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
Not many of us would be so arrogant as to insist that someone forgive us. And we certainly wouldn’t demand that of God. Why? Because most people sense that His mercy and pardon can be received only by a humble, sincere, and repentant heart. The apostle John wrote, “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). The word translated “confess” means “to speak the same thing or agree with.” When we confess our sins to God, we agree with Him about our sin, our need to be cleansed, and our need to forgive others who have wronged us (Matthew 6:15). We cry out, “Pardon me!” None of us is truly free without forgiveness. We need God’s, and others need ours.
Read 1 John 1:5-2:10