Agree with God that the death of Christ was necessary.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Today’s encouragement comes from this very popular verse. My guess is that most of you have heard this verse since you were children. John wanted his readers to know of God’s character and faithfulness when we agree with Him that we have sinned. Let me remind you of what John wrote in verse 7. “If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.” For God to send His Son to die for our sins on the cross is a declaration by God that we all have sin. Obviously, if mankind didn’t have sin, then certainly Jesus would not have had to come to die for them. Therefore one thing living in the light of the truth means is that I agree with God that I have sinned. Confession of sin is to agree with God about what He sees in us. He knows all things about us, much more than we know about us. That however isn’t a bad or discouraging thing, it is a wonderfully encouraging truth because God is love. Because God is love and light, His light by its very nature exposes sin and darkness, and then destroys it. That’s exactly what God did at the cross. He demonstrated His faithfulness and righteousness in Christ by taking upon Himself all the sins which He sees of His people. The blood of Jesus which was shed for them, the life of the Son, powerfully cleanses them of every unrighteousness in their lives because He forgives them. Who is God being faithful to when He forgives those who confess their sins? He is being faithful to His word and His Son. Here is the promise made to Jesus. Isaiah 53:10 But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. Isaiah 53:11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors. John didn’t encourage us to ask forgiveness when we sin so God will forgive. Rather, He encouraged us to agree with God that the death of Christ was necessary. Jesus died for sins because God is faithful and righteous to forgive and promised to cleanse us of them. This means that He doesn’t look at us and see our sins when we confess them. He looks at us and sees the righteousness of His Son! So when we become aware of our sins, let us be quick to agree that this is why we need Jesus, and it is why God sent His Son. Then may we receive the forgiveness and cleansing of our sins with great joy and gratitude.