Dr Paul Allen

  1 John 1:6-2.2.  Th ree important tests of profession are in these verses; they are introduced with the words ‘If we say.’ The first is in verse 6. It tests the profession of salvation. The ongoing walk of a true child of God must be in the light, for he has been delivered from darkness. The second is in verse 8 and tests the profession of a person’s nature. Claiming sinlessness is untrue. The most spiritual believer is conscious of the ever-present inner desires of the flesh, resulting in the commission of various sins. What then is the way for a Christian to gain forgiveness? It is to pray, but this is not the normal prayer of communion; it involves confession of sin. ‘Confess’ is an interesting word; it means to ‘agree with’ or to ‘speak the same thing.’ Thus, when we confess, we are telling God about our sin and agreeing with His verdict on our conduct. When David sinned with Bathsheba, there was an initial period when he ‘kept silence’; he did not admit to God what he h...

“And forgive us our debts” (Matt. 6:12). Believers confess their sins; unbelievers deny theirs. Christians struggle with sin . That surely comes as no surprise to you. As you mature in Christ, the frequency of your sinning decreases, but your sensitivity to it increases. That doesn’t mean you are more easily tempted, but that you are more aware of the subtleties of sin and how it dishonours God. Some people think you should never confess your sins or seek forgiveness. But the Lord instructed us to do so when He told us to pray, “And forgive us our debts” (Matt. 6:12). That’s the believer’s prayer for the Father’s forgiveness. John said, “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:8–10).  That passage doesn’t tell u...