Chapter 54 - Confession

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Desiring to enjoy intimate fellowship, God willingly sacrificed His most valuable asset for the redemption of fallen humanity; His only begotten Son. It clarified that humanity is of unparalleled value to God.

The sacrificial death of the Christ provided for mankind to become legally suitable and organically compatible with God. As a result, he could walk (live) in the Light with Him and enjoy fellowship with Him.

God alone was able to redeem fallen mankind from sin. Thus, it was by grace alone. Absolutely corrupted, fallen humanity had nothing to offer in return. The only responsibility of the fallen is to surrender to God through instrumentation of His provided faith alone.

Understanding sin prohibits fellowship with God, the sinner must faithfully confess his sin to Him. Both the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ and the confession of sins was intended to be efficacious once and for all, through time and eternity.

Concordant with a sincere confession of sins, the fallen are forever transferred from the darkness of sin and death into the Light of God. Living in the Light with God, the blood of Jesus His Son continually cleanses from all sin and unrighteousness.

Confession

In 1 John chapter one, John explained how to enjoy fellowship with God. In contrast to the false teaching to which the early church was exposed, he clarified that it requires walking (living) in the Light with Him.

Light is an attribute of the nature of divine life (zoe). Therefore, for a human being to walk (live) in the Light with God they must share the nature of His life.

According to John, sharing life with God is only possible by being born of Him. (1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1; 4; 18) He revealed that spiritual birth requires people who walk (live) in the darkness to confess their sins.

As used by the Apostle John, the English word “confess” is translated from the Greek word homologeo (hom-ol-og-eh'-o). In the New Testament, homologeo is translated not only “confess,” but “declare,” “admit,” and “profess.” (NASB) As indicated, it literally means “to say the same thing” and thus, “to assent, accord, agree with.”[1] John used homologeo four times in his Gospel (John 1:20 (2x); 9:22; 12:42), in 1 John five times (1 John 1:9; 2:23; 4:2, 3; 15), and 2 John once (2 John 7).

Relative to its literal meaning, it is reasonable to translate homologeo in 1 John 1:9 as “to agree with.” Thus, John indicated that if people who walk (live) in the darkness want to enjoy fellowship with God they must agree with Him they are corrupted by sin (internal principle of sin evidenced by the external practice of sin) and it has prevented them from fellowshipping with Him.

Concordant with the willingness of people who walk (live) in darkness to agree with Him, God is faithful and righteous to forgive them of all sinfulness (internal principle and external practice) and cleanse them from all unrighteousness related to their sins. Thus, walking (living) in the Light with God demands agreement with Him.

In 1 John 1, the Greek verb tenses indicate the agreement or disagreement, forgiveness or unforgiveness referred to are continuous. Therefore, according to John people either continually agree or disagree with God and are continually forgiven and cleansed by God or not.

People who continuously disagree with God regarding their sinfulness (false teachers) walk (live) in the darkness apart from Him and do not enjoy fellowship with Him. In contrast, people who continuously agree with God that He forgives and cleanses from all sin walk (live) in the Light and enjoy fellowship with God.

People who continuously live in the darkness apart from God and do not fellowship with Him exist in a state of darkness. Consequently, they are unbelievers.

The following paraphrase of 1 John 1:5-10 not only protects and preserves the underlying meaning of the original Greek language but focuses the church on the Savior and His redemptive work:

“This is the message we have heard from the incarnate Christ and announce to you, that God is Light (Light is an attribute of the divine nature and thus, the divine kingdom), and in Him there is no darkness at all. (5)

If people say that they have fellowship with God (in His kingdom) and yet live in the darkness (apart from God outside of His kingdom), they lie and do not live according to the truth; but if people live in the Light (in the kingdom of God, the realm of divine authority) with God, they have fellowship with Him, and, in the Light (in His kingdom), the blood of Jesus His Son continuously cleanses them from all sin (both internal principle of sin (source) and external practice of sin (effect)). (6-7)

If people disagree with God and say they do not have a sin nature (internal principle of sin; source), they are deceived and the truth is not in them. (8)
In contrast, if people continuously agree with God that the internal principle and external practice of sin prevents fellowship with Him, He is faithful and righteous to [permit fellowship by] continuously forgiving them of all sins (internal principle and external practice) and cleansing them from all unrighteousness (related to both the internal principle and external practice of sin). (9)

If people continually say they have not sinned in practice (effect), they make God a liar and His word is not in them.” (10)

The Apostle John provided a message of rebuttal to false teachers who continuously walked (lived) in the darkness and yet said they did not sin in principle or practice. (1 John 1:8, 10) He said that if people who walk (live) in the darkness desire to fellowship with God they must continually agree with Him about two fundamental truths. First, in contrast to their continual denial and disagreement regarding sin, they must repent and agree with God they are indeed corrupted by sin in both principle and practice. Second, people who walk (live) in the darkness must agree with God He is faithful and righteous to forgive all sins and cleanse from all unrighteousness. According to the Apostle John, agreement with God in regard to these two fundamental truths was designed to be continual. It was not to be forgotten. Thus, John was not advocating the continual confession of sins unto fellowship but continual agreement with God in regard to His willingness to cleanse from all sin.

