithfulness and justice.

NT:2443

hina (hin'-ah); probably from the same as the former part of NT:1438 (through the demonstrative idea; compare NT:3588); in order that (denoting the purpose or the result):

NT:2443

it is used:

1. properly, of the purpose or end

Forgive - remitting the guilt.

Cleanse - purify from filthiness. Henceforth we more and more become free from the presence of sin through the Spirit of sanctification (cf. Heb 9:14; see also 1 John 1:7).

Unrighteousness - offensive to Him who 'is just.' Called "sin," 1 John 1:7, because "sin is the transgression of the law," and the law is the expression of God's righteousness; so sin is unrighteousness.

FORGIVENESS

The act of excusing or pardoning another in spite of his slights, shortcomings, and errors. As a theological term, forgiveness refers to God's pardon of the sins of human beings.

No religious book except the Bible teaches that God completely forgives sin (Ps 51:1,9; Isa 38:17; Heb 10:17). The initiative comes from Him (John 3:16; Col 2:13) because He is ready to forgive (Luke 15:11-32). He is a God of grace and pardon (Neh 9:17; Dan 9:9).

Sin deserves divine punishment because it is a violation of God's holy character (Gen 2:17; Rom 1:18-32; 1 Peter 1:16), but His pardon is gracious (Ps 130:4; Rom 5:6-8). In order for God to forgive sin, two conditions are necessary. A life must be taken as a substitute for that of the sinner (Lev 17:11,14; Heb 9:22), and the sinner must come to God's sacrifice in a spirit of repentance (See Next Box Below - Repentance and Faith Box Below Repentance Box) (Mark 1:4; Acts 10:43; James 5:15).

Forgiveness in the New Testament is directly linked to Christ (Acts 5:31; Col 1:14), His sacrificial death on the cross (Rom 4:24), and His resurrection (2 Cor 5:15). He was the morally perfect sacrifice (Rom 8:3), the final and ultimate fulfillment of all Old Testament sacrifices (Heb 9:11-10:18). Since He bore the law's death penalty against sinners (Gal 3:10-13), those who trust in His sacrifice are freed from that penalty. By faith sinners are forgiven "justified" in Paul's terminology (Rom 3:28; Gal 3:8-9). Those who are forgiven sin's penalty also die to its controlling power in their lives (Rom 6).

Christ's resurrection was more than proof of His deity or innocence; it was related in a special way to His forgiveness. Christ's resurrection was an act by which God wiped out the false charges against Him; it was God's declaration of the perfect righteousness of His Son, the Second Adam, and of His acceptance of Christ's sacrifice (1 Tim 3:16). Because He has been acquitted and declared righteous, this is also true for those whom He represents. Thus, Christ's resurrection was a necessary condition for the forgiveness of man's sins (1 Cor 15:12-28). To be forgiven is to be identified with Christ in His crucifixion and resurrection.

Christ has the authority to forgive sins (Matt 1:21; Heb 9:11-10:18). This forgiveness is an essential part of the gospel message (Acts 2:38; 5:31).But blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (attributing to Satan a deed done by Jesus through the power of God's Spirit) is an unpardonable sin (Mark 3:28-29) - not because God cannot or will not forgive such a sin but because such a hard-hearted person has put himself beyond the possibility of repentance and faith.

God's forgiveness of us demands that we forgive others, because grace brings responsibility and obligation (Matt 18:23-35; Luke 6:37). Jesus placed no limits on the extent to which Christians are to forgive their fellowmen (Matt 18:22,35; Luke 17:4). A forgiving spirit shows that one is a true follower of Christ (Matt 5:43-48; Mark 11:25).

REPENTANCE

A turning away from sin, disobedience, or rebellion and a turning back to God (Matt 9:13; Luke 5:32). In a more general sense, repentance means a change of mind (Gen 6:6-7) or a feeling of remorse or regret for past conduct (Matt 27:3). True repentance is a "godly sorrow" for sin, an act of turning around and going in the opposite direction. This type of repentance leads to a fundamental change in a person's relationship to God.

