Issue Regarding Confession to God in 1 John 1:9

IMO, it doesn't require you to go to extraordinary lengths to prevent the possibility of falling again, if that were even possible.

But it does mean that you really intend to avoid that sin in the future. Merely to say "Sorry. I was wrong" is something we understand not to be real contrition.

As for making an act of repentance each and every time a sin is committed...that's probably neurotic, but not if it's one particular sin that isn't committed often and is truly evil. That needs to be a special concern.

Try to keep in mind that His is the voice of love, never fear.

npw11 said:

I recently listened to this Ask Pastor John (APJ) episode titled, "Is My Repentance Real If I Keep Committing the Same Sin," from John Piper on Desiring God. Now, I have Religious OCD (ROCD)/Scrupulosity, and it causes me to catastrophically interpret religious texts (e.g. the Bible, Christian articles and podcasts, etc.). Kindly listen to the whole episode before answering in this thread.

In the mentioned APJ podcast, Piper mentioned that there are two kinds of confessions: a "superficial" confession, and a "no hypocrisy" confession. The "superficial" confession expresses guilt and sorrow for sinning, but underneath there is the quiet assumption that this sin is inevitable (i.e. having a fatalistic attitude towards besetting sins). The "no hypocrisy" confession also expresses guilt and sorrow for sinning, but it seeks "out whatever ways are going to help you put this sin to death." Now I have experienced both kinds of confessions in the past against a besetting sin I am facing. And thank God, this APJ episode helped me to realize that I had a fatalistic attitude towards this besetting sin.

Towards the end of the podcast, Piper quoted 1 John 1:9 (NKJV, emphasis mine): If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Piper then said, "And that confession right there [i.e. the one in 1 John 1:9], I think, means real confession." I assume that he meant that the verse in 1 John 1:9 refers to the "no hypocrisy" confession. Does this mean that if I do not "seek out whatever ways are going to help [me] put this sin to death (i.e. go all out - and trust me, going all out will have to mean that my OCD mind will find tons of ways to harm myself psychologically in order to get myself forgiven everytime I commit a sin)" I am not forgiven? Please help me figure this out. Thank you so much.

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Some sins -- not all -- are significant enough to weigh on our conscience in an unusual way.

Some only (among the various a person does over time). And it's quite clear the difference -- it's when we feel unusual guilt, not like an ordinary everyday type of sin, but one serious enough to make us feel unusual guilt. Different than is our normal.

This distinct and unusual feeling of conscience is divine aid to us that we should repent of those sins, by confessing them (as you have there in the 'no hypocrisy' way), and yes to aim to avoid doing them in the future, even as we are relieved of them here and now as we confess.
This is as Christ said: to do what it takes to avoid a repeated type of temptation to sin.
He spoke this in a emphatic hyperbolic wording, to emphasize the importance, for example in the deadly serious major sin of adultery (which isn't a small everyday sin):
27“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

Here the emphatic meaning is quite clear -- not to remove an eye, but to remove your eye from seeing that person or place that provides that temptation: you'd need to steer clear of that person or place or such where that temptation is.

For example, suppose it was via a web site. Then one would need to do what is adequate to accomplish removing the temptation, even if needed something as far reaching as removing the computer from one's house, or for example having another person (friend, accountability partner) put on software that blocks the site in question, so that you are no longer able to go there in a moment of weakness. That's the meaning: to do steps to accomplish removing the temptation to repeat the sin.

So, in addition to the sincere repentance, and then the divine relief given to us, we are also to then aim and try to avoid falling into that temptation again, and notice if we do how it happens, then then remove that means of temptation, so that we can walk without stumbling in that way. If you will do this, you don't need to obsess on it of course.

npw11 said:

I recently listened to this Ask Pastor John (APJ) episode titled, "Is My Repentance Real If I Keep Committing the Same Sin," from John Piper on Desiring God. Now, I have Religious OCD (ROCD)/Scrupulosity, and it causes me to catastrophically interpret religious texts (e.g. the Bible, Christian articles and podcasts, etc.). Kindly listen to the whole episode before answering in this thread.

