Is 1 John 1:9 Evangelistic?

Summary

Grace in Focus Podcast — Episode Summary

Episode: Is 1 John 1:9 Evangelistic?

Date: February 3, 2026
Host: Bob Wilkin (C), with Sam Marr (B)
Theme: Distinguishing whether 1 John 1:9 is a call to salvation (evangelistic) or an instruction for believers (sanctification and fellowship).

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Episode Overview

In this informative episode, Bob Wilkin and Sam Marr address a listener question about the famous New Testament verse, 1 John 1:9: Is it aimed at nonbelievers as an invitation to salvation (evangelistic)? Or, is it guidance for those already in the faith about maintaining fellowship (sanctification)? Using scriptural context and practical theology, they critique alternate interpretations and emphasize the Free Grace perspective, briefing listeners on distinctions essential to assurance, evangelism, and Christian living.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Listener’s Question and the “Evangelistic” Interpretation

[01:18]

• Sam Marr introduces a question from Chip, whose wife prefers an author suggesting that confessing sins in 1 John 1:9 is actually an invitation to become a Christian.
  • "This other author holds that First John 1:9 is an evangelistic passage...for a believer to admit, confess, acknowledge their sin would put a burden on the believer that the Lord would never expect." — Sam Marr ([01:36])

2. Explaining (and Challenging) the Evangelistic View

[02:01-03:51]

• Bob Wilkin summarizes that author’s position: If you confess you’re a sinner, “there’s hope”—but nowhere is being born again or believing in Jesus mentioned.
  • "If 1 John 1:9 is an evangelistic verse, then we wouldn't need to believe in Jesus, would we? Where's anything about believing in Jesus in 1 John 1:9?" — Bob Wilkin ([03:30])
• Bob emphasizes that if this is aimed at nonbelievers, it would require them to confess particular sins, not just generally admit sinfulness, which doesn't fit the broader gospel message.

3. The Problem with Minimizing Confession for Believers

[03:58-05:22]

• Bob recounts that in some Free Grace circles, there’s a parallel belief discouraging confession for believers, arguing it’s legalistic and that Christians are always “in fellowship” because of constant cleansing.
  • "Some of these people say God never judges believers...Some of the believers in Corinth got drunk at the Lord's Supper...they have to say those are natural consequences, not actual consequences from God." — Bob Wilkin ([04:27])
• He warns this approach “leads to no accountability” and is inconsistent biblically.

4. Textual Context: Who is John Writing To?

[05:22-07:37]

• Sam Marr underscores that the first chapter is directed to believers—including John himself.
  • "John is very easy to understand here...he's including himself in what he's talking about. That means that John has sinned. That doesn't mean he's an unbeliever." — Sam Marr ([06:26])
• The repeated “we” demonstrates that mature, overcoming Christians—not new converts or seekers—are in view.

5. 1 John’s Emphasis on Fellowship, Not Conversion

[07:37-10:25]

• Bob Wilkin explicates 1 John’s purpose: fostering fellowship with God, not describing how to gain eternal life for the first time.
  • "If you read 1:14 of 1 John, it's clear that his purpose is that the readers might have fellowship with the apostles and with God." — Bob Wilkin ([07:37])
• He points out that John never equates confession with believing in Jesus or eternal security—but shows confession is a provision for believers’ ongoing walk.

6. The Theological Consequences of Reinterpreting 1 John 1:9

[10:25-11:30]

• “No Burden” presupposition: Wilkin challenges the idea that confession is burdensome or unneeded, citing Paul’s testimony of spiritual effort.
  • "When I read the New Testament, it sounds like it’s going to be hard work." — Sam Marr ([10:38])
• If confession is required for salvation, the central point of the saving message—faith in Christ—is lost.

