When reading the Bible, it is always important to determine the intent of the writer or occasion of the writing since this will frame the entire message being communicated.  Why might the Apostle John have written the letter we know of as I John?  John himself cites the two reasons:

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. I John 1:4

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.  I John 5:13

Therefore, all that John communicates in his letter is bracketed by his desire to increase the readers joy and increase the confidence of the true followers of Jesus, that they could know they have a relationship with God.  In stating this, John gives us a helpful clue to the reason for writing I John.  Apparently, there were people claiming to have a relationship (e.g. “fellowship”) with God, but were living in ways that seemed to conflict with the beliefs and actions of a true follower of Jesus.  Also, the joy of some must have been waining given a crisis of confidence as to what was right to believe in regard to true spiritual living.  As we will see, when confronted, these “Christians” posed rationale for their confidence in claiming that they truly were in “fellowship” with God.  In many ways, they even claimed to have a higher sense and capacity for spirituality.  Can you imagine the level of confusion and insecurity a situation like this would create?  The only way to determine who was right and who was wrong would be to have a standard by which all beliefs could be measured and the only authority figure(s) available (remember there was no Bible at this time), were the apostles.  By the time of this letter’s writing (A.D. 85), most if not all of the other Apostles had died.  Certainly, only the Apostle John was in the region from which this confusion was emanating and growing.  The Apostle John hears of this conflict and determines to writes the letter of I John intending to (1 increase the joy of the people who were true followers of Jesus Christ and (2 encourage the true followers of Christ, that they “know” that they have eternal life. With this information serving as a backdrop, let’s consider John’s letter with a brief commentary to trace John’s flow of thought.  The information will provide a basis for determining what v. 9 is communicating and if John’s intent was to urge confession by believers in order to maintain fellowship with God (see Part 1).

5 This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

John’s thesis in this section of his letter is that “God is light.” The metaphor of light and darkness is used by John to represent the concept of sin vs. righteousness in his writings (see John 1:4-9).

6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

There were some people claiming to be Christians and yet also be able live in sin (“darkness”) yet have “fellowship” with God as if nothing was different.  Most likely this belief had at its roots a separation of the physical from the spiritual.  Later, this understanding would be become the basis for a belief called, “Gnosticism” in which the material world could never pollute the spiritual world.  Therefore, the actions of the body were of no consequence to the spirit of an individual.  Hence, a person could live in all sorts of perversions and yet claim to “in his heart” truly love Jesus.  It would seem that the early church that John was writing was encountering a form of incipient Gnosticism that would eventually reach its apex in approx. 125 A.D.     To these “Christians” how they lived had nothing to do with whether or not they had fellowship with God.  The truest part of who they were, they claimed, was “born again” and, therefore, had the freedom to act with their bodies or in this world in ways that might seem to not be spiritual.  Can you imagine the type of confusion that this type of teaching would bring into the church?  How about to the immature disciples of Jesus?  Again, without a Bible, the claims of these “Christians” could not be refuted categorically since only the Apostles of Christ had been commissioned with the authority of Christ.  Without an authoritative standard, the claims of who was truly spiritual and who was not was up for grabs and this is precisely why John writes with categorical clarity.  John is writing so there is no doubt about who is in fellowship with God and who is not in fellowship with God.

Notice that John uses the term “fellowship” to indicate a trust-relationship or salvation.  To John, he is writing to differentiate between true Christians and professing Christians who were really wolves in sheep’s clothing.  John’s conclusion about these “Christians” was that these types of professors were, in actuality, liars and not living in light of what Jesus taught, regardless of what they were claiming.  It was the authority of the Apostle John that was needed to thwart the false teaching that these people were professing and following.

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

In response to the “lost” perspective of v.6, John gives the real outlook of a true Christian.  To “walk in the light” is to display a life-pattern of rejecting sinful behavior, of living a life of faith and love as Jesus had commanded (see John 8:31-32). These types of professors do not live the type of sinful life that those in v. 6 did, and when they do sin, Jesus’ blood covers all their sin because Jesus has forgiven all sin on the cross.  In other words, their “fellowship” is never in danger because it is their “fellowship” with Christ and, therefore, with one another that is based on what Jesus has done.  Period.  Anytime they sin as a Christian, the blood of Jesus immediately covers them.  However, they do not sin like those mere professors in v.6 who would dismiss their sinful lives claiming that their choices in this world don’t matter since they have fellowship with God regardless of how they live.

