One of my favorite parts about working in youth ministry is all the cool games you get to invent and play with students. For teenagers most group run-around games evolve out of something like a variation on hide-and-seek. One such game my friends and I created was called “Targets and Assassins”. The game was simple: the Targets stood outside the play area and when the game began their job was to rush in and point out their opponents to get them “out”. The Assassins would hide in the play area and attempt to tag the Targets before they were caught. Last team standing wins. The game leaned heavily in favor of the Targets who could eliminate their opponents at long range with just a point and a shout. However, one factor made sure that the assassins always had a fighting chance and always made the Targets the more afraid team: the arena was always pitch black. You only played this game at night, in a dark house, where the darkness would obscure everything. For the Targets, the darkness was their enemy, hiding their opponents in the shadows. For the Assassins, the darkness was their friend, concealing their movements and giving them the opportunity to strike without being seen.

Everyone has a relationship to darkness and light. For many, the light makes us feel safe and helps us see the world around us. For some, the darkness gives them a sense of security, that they can remain hidden and their ways can be concealed. For the most part, the good guys like the light, and the bad guys prefer the darkness, because those doing good have no need to hide, and those who are doing evil have every reason to keep hidden. John uses this imagery of light versus darkness in 1 John 1:5-2:6 to illustrate the Christian’s relationship to righteousness and truth.

John begins by saying that “God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all” (1:5) Now this is both literally and figuratively true. God is shown to shine with light when he arrives throughout scripture, but John’s point is that God is perfectly good and perfectly true. He is himself the Truth (John 14:6). John then makes the point that those who follow God cannot live in a contradictory way to Him by living in evil deeds and lies. The remedy for this is to “walk in the light” (1:7) where God is, which gives us fellowship with God, who calls us to Himself, and with others who believe in God and walk in this same good and truthful life. This also shows us that by following God, and not hiding our sinful patterns or continuing in them, we are guaranteed that Jesus will forgive and purify us through his sacrifice on the cross (1:7).

This is why the Christian can confidently admit that they are not perfect and avoid the hypocrisy of pretending to be perfect. In fact John makes this profound promise: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1:9) This means that when we confess our need for forgiveness to Jesus and bring Him our sins and failures, he promises to forgive us and also to help us grow away from those sin patterns. His love meets us in our sin, and also brings us out of them. John repeatedly warns Christians not to pretend like we don’t need Jesus’ forgiveness. That pride is dangerous and is evidence that we have not understood the good news He gives us in His word (1:8,10). This confession begins with confessing to Jesus, but also includes confessions that need to take place between people, with people we have wronged or with people who we trust to hold us accountable. This is just another way that we shine the light of God’s truth and goodness on our lives. As a professor of mine once said, “The devil lives in our secrets.” And by confessing what needs to be shared with others, we send him scurrying off like a roach when the lights flip on. 

This idea of confession can be scary and confusing for many of us, but here are four things to remember: 

Confession is about Forgiveness: All your sins for all time are paid for by Christ on the cross. No forgiveness is held back. It is Jesus’ sacrifice, not your confession, that forgives your sins. Confession reminds us we are fully forgiven always if we trust in Jesus by faith. 

“For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.” (Hebrews 10:14)

“For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:10-11)

Confession is about Relationship: Sin ruins our experience of relationship with God. Confession reaffirms the loving family bodn we already have with God. 

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6)

Confession is about Repentance: Sin not dealt with hurts us. Confession agrees with God about how bad our sin is and recommits us to turn away from it.

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 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 1:8-9)

Confession is about Assurance: We often forget what Christ has done for us. Confession reminds us of the past, present, and future reality of our life fully received in Christ. Jesus knows that we are sinners, and He loves and forgives us anyway. His love is not based on our performance, but on His promises. We need only to rest in His forgiveness and walk in His power. 

“For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you…” (Colossians 3:3-5a)

So don’t be afraid to introduce a regular pattern of confession into your life. It is good for the soul. Make confessing your sins and need for a savior to Jesus a regular part of your prayers every week. Choose godly friends and mentors to whom you can confess when you need help changing and growing.

This discussion of Jesus’ promised forgiveness leads John to share one powerful comfort and one important command. 

The comfort is that for all of us, whenever we sin, we know that it is Jesus Himself who advocates for us on our behalf before God the Father in heaven (2:1). Jesus stands as our defense lawyer, arguing that the sins we have committed should not be held against us and are totally forgiven. He can do this, because He is also the one who sacrificed and “atoned” for all our sins, and the sins of the whole world: past, present, and future. To atone for sins is to “make amends or reparation” (Oxford Dictionaries), meaning that Jesus’ death actually already paid the penalty for the sins we have committed. This means that God’s justice demands that Jesus’ payment be recognized and His righteous record be applied to us. 

The command is that this promise of forgiveness is not meant to give us a free pass to sin more, but acts to spur us on toward greater obedience. That is the way that we show God that we know Him (2:3), love Him (2:5), and belong to Him (2:5). John makes it simple, “Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.” (2:6) That is a high bar, but it demonstrates that Jesus’ love and forgiveness, like His love, never leaves us where it found us. It always emboldens, empowers, and challenges us to live more in the light of truth and goodness where God Himself lives.