7. The Liberating Nature of Confession for Believers

[11:30-12:54]

• Confession is not a crushing weight; it's liberating, maintains fellowship, and is an invitation to restoration, not condemnation.
  • "Confessing our sins is not some burden. In fact, we don't have to pull off the side of the road...All we do is acknowledge that we have sinned to the Lord. It's liberating." — Bob Wilkin ([12:13])
• Sam Marr highlights 1 John 2: we have an advocate in Jesus—even if we sin, forgiveness and fellowship are available through Him.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If 1 John 1:9 is an evangelistic verse, then we wouldn't need to believe in Jesus, would we?” — Bob Wilkin ([03:30])
• “This whole first chapter is rich in instruction for believers...But if you're starting with that viewpoint, you will misunderstand everything he's written.” — Sam Marr ([05:22])
• “The idea that First John 1:9 is an evangelistic verse is one you have to impose on the text...The problem with that view is it doesn't fit any scripture in the Old or New Testament.” — Bob Wilkin ([09:30])
• “Confessing our sins is not some burden...It's liberating. Because I'm like, yeah, I messed up, didn't I?” — Bob Wilkin ([12:13])
• “We have an advocate ready there. So you confess your sin and now you've been forgiven.” — Sam Marr ([12:34])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:18] — Introduction of the question about 1 John 1:9’s scope
• [02:38–03:58] — Examination of the “evangelistic” view, why it falls short
• [05:22–06:31] — Unpacking the first-person plural (“we”)—John speaking to believers
• [07:37–09:55] — 1 John’s central concern: fellowship, not initial salvation
• [10:25–10:38] — The myth of “no burden” Christianity debunked
• [12:04–12:34] — Confession as liberating, not legalistic burden
• [12:34] — Christ as advocate for believers who sin

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Tone and Language

The hosts are conversational but deeply scriptural, clarifying theological distinctions with a tone that’s earnest, instructional, and occasionally wry—especially regarding ideas they see as misinterpretations.

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Final Takeaway

The episode delivers a clear Free Grace perspective: 1 John 1:9 is a vital resource for believers' ongoing fellowship and spiritual health—not a message of how to be saved for the first time. Interpreting the verse evangelistically strips the gospel of its center: faith in Jesus for eternal life.

“If you misunderstand first John 1:9, ...yes, it sounds like...I don't want that burden, or God doesn't want that burden on me. But really, this is the opposite of that. This verse is teaching that God helps alleviate burden, that he is still with us and helps us.” — Sam Marr ([11:32])

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For deeper study, visit faithalone.org.

Transcript

[A]

The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. Today on Grace in Focus, we are answering a question about 1 John 1:9. Is this verse about becoming a believer or about life after believing? And how does the context of 1 John 1 and the rest of 1 John help us know what this verse is about? Stay tuned. I know you will enjoy this informative discussion. Grace in Focus is a production and a ministry of the Grace Evangelical Society of Focused Free Grace Organization. Find out more about [e-mail] at that website you will find hundreds of articles which we have there for your research and reading. We also have a bookstore and right now we're encouraging you to think about coming to our national annual conference this year. The dates are May 18th through the 21st. Our theme is Believe in Jesus for Life. There will be lots of teaching, lots of fellowship, great food and fun. It's at Camp Koppass. Get all the other [e-mail] get registered. We'd love to have you with us. That's faithalone.org now for our discussion of the day, here is Bob Wilken along with Sam Marr.

[B]

Well, Bob, we've got a question from Chip. It's going to be in First John, the first chapter, First John 1:9. He gives a little bit of background, says that he really likes your writings and Zane Hodges writings, reads a lot, then says that his wife favors a different author. And so there's a little bit of a discrepancy in their views of First John 1:9. This other author holds that First John 1:9 is an evangelistic passage. And the reasoning, according to this other author, for a believer to admit, confess, acknowledge their sin would put a burden on the believer that the Lord would never expect and that it would put tremendous pressure on believers to remember and acknowledge their sins.

[C]

Okay, now I did find the author. I have a book by him on my shelf. And he does say what Chip is saying. In fact, he says, so First John 1:9 is an invitation to become a Christian, and it certainly holds relevance today. If anyone claims to be without sin, they're wrong. But there is a solution to their misguided thinking. If they're willing to change their mind and confess the opposite, that they do have sins, that then there's hope. He doesn't say, then they're born again. He says, then there's hope. What's strange to me is how anyone could say that First John 1:9 is an evangelistic. Would you read First John 1:9? Yeah.