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

John now moves to address another false claim that “Christians” were making – that a person could get to a certain level of spiritual maturity and not sin anymore.  A group of professing believers were creating confusion among the church because they were claiming that they used to sin, but no longer struggle with disobedience.  Maybe they said that their faith was strong enough to never disobey Jesus.  Maybe they claimed to have a deeper understanding of Jesus’ teaching about what sin is and is not. Once they believed they were sinners and trusted in Christ, but, apparently, now they don’t sin anymore.  These pretenders must have originally admitted and confessed their sinfulness since, certainly, no church would be confused by this ruse.  However, the idea that someone could reach a level of spirituality has always been present in some form in all ages of the church.   John quickly dispatches these false believers by confronting them with the reality that all believers still sin (see Paul’s experience in this regard in Rom. 7:14-23).  Why?  We all struggle to trust in God. When we don’t trust in God (expressed in some sinful action), we must trust in something or someone else, namely, ourselves.  John teaches that those people who believe this call God a liar because He is the one who identifies us all (even redeemed people) as sinners.  The result is that anyone who makes this profession DOES NOT have His truth in them, regardless of what they may claim about their “true spiritual identity.”  It is to this line of reasoning that brings us to John’s reason for writing v. 9.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In 1 John 1:9, the word translated “confess” is the Greek compound verb, homo [“same”] logeo [“word”], literally, “say the same word.” To confess our sins is to say the same thing as God says about them. Confessing our sins, therefore, means acknowledging that God’s perspective of our transgressions is correct. Notice the conditional word, “if” scattered throughout this section.  In presenting a “lost” perspective and the “found” perspective, John allows the reader to identify which group they are in depending on what side of the argument they are on.  Therefore, “if we say we have no sin” then you belong to those who have never been forgiven.  On the other hand, “if” you belong to those who confess their sins you belong to the group who has been forgiven.  You see, true believers continue to confess that they are sinners even after trusting in Christ.  There is no authentic believer who comes to the place of perfection or inability to commit sin due to some heightened realm of spirituality. A true Christian will (present tense) be the person who is confessing or saying the same thing about their sin as God does – it is wrong.  What is God’s response to a person who admits they are a sinner in need of continual forgiveness?  “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  It could be expressed like this: As a Christian encounters sin and calls it for what it is -wrong, God faithfully and completely covers it under the blood of Jesus Christ as it happens (see v. 7).  You see v. 7 is a perspective that God has when we sin and v. 9 is our perspective, our response as well as our hope when we sin.  Therefore, John’s teaching is not to confess sin in order to receive forgiveness, but that a true Christian will be confessing their sin as evidence that they have been and are being forgiven on the basis of the blood of Jesus that established the New Covenant.

10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

The final line of reasoning that John must address and correct is the rampant false teaching concerning who is and is not in fellowship with God (truly saved) is the issue of those who are claiming to never have sinned, ever.   Again, this view goes against what God has said and, therefore, calls God a liar.  Therefore, anyone who believes this can be assured that God’s word cannot be in him or her.  God would never lead someone to believe this regardless of how deep there “fellowship was with God.  The Apostle John wanted the church to realize that those who profess v.6, v.8. or v.10 are not in fellowship with God.  In other words, they are not Christians at all.  True Christians have the perspective of v.7 and v.9.

Therefore, the fellowship or salvation of a Christian is not dependent on his or her confessing their sins to God in order to get forgiveness. A true Christian is someone whose sin has been completely forgiven by Christ due to placing their trust in Jesus as the sin-bearer for all of their sin – past, present, and future.  As a result, the Christian will be confessing their sin and living in the assurance that Jesus’ blood has covered them.  It is this unconditional promise of forgiveness that confronts and brings the sinning brother or sister to a place of brokenness and desire for change.  It is the truth of the Gospel of Jesus that provides us with the motivation to live for Him after He has been so gracious to us.