Today’s reading: 1 John 1 and 2
The book of 1 John was written by the apostle John near the end of his life. At this point, he was likely the last of Jesus’ disciples still alive. He wrote this letter to the “next generation of believers”, those who were born after Jesus had ascended back to Heaven. As someone who was an eyewitness to the Jesus in the flesh, John’s goal was to give believers confidence in their faith by presenting a clear picture of who Jesus was, and guide them on staying in fellowship with him.
John begins Chapter 1 by describing God as Light, what is pure, true and holy. We know it is impossible for darkness to exist in the presence of light. In the same way, sin cannot exist in the presence of our perfect and holy God. God wants us to be in relationship with him, but in order to do that, we have to get rid of our sin. How do we do that? Confession.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7).
Confession is a paradox. God, by his very nature, is omnipotent (knows everything). The Bible also tells us that when we place our faith in Jesus Christ, all our sins are forgiven. So if God knows, and has forgiven, all of our sin (past, present and future), why then do we still need to confess our sins to him? Is confession a requirement of salvation? If we die with unconfessed sins, we will still go to Heaven? These are some of the questions with which the first century Christians were struggling, and are likely some of the questions with which we still struggle.
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved (Romans 10:9-10).
Confessing that Jesus Chris is Lord is required for salvation. Regularly confessing our sins to God, however, is focused on fellowship. See, sin puts a barrier between us and God. By confessing our sins to him, we are able to remove that barrier by:
- Acknowledging to God that we know our actions are sinful.
- Being sorry for what we’ve done, and being willing to turn from our sinful ways.
- Recognizing that we don’t have the power to overcome sin on our own, but must rely on God’s power.
Confessing our sin isn’t telling God something he doesn’t already know. Rather, it is about the condition of our hearts. Getting rid of our sin makes us pure again and opens the door for God to draw near to us.
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you (James 4:10).