[B]

1:9 says if we confess our sins. He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

[C]

Okay, now follow what he was saying. Didn't Chip say that? He says if we had to admit and confess and acknowledge, that would be a burden and it would be pressure.

[B]

But he's saying, on a believer.

[C]

Right. It also be pressure on an unbeliever. And by the way, if we have to confess our sins, wouldn't the unbeliever have to actually confess actual sins? Does Anybody think that First John 1:9 is saying, let's say you take this referring to believers, which I do, of course, that it's enough to just say, I acknowledge I'm a sinner, or am I supposed to mention sins I'm aware of when the Holy Spirit convicts me? It sounds like this author is saying, well, that gives you hope if you acknowledge you're a sinner, but what else do you have to do? In other words, if 1 John 1:9 is an evangelistic verse, if that is his view, then we wouldn't need to believe in Jesus, would we? Where's anything about believing in Jesus in 1 John 1:9? We certainly wouldn't need to believe that he's given us anything other than the forgiveness of sins. Right? We wouldn't need to believe in the promise of eternal life. Right? Yeah.

[B]

You'd have to go between different books to find the saving message. If you take this as evangelistic, I've.

[C]

Come across a number of people. This person Chip is talking about is in the grace camp, the larger free grace camp. And I've met a number of people like that. I remember there was an author and he said the same thing. And you know what these people say, and this author did, and so does other person, That a believer is never out of fellowship with God, that a believer is continuously cleansed, and that we're not to confess our sins. And actually, some of these people say that it's legalistic and bad for your spiritual life to confess your sins. That what we're supposed to do is recognize we're already forgiven. And they don't mean already forgiven in a positional sense. They mean a fellowship sense. Some of these people say God never judges believers. They would read the Bible and say, well, maybe he imposed that on David when he committed adultery and murder. If you read 2 Samuel 12:24, then maybe we see some examples in the New Testament, but they have to somehow say, I mean, like Paul says in First Corinthians 11:30, Some of the believers in Corinth got drunk at the Lord's Supper because of this, some of you are sick and some sleep well. What they have to say is those are natural consequences of getting drunk at the Lord's Supper. They're not actual consequences from God. And what I find when people often go to this view of First John 1:9, it leads to no accountability.

[B]

Yeah, I mean this whole first chapter is rich in instruction for believers and in really, in my opinion, bite sized, easy to digest structure for a new believer. This would be great content. Some of Paul's writings can get confusing, but I think John is very easy to understand here. But if you're starting with that viewpoint, you will misunderstand everything he's written. Because if nothing here applies to a believer, it starts to get very confusing how you would share this with an unbeliever. I think rather than chase every rabbit hole and explain every reason why it's wrong, we should explain what's correct. And most people can see that it's not really something you can argue with if you start with verse 8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. John is repeating the first person plural here all throughout the first chapter. It's very clear that he's including himself in what he's talking about. That means that John has sinned. That doesn't mean he's an unbeliever.

[C]

It doesn't mean.

[B]

It doesn't mean he's out of fellowship with God. It means he has sin. And then I think that makes sense of the other ones. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar. And the word is not in us. So he's including himself in who he's talking to. And we know the people he's writing to are not just baby Christians. These are overcomers. These are very mature believers. But these things that he's explaining here are true of all believers. We all have sinned, we all do sin. And we shouldn't deny that it's coming.

