Lesson 7 March 28, 2004
Review:
Cleanses from all
unrighteousness 1 John 1:9
This is the only instance in the New Testament where the verb "to
confess" (o`mologe,w) refers to the confession of
sins. It is generally used in connection with a confession of Christ or of
truth about Him.
God's favorable response to our confession is assured by His nature,
because "he is faithful and just" (pisto,j evstin
kai. di,kaioj().
The first adjective, "faithful,"
describes God's reliability, consistency, dependability..
God can be trusted to do what has been promised.
The second adjective, "just"
or "righteous,"
declares that when God forgives the sin of the repentant believer He acts in
full accord with His righteous nature.
God's response to our confession of our sin is twofold: "to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness".
The hina introducing the clause looks back
to the preceding two adjectives and usually indicates purpose or result; it may
be rendered "that."
The words "to forgive us
our sins" indicate God's response to the guilt of our sins. As a
failure to conform to God's expressed will, our sins make us guilty and subject
to punishment.
But when we confess them to Him He acts to "forgive" ((avfi,hmi|), as a
definite act "to remove," more literally "to send away,"
those sins so that they no longer stand between us and God.
They are "sent away as a cloud is dissolved, never to appear
again." And we should not allow Satan to bring up those sins again and use
them to disrupt our peace with God.
The added phrase "and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness" declares that our sins not
only made us guilty but also made us unclean before Him.
The aorist verb "cleanse"
(kaqari,zw) declares that upon our
confession God specifically acts to cleanse us from the pollution of our sins.
Sin produces a defilement - which only God can remove, He acts to
remove "all unrighteousness"
(pa,shj avdiki,ajÅ) underlining that the cleansing
is total, not partial.
The noun "unrighteousness" here describes our sin as a
failure to measure up to the standard of right as set forth by the Word of God.
This total cleansing restores us to fellowship with God. It is based
on the work of Christ on the cross that is the cleansing agent, not our
confession; but the confession of our
sins makes possible the application of the divine cleansing and the
restoration to fellowship.
There are several purposes for confession:
(a) Confession brings
forgiveness and restoration of fellowship with God (1 Jn.
1:9; Prov. 28:13);
(b)
Confession restores God’s empowering in the believer’s life (Eph.
(c)
Confession provides capacity for restraint and resistance against sinful
patterns (Rom.
(d) Since
confession restores us to fellowship, it enables us to move forward in the
process of sanctification or spiritual growth and usefulness to the Lord in
service (cf. Jam. 1:21; 1 Pet. 2:1f; 2 Tim.