According to typology, the children of Israel had to offer the sin offering and the trespass offering. By presenting these offerings to God, they were actually making a confession to Him. The fact that they offered the trespass offering and the sin offering indicated that they realized they were sinful and that they had committed sins.
Some might argue that the types of the trespass offering and the sin offering in the Old Testament have nothing to do with us, since the Lord Jesus has come to be the fulfillment of all the offerings. Yes, the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of the offerings. But what about your situation and condition as a believer in Christ? Do you not have sin within you? Do you not sometimes commit sin? What, then, should you do about indwelling sin and about the sins you commit occasionally? You need to confess that you still have indwelling sin and that you still commit sins, even though you do not sin habitually. To make such a confession to the Lord is to offer Christ to God as your sin offering and as your trespass offering.
Every day, and throughout the day, we need the Lord as our sin offering and trespass offering. I can testify that in my experience I need the Lord as my sin offering and trespass offering morning, noon, and night. I may have a pleasant time enjoying the Lord, but then a few minutes later I may be stumbled by something or someone.
Because we still have sin in us and because we still sin occasionally, we need to make confession to the Lord. We cannot say that we have no sin or that we have not sinned. Praise the Lord for the strong promise in verse 9 that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Therefore, we should not be bothered by indwelling sin, and, once we have made confession and received the Lord’s forgiveness and cleansing, we should not be bothered by the sins we have committed.
The promise in 1:9 should never be misused as an encouragement to sin. This means that we should not think that we may go out to commit sin and then confess and receive the Lord’s cleansing. This concept leads to Antinomianism, the concept that because we are under grace we are free from every regulation and can indulge in sin. As we shall see, in 2:1 John says, “These things I write to you that you may not sin.” John wrote with the expectation that we would not sin. Nevertheless, we have the promise in 1:9 that if we do sin, we may be forgiven and cleansed, provided we make confession of our sin to God.
I believe that we have seen a balanced view concerning the matter of sin after our regeneration. By now we all should be clear that after regeneration we still have sin in our nature and that it is still possible for us to commit sin. Do not believe that because you have been regenerated you no longer have sin in your nature or that you can no longer sin. This is a deception. Because we still have sin in our nature, it is always possible for us to sin. If you sin, you need to confess your sin to God. He has promised in His gospel to forgive us, and He will be faithful in His word. Furthermore, in redemption God judged Christ on our behalf. This means that He will not judge us for our sins if we confess them through the redemption of Christ. As the righteous God, He will surely cleanse us from our unrighteousness. In this way we may preserve our fellowship with Him and enjoy Him day by day.
We have pointed out that we should not believe that we can be forever perfect before the Lord comes to transfigure our body. This is the mistaken concept concerning perfectionism. We believe that by the Lord’s grace we can overcome and be perfect. However, this overcoming and perfection are not once for all. There is always a possibility that we may sin again. Therefore, we need to be in fear and trembling and on the alert lest we be damaged through the sin that dwells in our flesh. Day by day, we need to look to the Lord, pray, and be watchful. In case we fail and commit sin, we should make confession to the Lord. He will be faithful and righteous to forgive us and cleanse us by the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.