Question on 1 John chapter 1

[jackflash101]

Can someone help me out?

Does 1 Jn 1:9 tell us to apologize to God and seek His forgiveness each and every time we sin, or is it saying that we do so and get cleansed (once and for all) when we get saved?

It seems that asking for His forgiveness all the time is asking for something we already possess, like righteousness and salvation.

Along those lines, I tend to think vs 8 and 10 refer to someone who is an unbeliever, since they claim to have no sin. Thoughts?

 

[Heterodoxus]

"Does 1 Jn 1:9 tell us to apologize to God and seek His forgiveness each and every time we sin"?

Yes:

• "If we confess our sins" is better read if we keep on confessing our present sins (cp. Robertson, Word Pictures in the NT).
• "The fact that God has removed the penalty for our sins at conversion (1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 1:7; 4:32; Col. 2:13) does not remove the necessity of confessing our sins frequently." (Constable's Expository Bible Notes 2012).
• "Confession of sins results in forgiveness. John is not [writing about one's] salvation but simply responding to the Gnostic claim not to have sinned." (Asbury Bible Commentary)

"... or is it saying that we do so and get cleansed (once and for all) when we get saved?

No. Only those Christians who claim a born again believer is "once save, always saved" (OSAS) believe this.

Look to your preferred Bible commentary(-ies) for additional info about 1 John 1:8-10.

 

[alasthai]

Does 1 Jn 1:9 tell us to apologize to God and seek His forgiveness each and every time we sin, or is it saying that we do so and get cleansed (once and for all) when we get saved?

The passage is in the present tense: it refers to an action which can occur repeatedly, not an action which happened once.

It seems that asking for His forgiveness all the time is asking for something we already possess, like righteousness and salvation.

You do already possess forgiveness for what you have already repented of and confessed, but you do not possess forgiveness for what you are planning to do next. If you did, forgiveness would be carte blanche to perpetrate the most horrific of evils on the basis that your entry to Heaven has been pre-approved.

Along those lines, I tend to think vs 8 and 10 refer to someone who is an unbeliever, since they claim to have no sin. Thoughts?

From memory, the traditional reading is that John has someone specific in mind, quite possibly Gnostic teachers in his own time who wanted to say that believers were now permanently Scotchgarded against sin.

 

[Best friend]

Can someone help me out?

Does 1 Jn 1:9 tell us to apologize to God and seek His forgiveness each and every time we sin, or is it saying that we do so and get cleansed (once and for all) when we get saved?

It seems that asking for His forgiveness all the time is asking for something we already possess, like righteousness and salvation.

Along those lines, I tend to think vs 8 and 10 refer to someone who is an unbeliever, since they claim to have no sin. Thoughts?

Don't be afraid of anything, the fact is Jesus bought you
with his blood before you
Repented from your sins,
That happens when you
Believed. You are under
The eternal fountain of
His blood, sin can not be
Use to accused you, for what?
Jesus is the Judge, who can
Accuse you to Jesus, and tell
Him, what? That he has a sin
and is unconfess; punish him
He is not clean, he does not
Belong to heaven, sent him
To hell, what Jesus is going
To say"I have died for all sin
Confess and unconfess and
Was punish for all sin" Paul
Put it this way, any
Accusation on any believer
Why he should not enter
Heavens is nail on the Cross,
Jesus put it this way,"nothing
Can take you from my hand"
This is regarding,heavens
And hell. Now repenting yes
and having a good consience
Towards God, I understand,
Read the scripture carefully
It says confess, (does not
Say ask him to forgive you)
Like you are dealing with
Another man, and they
Demand your apology,
You are right or wrong,like
Your boss, who is always
Right) it says leave it with
Him, he is not in a hurry to
Take some action against
You, but remember people
Are, so be carefull with
People and especially the
Police, or your boss and
Even your wife, just correct
Your self, and stop doing
The wrong, and Jesus who
Can see you, he is going
To be very happy with you,
And thing how to bless you,
Even more . And don't you
Follow to quickly your guilty
Consience believing is the
Guidance of the Holy Spirit,
Grow slowly, avoid over
Sensitivity, grow strong in
Your mind, manage your
Sensitive consience ,

 

[Dialogist]

Does 1 Jn 1:9 tell us to apologize to God and seek His forgiveness each and every time we sin, or is it saying that we do so and get cleansed (once and for all) when we get saved?

1 Jn 1:9 has nothing to do with apologizing. The Greek word is ὁμολογέω, which means to profess or acknowledge. The archaic meaning of "confess" in English had this same meaning and was so understood when the King James version was compiled, but today people usually understand the word "confess" to mean to ask for forgiveness or acknowledge reluctantly. Nonetheless, many modern translations render the underlying Greek word as "confess" without regard to the fact that it does not mean what the modern word "confess" signifies. The real meaning of ὁμολογέω is clearer from translations of other passages, e.g.:

And then will I profess [ομολογησω] unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:23)​

Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess [ομολογηση] me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God (Luke 12:8)​

That if thou shalt confess [ομολογησης] with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved (Romans 10:9)​

And every spirit that confesseth [ομολογει] not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God (1 John 4:3)​

What John is urging is that we acknowledge our sinful nature. Consider, for example, this commentary by Serbian Orthodox theologian Justin Popovich:

The truth about man is the complete opposite [of humanism]: it rests in sensing, comprehending, and recognizing that all people are under sin and in sin. Only that sense, that comprehension, that recognition awakens man to search for salvation from sin and from its evil powers; to search for the Savior (Commentary on the Epistles of St. John the Theologian, Sebastian Press: 2009)



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[Job8]

Can someone help me out?

Does 1 Jn 1:9 tell us to apologize to God and seek His forgiveness each and every time we sin, or is it saying that we do so and get cleansed (once and for all) when we get saved?

When a sinner repents and genuinely turns to Christ for the remission of his sins and for salvation, the past is erased. At the same time, the sinful human nature is not eradicated.

However the Holy Spirit is given to the believer as a gift, in order to sanctify (purify) the saint. Which means that every Christian must search his heart every day (with the Word of God and the Holy Spirit - see Hebrews 4:11-13), and examine his life every day, then confess those sins and repent every day. It is an ongoing process, therefore John also says in 1 Jn 3:4 that the Christian -- every man -- "purifieth himself".