[A]

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[C]

You make a good point. If you read 114 of 1 John, it's clear that his purpose is that the readers might have fellowship with the apostles and with God. So the issue is fellowship with God. It's not eternal Life. And so 15 through 22 is part of fellowship with God and how we have fellowship with God. And 17 says, if we walk in the light as he is in the light, then the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin. That's not an evangelistic verse. That's telling us if we're walking in the light, then we're cleansed. And walking in the light refers to the light of God's revelation. And first John 1:9, if we confess our sins, he's faithful and just to forgive us sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We confess the sins we're aware of, and then he cleanses us from more than that, the all unrighteousness. And by the way, look over at 2:20. What is it, 25 and 26? Doesn't he say this is the promise that he has promised us eternal life? Well, who's the US? It's the same us as we're reading in 1 6, 18 and 110 guaranteed everlasting life. These things I've written to you concerning those who try to deceive you about the promise of eternal Life. Look at 2:12, 14. He talks about the fact that they're overcomers, that they've overcome the world. Clearly the readers are not just believers, but they're mature believers. And the idea that First John 1:9 is an evangelistic verse is one you have to impose on the text. And I get the fact that there are a lot of people in Christianity that would like to say God is so gracious that we're always in fellowship with Him. God is so gracious that he's never disapproving of us. God is so gracious, there will be no negative consequences at the judgment seat of Christ. God is so gracious to us. We're constantly cleansed, we're constantly forgiven, we're constantly pleasing to him, regardless of how we're living. The problem with that view is it doesn't fit any scripture in the Old or New Testament. It's an imposing of theology on the text. Where is believing in Jesus in 1st John 1:9? Where is the guarantee that you'll never perish but you have everlasting life? In First John 1:9 it seems to me he's leaving out believing in Jesus for everlasting life. He's leaving out all three elements. Instead he's got a different element, and that's confessing my sins. If that's a burden on Christians, and it would seem to me it would be a burden on non Christians. And if that's the case, wouldn't that be some sort of work salvation?

[B]

Right. Like you said, you have to impose presupposition onto this text in order to make sense of it. Where can you find the verse that says there's no burden for a Christian? When I read the New Testament, it sounds like it's going to be hard work.

[C]

Didn't he say at the end of his life in 2 Timothy chapter 4, I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I've kept the faith. Those sound like effort. I fought, I finished the race, I've kept the faith. And of course, in Romans 8:17, he says, we're joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him, that we might be glorified together with Him. So the Christian life does involve effort. And it seems to me once we go to 1 John 1:9 as an evangelistic verse, we've abandoned the evangelistic purpose of the Gospel of John and we've abandoned the promise of eternal life. And now it would seem a person could be born again even by not believing that the salvation they have is secure, or not even believing anything about something, just believing that they're forgiven because they've acknowledged they're a sinner.

[B]

Yeah. And for a believer, you miss out on the beautiful fellowship instruction that John is giving in first John, because if you misunderstand first John 1:9, then yes, it sounds like, put this on a believer, that's pretty hard. You know, I don't want that burden, or God doesn't want that burden on me. But really, this is the opposite of that. This verse is teaching that God helps alleviate burden, that he is still with us and helps us. I want to be forgiven of my sin in this life so that I can maintain fellowship with him.

[C]

Absolutely. John said in First John his commandments are not burdensome. Jesus says, take my yoke and learn from me, for my burden is light. Confessing our sins is not some burden. In fact, we don't have to pull off the side of the road and we don't have to go through rosary beads or something. All we do is acknowledge that we have sinned to the Lord. And if we are acknowledging that we've sinned to the Lord, we have confessed the sins we're aware of. It's liberating. Because I'm like, yeah, I messed up, didn't I?

[B]

First John, Chapter two starts with if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, so he's not some evil demeaning God looming over you, waiting for you to mess up so he can call you out on it. We have an advocate ready there. So you confess your sin and now you've been forgiven.

[C]

Very good. Well, thanks so much and let's all.

[B]

Keep grace in focus.

[A]

Be our guest and subscribe to our 48 page magazine, six issues per year, also called GraceInFocus by emailing your name and snail mail address to gesaithalone.org that's faithalone.org on this program. We keep our requests for financial partners to a minimum, but if you are interested in becoming a financial partner with Grace and Focus, you can find out how to do [e-mail] on our next episode. What is the difference between a type and an allegory? Please join us again and until then, let's keep grace in focus. The proceeding has been a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society.