... that 1 John 1:9 is addressed to unbelievers. And that it is a one-time prayer at the beginning of salvation.
But clearly in the context of 1 John 1:1-2:17 prove otherwise.
One Bob George founder of People to People Ministries whose radio and internet broadcasts are heard in North America, teaches that for such gratitude for God's love that we thank him for his forgiveness when we sin after we have become believers in Christ. That confession is at the beginning only, and would in fact insult God who has already forgiven us of all sin.
When asked about 1 John 1:9, Mr George and his followers teach that this is written to unbelievers. Because the setting suggests it determines if one is in fellowship ("saved" according to George) or out of fellowship ("lost" according to George). An indefensible interpretation and not biblically supported. First off, salvation is not a temporal membership. It is a permanent existence. One is not saved like unto being rushed into a fraternity / sorority. One is saved by being born again. And one cannot be unborn. One can fall out of fellowship with their siblings or parents. One can restore that fellowship. And it can be an ongoing ordeal depending on temporal factors.
Also, unbelievers in John's day were preached to, not written to. Believers were written to extensively. Also the full context of the chapter and a half reveals the target audience explicitly:
1 John 2:1-17 (KJV)
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
There is so much great theology to be mined here it's hard to leave it at this. But I want to pass along the warning about Mr. George and ilk. Yes. But to also focus in on the overall point that by dealing with our sins according to the passage (temporally and on a case by case / sin by sin basis) we follow in a sense the New Covenant prescription for "atonement" within the frame work of overall salvation... God has forgiven us but must deal with us our sins in the time we remain here. In the harshest way:
1 Corinthians 5:5 (KJV)
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Mr. George and those like him mistake God's grace for a license to sin. A very dangerous way of thinking. It could very well be the fruit that determines if one is actually saved or not. I am not judging. And for a time in my youth I did somewhat buy into the teachings of People to People Ministries... Something always did not quite seem right about it (the Holy Spirit promptings) which for a time I did not pursue. But as I progressed in Bible study, the overall context revealed the teaching isolates certain passages and sifts them through human beliefs.
Sadly, people, Churches, entire denominations, dare I say most every part of the body Christian does this as well... at least to a certain degree. Mostly from trusting more learned colleagues' interpretations (at least until we get a biblical understanding of our own). Trouble is in both cases...
2 Peter 1:20-21 (KJV)
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
And the biblical prescription for testing all things militates against using Dr. This and Reverend That and Promise Makers as our authority... yeah (I love the King James words of emphasis, varily) even our own understanding must include the weeding out of our own beliefs and suppositions presuppositions and predeterminations and just allow God to show and prove his Word to us validated by the very prescription he gave and he abides by himself...
1 Thessalonians 5:21
1 John 4:1
Acts 17:11
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Isaiah 28:9-13 (KJV)
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Proverbs 25:2 (KJV)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
Deuteronomy 29:29 (KJV)
29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Keeping in fellowship with God confessing (to God* see Psalm 51:4 of all those who David wronged what did he say in confession and to whom did he say it?) our sins to be in the light as he is in the light keeps his commands and his word...
1 John 2:5 (KJV)
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
* James says to confess our sin(s) one to another. People cannot handle this. They judge, the gossip, they malign and condemn... they think less of you even though you are just being honest and not playing the holy roller / holier than thou game most feel obligated to play along with.
It may be that I am interpolating here, but the point is valid about Psalm 51:4. And James may have been saying more or less (meaning this is my opinion only not authoritative at all) confess that you sin or do not deny that you are a sinner (saved by Grace) especially not to yourself.
But clearly in the context of 1 John 1:1-2:17 prove otherwise.
One Bob George founder of People to People Ministries whose radio and internet broadcasts are heard in North America, teaches that for such gratitude for God's love that we thank him for his forgiveness when we sin after we have become believers in Christ. That confession is at the beginning only, and would in fact insult God who has already forgiven us of all sin.
When asked about 1 John 1:9, Mr George and his followers teach that this is written to unbelievers. Because the setting suggests it determines if one is in fellowship ("saved" according to George) or out of fellowship ("lost" according to George). An indefensible interpretation and not biblically supported. First off, salvation is not a temporal membership. It is a permanent existence. One is not saved like unto being rushed into a fraternity / sorority. One is saved by being born again. And one cannot be unborn. One can fall out of fellowship with their siblings or parents. One can restore that fellowship. And it can be an ongoing ordeal depending on temporal factors.
Also, unbelievers in John's day were preached to, not written to. Believers were written to extensively. Also the full context of the chapter and a half reveals the target audience explicitly:
1 John 2:1-17 (KJV)
1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.
8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.
9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.
12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
There is so much great theology to be mined here it's hard to leave it at this. But I want to pass along the warning about Mr. George and ilk. Yes. But to also focus in on the overall point that by dealing with our sins according to the passage (temporally and on a case by case / sin by sin basis) we follow in a sense the New Covenant prescription for "atonement" within the frame work of overall salvation... God has forgiven us but must deal with us our sins in the time we remain here. In the harshest way:
1 Corinthians 5:5 (KJV)
5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Mr. George and those like him mistake God's grace for a license to sin. A very dangerous way of thinking. It could very well be the fruit that determines if one is actually saved or not. I am not judging. And for a time in my youth I did somewhat buy into the teachings of People to People Ministries... Something always did not quite seem right about it (the Holy Spirit promptings) which for a time I did not pursue. But as I progressed in Bible study, the overall context revealed the teaching isolates certain passages and sifts them through human beliefs.
Sadly, people, Churches, entire denominations, dare I say most every part of the body Christian does this as well... at least to a certain degree. Mostly from trusting more learned colleagues' interpretations (at least until we get a biblical understanding of our own). Trouble is in both cases...
2 Peter 1:20-21 (KJV)
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
And the biblical prescription for testing all things militates against using Dr. This and Reverend That and Promise Makers as our authority... yeah (I love the King James words of emphasis, varily) even our own understanding must include the weeding out of our own beliefs and suppositions presuppositions and predeterminations and just allow God to show and prove his Word to us validated by the very prescription he gave and he abides by himself...
1 Thessalonians 5:21
1 John 4:1
Acts 17:11
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Isaiah 28:9-13 (KJV)
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little:
11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken.
Proverbs 25:2 (KJV)
2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
Deuteronomy 29:29 (KJV)
29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Keeping in fellowship with God confessing (to God* see Psalm 51:4 of all those who David wronged what did he say in confession and to whom did he say it?) our sins to be in the light as he is in the light keeps his commands and his word...
1 John 2:5 (KJV)
5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
* James says to confess our sin(s) one to another. People cannot handle this. They judge, the gossip, they malign and condemn... they think less of you even though you are just being honest and not playing the holy roller / holier than thou game most feel obligated to play along with.
It may be that I am interpolating here, but the point is valid about Psalm 51:4. And James may have been saying more or less (meaning this is my opinion only not authoritative at all) confess that you sin or do not deny that you are a sinner (saved by Grace) especially not to yourself.