In the mentioned APJ podcast, Piper mentioned that there are two kinds of confessions: a "superficial" confession, and a "no hypocrisy" confession. The "superficial" confession expresses guilt and sorrow for sinning, but underneath there is the quiet assumption that this sin is inevitable (i.e. having a fatalistic attitude towards besetting sins). The "no hypocrisy" confession also expresses guilt and sorrow for sinning, but it seeks "out whatever ways are going to help you put this sin to death." Now I have experienced both kinds of confessions in the past against a besetting sin I am facing. And thank God, this APJ episode helped me to realize that I had a fatalistic attitude towards this besetting sin.

Towards the end of the podcast, Piper quoted 1 John 1:9 (NKJV, emphasis mine): If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Piper then said, "And that confession right there [i.e. the one in 1 John 1:9], I think, means real confession." I assume that he meant that the verse in 1 John 1:9 refers to the "no hypocrisy" confession. Does this mean that if I do not "seek out whatever ways are going to help [me] put this sin to death (i.e. go all out - and trust me, going all out will have to mean that my OCD mind will find tons of ways to harm myself psychologically in order to get myself forgiven everytime I commit a sin)" I am not forgiven? Please help me figure this out. Thank you so much.

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IMHO, the superficial confession is one of those "Oh, Lord! I promise not to do that again... *wink* *wink*" moments where you recognize the importance of seeking forgiveness, but do not put in the sincere effort to make amends with God. He understands that we are broken humans living in a fallen world and that things are going to happen. We ask for forgiveness of our sins and are forgiven, but God knows that despite our own efforts, we will sin again. Why is that? Because we're human. I do not believe for a moment that God expects us to be sinless. We just need to be sincere in our efforts to reconcile sin and our sinful nature with Him.

BTW, I freakin' love watching the Ask Pastor John series. There is some really interesting stuff on that channel! Blessings!

that's a tough one, I know there are some sins that I really feel like there's no way I can honestly make any kind of claim that I'll never do again since it's like fighting against natural impulses to even try.
like getting angry. For me that's on impulse, and I don't know if I can avoid every situation that'd ever make me angry on impulse, like getting cut off in traffic, I'd have to never have to travel anywhere.
or being afraid when something sudden happens. We're not supposed to ever be afraid and walk in total faith in everything but fear is a natural impulse to certain things.

npw11 said:

Piper then said, "And that confession right there [i.e. the one in 1 John 1:9], I think, means real confession." I assume that he meant that the verse in 1 John 1:9 refers to the "no hypocrisy" confession. Does this mean that if I do not "seek out whatever ways are going to help [me] put this sin to death (i.e. go all out - and trust me, going all out will have to mean that my OCD mind will find tons of ways to harm myself psychologically in order to get myself forgiven everytime I commit a sin)" I am not forgiven?

Click to expand...

I did not listen to the podcast as you requested, so feel free to ignore this, but I will try to help.

1Jn 1.9 consists of a condition and not one, but two promises. We have to confess, and then God will both forgive and cleanse. It is God who cleanses of the sin, not us.

Yes, we have our part to play. Like Abraham preparing the covenant sacrifice, having to present the animal parts and then protect them from the birds of prey, we must present ourselves to God and do what we can to protect His good work in us.

But it is possible, especially for someone with scrupulous tendencies, to take the burden of cleansing entirely upon ourselves, which is what your quoteback above sounds like.

That is not the spirit of 1Jn 1.9, because of its second promise, and because it cannot be reconciled to the rest of Scripture regarding our covenant in Christ.

So yes, confession must be sincere. We have sinned, we are violating our covenant relationship. Of course, it being sincere, we want to do whatever we can to overcome. But when we take the burden entirely upon ourselves, we again are violating the terms of our covenant. Because it is the Lord who cleanses us, when we turn to Him in faith. If we could have saved ourselves, we would have. But we cannot, so we need the Lord.