Conditional instructions versus grace
STATEMENT:
The Bible is clear that we must confess our sins. Please read 1st John 1:9 which says, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sin …".
RESPONSE:
The verse you reference in 1 John is applicable to the believers that live during a different dispensation. It is not the dispensation you and I live in today. So, although we can learn from what John writes, concerning their doctrine and life, it is not something that applies to us today. I can validate what I say by pointing you to the very nature of the words used by John in the verse you quote. Let’s compare:
