Daily Reading: (1 John 1:7,9 2:12) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
Sadly, today when many Christians read 1 John 1:9 they incorrectly believe that forgiveness is conditional, based on what we must do in order to receive it. (“If we confess” then forgiveness will come).
According to 1 John 2:12, our sins have been forgiven because of one thing; on account of Jesus. What purifies us from our sin is not our confession but His blood that was shed on the cross for our sins (1 John 1:7).
In 1 John 1:9 the word confess (homologeō)- in the Greek means agreeing with (what God has said). When you go back to 1 John 1:9 armed with the correct definition of the word confess; everything else makes sense. When we agree with what God says (that your sins have been forgiven on account of his name—[1 John 2:12] He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. The condition for forgiveness is Jesus.
God has already forgiven us of our sins us when Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross. There is no more forgiveness that remains to be given for believers (Ephesians 4:30-32). Since this is true, confession of sins is not a requirement to receiving forgiveness, however, confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead (is)… you will be saved (Romans 10:9).