Knowing You are Forgiven - Part One
How do you know when you are forgiven?
One of the Bible’s clearest explanations of forgiveness says,
One of the Bible’s clearest explanations of forgiveness says,
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
Let us break down the sentence in order to better understand forgiveness.
If we confess our sins…
One need not be a biblical theologian to recognize forgiveness is conditional. Forgiveness is conditioned upon our confession. Conversely, until one confesses their sin, they will not be forgiven.
According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words the word “confess” in this sentence means "to confess by way of admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction.” Thus, confession is the result of conviction.
Of course, for conviction to come, one must be sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said this about the role of the Holy Spirit in convicting us of our sin:
If we confess our sins…
One need not be a biblical theologian to recognize forgiveness is conditional. Forgiveness is conditioned upon our confession. Conversely, until one confesses their sin, they will not be forgiven.
According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words the word “confess” in this sentence means "to confess by way of admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction.” Thus, confession is the result of conviction.
Of course, for conviction to come, one must be sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said this about the role of the Holy Spirit in convicting us of our sin:
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment…
John 16:7-8
One of the Holy Spirit’s jobs is to convict. So, when the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin we must confess our sin. Admitting your wrongdoing before God is a result of conviction. Therefore, confession, genuine confession, must be the result of the Holy Spirit working in your heart to admit your guilt before God.
…he is faithful and just…
Next, in order to comprehend forgiveness, you must know something about God. In this short phrase John teaches two things about God.
First, John teaches that God is faithful. To admit God is faithful is to say God is reliable. God is so reliable he made this pledge to all who place their full confidence in Him: "I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:6b).
Next, John teaches that God is just. In this case, the word “just” is interchangeable for the word “righteous”. To say God is “just” is to say God is always “right”. Again, Vine’s helps us by describing God being “just” as “it designates the perfect agreement between His nature and His acts (in which He is the standard for all men).”
It is one thing to say that God is “faithful and just”. Yet when you know God personally through Jesus Christ, you know that He is not only “faithful and just” in His character, but that it is in His character to express His faithfulness and righteousness to us. So, to experience forgiveness you must understand the faithfulness and justice of God. To understand God’s faithfulness and justice is to realize He keeps every promise He makes. One of the biggest promises God makes is that He will forgive us when we confess our sin to Him.
…to forgive us our sins…
Returning to the Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words we learn two great truths about the word “forgive”. Vine’s teaches forgiveness “firstly signifies the remission of the punishment due to sinful conduct, the deliverance of the sinner from the penalty divinely, and therefore righteously, imposed; secondly, it involves the complete removal of the cause of offense; such remission is based upon the vicarious and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ.” Thus, the word “forgive” is a powerful biblical word. More importantly, the act of forgiveness is a merciful and benevolent act of God entirely through Jesus Christ.
So, according to 1 John 1:9, forgiveness is a fact. Here is the process by which forgiveness works. First, the Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin. Next, as a result of that conviction I must confess my sin. Because God is faithful and always right, when I confess my sin God forgives that sin. In short, forgiveness comes when sin is confessed.
Yet there is more.
…and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When we confess our sin, God does more than just forgive us our sin. The Bible adds, “and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
“To cleanse us from all unrighteous” is to make us holy. It is to free us from the contamination of sin. The phrase means to venerate us, to consecrate us, to sanctify us.
So, when we confess our sins, God sets us free from two things. First, he sets us free from the penalty of sin—“to forgive us our sins”. Second, he sets us free from its contamination—“and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. What a great God! What a loving God.
Here is my biblical understanding of 1 John 1:9,
…he is faithful and just…
Next, in order to comprehend forgiveness, you must know something about God. In this short phrase John teaches two things about God.
First, John teaches that God is faithful. To admit God is faithful is to say God is reliable. God is so reliable he made this pledge to all who place their full confidence in Him: "I will never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:6b).
Next, John teaches that God is just. In this case, the word “just” is interchangeable for the word “righteous”. To say God is “just” is to say God is always “right”. Again, Vine’s helps us by describing God being “just” as “it designates the perfect agreement between His nature and His acts (in which He is the standard for all men).”
It is one thing to say that God is “faithful and just”. Yet when you know God personally through Jesus Christ, you know that He is not only “faithful and just” in His character, but that it is in His character to express His faithfulness and righteousness to us. So, to experience forgiveness you must understand the faithfulness and justice of God. To understand God’s faithfulness and justice is to realize He keeps every promise He makes. One of the biggest promises God makes is that He will forgive us when we confess our sin to Him.
…to forgive us our sins…
Returning to the Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words we learn two great truths about the word “forgive”. Vine’s teaches forgiveness “firstly signifies the remission of the punishment due to sinful conduct, the deliverance of the sinner from the penalty divinely, and therefore righteously, imposed; secondly, it involves the complete removal of the cause of offense; such remission is based upon the vicarious and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ.” Thus, the word “forgive” is a powerful biblical word. More importantly, the act of forgiveness is a merciful and benevolent act of God entirely through Jesus Christ.
So, according to 1 John 1:9, forgiveness is a fact. Here is the process by which forgiveness works. First, the Holy Spirit convicts me of my sin. Next, as a result of that conviction I must confess my sin. Because God is faithful and always right, when I confess my sin God forgives that sin. In short, forgiveness comes when sin is confessed.
Yet there is more.
…and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
When we confess our sin, God does more than just forgive us our sin. The Bible adds, “and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
“To cleanse us from all unrighteous” is to make us holy. It is to free us from the contamination of sin. The phrase means to venerate us, to consecrate us, to sanctify us.
So, when we confess our sins, God sets us free from two things. First, he sets us free from the penalty of sin—“to forgive us our sins”. Second, he sets us free from its contamination—“and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. What a great God! What a loving God.
Here is my biblical understanding of 1 John 1:9,
When the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, we must confess to God our sin. Because God is reliable and always right, He will deliver us from the penalty our sin and completely remove our guilt of that sin through Jesus Christ.
For those of you who are still struggling with forgiveness, I will continue our lesson in tomorrow’s blog.
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