1 John 1:9 (KJV)

Passage

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Nearby Context

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "faith", "confess", "sins", "faithful", "just", "forgive", "cleanse", and "unrighteousness". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "faith" and "confess", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 8's "If we say that we have no..." into verse 10's "If we say that we have not...", so "faith" and "confess" belong inside that flow. In 1 John context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "faith" and "confess" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.