As confirmed by the teaching of the New Testament as a whole, it is clear the Apostle John did not prescribe the continual confession of sins for the believer. Nor did any other New Testament author. Not one indicated the occasional practice of sin hinders fellowship with God and must be confessed to restore fellowship with Him to a greater level of purity.

By grace alone, God allowed mankind the privilege to enjoy intimate, shared life fellowship with Him. Mankind was helpless to contribute. The Apostle Paul clarified, “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) After receiving the benefit of Christ’s redemptive work, the New Testament church remains helpless and thus, radically dependent on God. Thus, the role of mankind in preserving the purity of fellowship with God is faith alone.

“… as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord (by grace through faith alone), so walk in Him (by grace through faith alone) …” (Colossians 2:6)

The authors of the gospels wrote nothing about the confession of sins unto fellowship. The historical book of Acts does not mention continual confession. The Apostle Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, never prescribes the continual confession of sins unto fellowship. The general epistles, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude, also do not prescribe continual confession unto fellowship. Therefore, the only manner in which the Apostle John in 1 John 1:9 can be understood to prescribe continual confession for the New Testament church is to remove it from the immediate context in which it was written.

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Two Types of Believers?

All too often, the church has ignored the fact that John wrote his first letter to correct false teaching. Unfortunately, believers have mistakenly presupposed his writing was prescriptive for them rather than corrective of false teaching. Therefore, they have assumed the Christian life is characterized by the continual confession of sins. Thus, believers have spent an inordinate amount of time begging God to forgive them of their sins.

The context of the Apostle John’s writing regarding the confession of sins reveals it was not to be characterized by the continual confession of an endless, itemized list of sins. Instead, he clarified that the unbeliever must agree with God once and for all that he is sinful in both principle and practice. Therefore, it was to be a sincere, one-time agreement between holy God and sinful mankind. The confession would initiate a covenantal relationship between them once and for all that would last throughout time and eternity.

The Eternal Covenant allowed fallen mankind to enter into a permanent state of shared life fellowship with God. The sign of the Eternal Covenant is a meal, the Lord’s Supper. Its continual celebration throughout the Church Age was designed to be a remembrance of the believer’s sincere, one-time covenantal agreement with God that occurred at the moment of salvation. According to the agreement, the New Testament church exists in a permanent state of shared life fellowship with God. There is no greater privilege.

The maintenance of shared life fellowship with God was not intended to occur by the confession of sins over and over again. The New Testament church received the benefit of the Eternal Covenant by grace alone. Throughout the Church Age, it preserves the shared life benefit of the covenant by faith alone.

Nevertheless, Satan fervently works to persuade the church it should “keep on” confessing its sins. As a result, its focus is directed to the old self, sin, and death rather than the Savior.

Congruent with the believer’s continual confession of sins, Satan influences the church to presuppose that 1 John 1:9 refers to two different types of believers. The first unholy, fleshly, and darkened and the second, holy, spiritual, and enlightened.

It is presupposed by the church that the “unholy, fleshly, and darkened” believer’s relationship with God has not been affected by his fleeting preoccupation with the darkness of sin. Although, it has temporarily interrupted his fellowship with God.

In contrast, the holy, spiritual, and enlightened believer also has a relationship with God. However, he remains in good standing. Therefore, his fellowship with God is unhindered and thus, exemplary.

Concordant with the above presupposition, the only recourse for the “unholy, fleshly, and darkened” believer to reverse his interrupted fellowship with God is to confess his sins. Once he has confessed every known sin to God, the obstruction caused by walking in darkness and disobedience is supposedly removed and his fellowship with God is restored. Yet, after committing a new act of sin; he again enters into a state contrary to God and therefore, must again confess his sins to restore fellowship. Theoretically, this treadmill of sin occurs again and again throughout the believer’s lifetime.

Sadly, the continual acknowledgement of sin serves to alter the believer’s focus in life. It unintentionally turns him from the living (zoe) Christ and His perfect, finished work to self, sin, and death. Contrary to New Testament doctrine and a scheme of the devil, it is one of the many reasons attendance in the modern religious church has shrunk rapidly during the last 50 years.

Those who believe in the continual confession of sins assume there are two types of believers described in the New Testament. Consequently, there are believers who are unholy, fleshly, and darkened and believers who are holy, spiritual, and enlightened. As a result, the proponent of continual confession explains there are two types of confession; one-time confession of sin unto salvation and afterwards, the continual confession of sins unto fellowship.

Unbeliever and Believer

Concordant with John’s descriptions of the two types of people in 1 John 1, it should be clear that he was not distinguishing between two different types of believers; the first unholy, fleshly, and darkened and the second, holy, spiritual, and enlightened. Instead, he was referring to unbeliever and believer. The first not having fellowship with God and the second enjoying fellowship with Him.

It should be clear then that the confession of sins of which John spoke was not an exhortation for the believer, already in fellowship with God, to confess his sins unto fellowship. Instead, it was prescriptive for the unbeliever, not in fellowship with God, to confess his sins unto salvation. As a result, he could enter into the Light with God and a blessed, eternal state of fellowship with Him once and for all.

Both the Apostle John and the teaching of the New Testament in its entirety provide an unmistakable distinction between unbeliever and believer. As a result, it is clear only one of the two is privileged to enjoy fellowship with God.
The New Testament never describes the unbeliever as having fellowship with God. It is the very reason the Apostle John explained how to enjoy fellowship with Him. (1 John 1:3; 9)

The New Testament never describes the unbeliever as living in the Light with God and being cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus. It describes the unbeliever as walking (living) in the darkness and denying sin. (Acts 26:15-18; Ephesians 5:8; 1 John 1:6)

The New Testament never describes the unbeliever as being without sin in principle or practice. According to John, such a claim makes the unbeliever a liar and clarifies he does not have the truth of God or the word of God in him.

Conversely, the New Testament never describes the believer as not having fellowship with God. Through spiritual birth he shares the very life (zoe) of God. Bestowed by grace through faith alone, the impartation of divine life (zoe) in the believer was a one-time, permanent event. It cannot be undone.

The New Testament never describes the believer as walking (living) in the darkness. Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12; cf. 12:46) Paul explained the believer has been, “... rescued from the domain of darkness (realm of satanic authority) and transferred... to the kingdom of His beloved Son...” (realm of divine authority) (Colossians 1:13) “God is Light.” (1 John 1:5) It is an attribute of His nature. Consequently, there is no darkness in the kingdom of the beloved Son of God.

The New Testament never describes the believer as being without the truth of God. Born of the Spirit, the believer is indwelt by the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of truth.” He is the believer’s source of divine truth. (John 14:26; 15:26; 16:13; 17:17, 19; Ephesians 6:14) In both 2 John 4 and 3 John 3-4, the apostle describes the believer as “walking (living) in truth.” Further, the New Testament reveals that the church has “been established in the truth” (2 Peter 1:12); is “of the truth” (1 John 3:19), and has the truth abiding in it (2 John 2).

The New Testament never describes the believer as denying sinfulness. Every believer is painfully aware of his sin. Thus, it is only the unbeliever who is unaware of sinfulness.

The New Testament describes only the believer as being indwelt by the “word of God.” (John 5:38; 1 John 1:10) The Apostle John clarified, “the word of God abides in you.” (1 John 2:14) Only the believer is indwelt by both the living (zoe) Christ and His living (zoe) word. (John 1:1-3; 14; Revelation 19:13)

The teaching of the New Testament in its entirety clarifies the Apostle John did not describe two types of believers in 1 John 1:5-10. Instead, in order to correct false teaching, he differentiated between unbeliever and believer.

Concordant with New Testament doctrine, only the unbeliever says he has fellowship with God and yet walks (lives) in the darkness, does not practice the truth, disagrees with God about sin in principle, the truth is “not in,” disagrees with God about sin in practice, makes God a liar, and the word of God is “not in.” Therefore, it is clear the unbeliever has not confessed his sins and does not exist in a state of agreement with God.

In contrast, the believer enjoys fellowship with God, walks (lives) in the Light with Him where he is being continually cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness by the blood of Jesus, and is characterized by both the indwelling truth and word of God. Consequently, the believer exists in a perpetual state of agreement with God.

In summary, the Apostle John did not discuss two types of believers in 1 John 1; one unholy, fleshly, and darkened and the other holy, spiritual, and enlightened. Instead, in rebuttal of false teaching, he very clearly explained the difference between unbeliever and believer.

As a result, John’s explanation did not advocate for the believer to confess his sins to God for the purpose of maintaining fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals both the opportunity to fellowship with God and its maintenance in time occur by grace through faith alone. Therefore, rather than confession (agreement) for the maintenance of fellowship with God, John described the need for the unbeliever to confess his sins unto salvation.

After faithfully confessing sins unto salvation, the unbeliever is utterly privileged to receive the benefit of the Eternal Covenant and consequently, enter into the Light with God where he is perpetually cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness by the blood of Jesus Christ. By grace alone, it is a transformative work accomplished by God alone. Throughout the Church Age, it is preserved by faith alone.

© 2025 James Hiatt

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