Answer
First John 1:9 states, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (ESV). John’s letter, sometimes referred to as a “catholic epistle,” was written to the universal church. John was instructing all Christians everywhere with the “if” statement in 1 John 1:9. If we confess our sins, God will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is faithful and just to do so.
For the unbeliever, God’s cleansing from unrighteousness begins from the point of justification. Christ’s sacrifice for sin is accessible to everyone but comes into effect when unbelievers, under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, put their faith in Christ as the redeeming Savior. At that point, God declares sinners as righteous and holy, separating them from the rule of darkness and placing them into the kingdom of light (Romans 3:21–24; Colossians 1:13). The power of sin is broken in their lives (Romans 6:6, 14; 1 Corinthians 6:11). Additionally, those who are justified are sealed by the Holy Spirit and experience regeneration (Ephesians 1:13–14; 2 Corinthians 1:21–22).
Even after justification, there is a need to be cleansed from all unrighteousness. The Christian’s sin nature still desires to perform acts of unrighteousness. No believer can claim to achieve sinless perfection in this earthly journey. Consequently, the Christian life is a tug-of-war between our flesh and the Spirit (Galatians 5:16–17; Romans 8:5–6), often resulting in moments when we yield to the flesh and disrupt our fellowship with the Father. First John 1:9 emphasizes the importance of recognizing our faults, confessing them as wrong before God, and getting back into alignment with His ways. Christians do not confess their sins to maintain salvation; rather, they do so because they aspire to become more like Christ.
So, 1 John 1:9 does not imply that we must constantly maintain salvation through our asking for forgiveness. Salvation is based on Christ’s perfect sacrifice, not our demand for forgiveness. Nevertheless, all sins grieve the Spirit and offend God and should be confessed to God. When a Christian sins, his or her fellowship with God suffers, necessitating forgiveness (Ephesians 4:30; Psalm 51:4; Genesis 6:5–6).
Consider a healthy marriage as an analogy: a husband and wife have the constant assurance that their marriage is legally valid, but, when one spouse sins against the other, the relationship suffers. Apologies and forgiveness play a vital role in restoring the intimacy. The sin did not dissolve the marriage, but it did break the fellowship for a time. Similarly, those who are in Christ possess a secure legal standing before God—we are justified; we are adopted as His children. However, when we sin, the relationship suffers, and our confession, followed by God’s forgiveness, helps us stay aligned with the relational aspect of our Christian walk.
When Jesus washed His disciples’ feet, He came to Peter, who objected to Jesus serving him in such menial fashion. Jesus told Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me” (John 13:8). At this, Peter asked for a whole-body cleansing (verse 9). But Jesus said that wasn’t necessary: “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean” (verse 10). In other words, Peter had already had his “bath” (he was justified), but he still needed the smaller cleansing (forgiveness of the day-to-day sins he had committed). A bathed person walking through this world will pick up dirt and grime and thus need a foot-washing. Likewise, a saved person living in this sinful world will need periodic times of confession. And God promises to forgive His child.
When we confess our sin—that is, when we acknowledge that our actions were wrong—God is willing to cleanse us of all unrighteousness and restore our communion with Him.