In the Old Testament the classic case of repentance is that of King David, after Nathan the prophet accused him of killing Uriah the Hittite and committing adultery with Uriah's wife, Bathsheba. David's prayer of repentance for this sin is found in Ps 51.

In the New Testament the keynote of John the Baptist's preaching was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matt 3:2). To the multitudes he declared, "Bear fruits worthy of repentance" (Matt 3:8; Luke 3:8). When Jesus began His ministry, He took up John's preaching of the message of repentance, expanding the message to include the good news of salvation: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel" (Matt 4:17; Mark 1:15).

In Jesus' preaching of the Kingdom of God is seen the truth that repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin: by repentance, one turns away from sin; by faith, one turns toward God in accepting the Lord Jesus Christ. Such a twofold turning, or conversion, is necessary for entrance into the kingdom (Matt 18:3). "Unless you repent", said Jesus, "you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13: 3,5). This is the negative, or judgmental, side of Jesus' message. The positive, or merciful, side is see in these words: "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10).

After Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, His disciples continued His message of repentance and faith (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 20:21; 26:20). Repentance is a turning from wickedness and dead works (Acts 8:22; Heb 6:1) toward God and His glory (Acts 20:21; Rev 16:9), eternal life (Acts 11:18), and a knowledge of the truth (2 Tim 2:25).

Repentance is associated with prayer (1 Kings 8:47), belief (Mark 1:15), baptism (Acts 2:38), and conversion (Acts 3:19) and is accompanied by humility (Matt 11:21). Repentance is God's will and pleasure (Luke 15:7-10; 2 Peter 3:9), as well as His command (Mark 6:12; Acts 17:30). It is a gift of His sovereign love (Acts 5:31; 11:18; Rom 2:4; 2 Tim 2:25), without which we cannot be saved (Luke 13:3). See Next Box Below - Faith)

FAITH

A belief in or confident attitude toward God, involving commitment to His will for one's life.

According to Heb 11, faith was already present in the experience of many people in = the Old Testament as a key element of their spiritual lives. In this chapter, the various heroes of the Old Testament (Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses) are described as living by faith. In addition, the Old Testament itself makes the same point. Abraham "believed in the Lord" (Gen 15:6); the Israelites "believed" (Ex 4:31; 14:31); and the prophet Habakkuk taught that "the just shall live by his faith" (Hab 2:4).

In the New Testament, "faith" covers various levels of personal commitment. Mere intellectual agreement to a truth is illustrated in James 2:19, where even demons are said to believe that there is one God. Obviously, however, they are not saved by this type of belief. Genuine saving faith is a personal attachment to Christ, best thought of as a combination of two ideas-reliance on Christ and commitment to Him. Saving faith involves personally depending on the finished work of Christ's sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection as the only basis for forgiveness of sin and entrance into heaven. But saving faith is also a personal commitment of one's life to following Christ in obedience to His commands: "I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day" (2 Tim 1:12).

Faith is part of the Christian life from beginning to end. As the instrument by which the gift of salvation is received (Ephesians 2:8-9, faith is thus distinct from the basis of salvation, which is grace, and from the outworking of salvation, which is good works. The apostle Paul declared that salvation is through faith, not through keeping the works of the law (Ephesians 2: 8-9).

(See Election Page - Link at Bottom of this posting) -- Statement and Questions to Consider about Election: Not All Receive Saving Faith and thus are condemned and forever lost in eternal torment -- Tough Statement. The question should not be "Why are not all saved?", rather "Why would God choose to save anyone?". These questions are answered on the Election Page --be prepared to have your eyes opened to the truth of God's Word.

Ephesians 2:8-9

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast (NKJV)

Ephesians 2:8-9

For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved ( delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God; Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.] (AMP)

Finally, in the New Testament, faith can refer to the teachings of the Bible, the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). In modern times, faith has been weakened in meaning so that some people use it to mean self-confidence. But in the Bible, true faith is confidence in Christ alone and His finished work on the cross and His resurrection, not in oneself.