The Importance of Confession
Confession of Sin is Essential
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
The message of 1 John 1:9 is a practical application of a very critical subject in a Christian’s life – the subject of sin. This verse tells all Christians that the confession of personal sins is an activity pleasing unto God for all Christians.
The activity of confession is not simply in enumeration of various sins but a genuine sorrow over sin in a Christian’s life. The word translated “confess” is a combination of two Greek words: homo meaning “saying” and lego meaning “to say.” Thus, the idea of confession is to view sin as God views it and to identify with His judgment against sin.
This passage gives a message of assurance to all Christians who are faithful in confessing their sins as to the faithfulness and the justice of God in forgiving them their sins. “Faithfulness” stresses the certainty of His response to man’s confession. God is also just in forgiving sin because the penalty for all sin has already been met in Christ’s death. (The Criswell Study Bible, p. 1463.)
The LIBERTY BIBLE COMMENTARY interprets this passage as follows:
Sin must be dealt with; it is a fact. The proper way of dealing with sin is not to deny it, but to acknowledge it and allow God to cleanse it. If we confess (Greek homologeo, meaning “acknowledge” or “agree with”) our sins, He is faithful and just (He can be faithful to us and fulfill His promise, as well as just in accordance with His own righteousness and require the punishment of sin in Christ) so that (non-final clauses with Greek hina are possible in John). He forgives our sins, and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. (Liberty Bible Commentary Vol. II, page 765)
