1 John 1:9 Confessing Our Sins

​1 John 1:8 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
 
The most common question I’ve been asked about this verse has been is John talking about how to be saved or something else.  I’m using the word saved here to mean being born again and receiving everlasting life.  So many churches have equated forgiveness with the gift of everlasting life and made repentance a requirement for that gift it is understandable some people would be confused about 1 John 1:9. In Determining John’s intended meaning I want to consider 2 things.  First the context in which verse 9 is stated and second is it consistent with what John wrote in his Gospel.  Since John’s purpose in writing his Gospel was evangelistic (John 20:30-31) we should expect to find no contradictory references to salvation in his letter.     
 
Let’s start with the context of 1 John.  A good interpretative method should always start with examining the context.  We know from the introduction in 1 John 1:1-4 that his stated purpose was for his readers to experience the full joy of fellowship with him, the Father and the Son Jesus Christ.  Since the objective is fellowship, we know he was writing to people he knew were believers and had everlasting life.  The main body of the letter starts 1:5 and continues to follow the theme of fellowship.  In verses 5-7 John states the basic requirement for fellowship is living according to truth, living in the light.  And John rightly points out that starts with being honest about sin, we still sin even as believers.  Therefore, my conclusion is 1 John 1:9 is not a condition or step in receiving everlasting life but is instead about maintaining fellowship with God and other believers.     
 
It that consistent with how John describes being saved in his Gospel.  Yes, because the only condition John quotes Jesus Christ as saying was believing in Him, Jesus Christ, for everlasting life.  John did not record the Lord ever mentioning repentance or confession of sin as a requirement for receiving the gift of everlasting life.  In fact, the words repent and repentance do not occur in John’s gospel at all.  There are only 3 places we find the word confess and in each case the object is Jesus Christ not sin (John 1:20; 9:22 and 12:42). 
 
In summary I believe we can safely say confession of sin is the first step in achieving the fullness of joy experienced by being in fellowship with God and other believers.  Repentance comes into the picture when dealing with recurring and willful sin.  That requires a change in behavior along with the acknowledgement of confession.   An unbeliever asking God to forgive their sin is not the same thing as believing in Jesus Christ for everlasting life.  So, I say don’t confuse the issue of salvation by adding conditions Jesus Christ never did.  Forgiveness is not the same thing as being born into everlasting life.