For many years and even now, 1 John 1:9 has been the go-to Scripture if any believer sins. While God forgives our sins, this passage isn't about confessing your sins to receive forgiveness and cleansing.
A word without the context always becomes a pretext for a proof text.
1 John was written in a time when false teachings penetrated the church because there were no New Testament Scriptures. John had to establish basic understanding on faith in Christ because Docetism & Cerinthianism (parts of Gnosticism) were prevalent.
Now re-read the whole chapter 1. There were plenty of powerful words deliberately chosen by John to argue against these false teachings which were confusing the believers in the church.
Verse 7 - But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
We can only have fellowship with one another IF we are in Christ. Fellowship (koinonia is reserved only for the Body of Christ). This verse is talking about being in Christ (in the Light). Only when you are in Christ (born again) can His blood cleanse you from all sin. If you are NOT in Christ, you are still a sinner whose sins are not cleansed.
Verse 8: If we say we have no sin...
Read verse 7 again, for it sets the context for verse 8. To say that you have no sin is to say that you do not need His blood; you do not need to be cleansed; you have no need for a Saviour.
This is why John said, "...we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1 Jn 1:7)
Verse 9: If we confess our sins...
Read Verse 7-8 again. It sets the context. If we confess our sins, meaning... if we confess our need for a Saviour, if we confess we need to be cleansed, if we confess we need His blood, "He is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
Back to verse 7 --- only in Christ can you be cleansed from all sin / all unrighteousness.
Verse 10: If we say we have not sinned...
This is repeating verse 8. It's called Bible parallelism. If you say that you don't need to be cleansed, if you say that you have no need for a Saviour, "we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us."
1 John 2:1 - My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you MAY NOT sin.
Read previous verses in chapter 1 again. How can John tell you to confess that you have sinned and immediately tell you that he wants you NOT to sin. He must be schizophrenic to tell you that you surely have sins and at the same time, tell you that you can live free from sin.
Unless John was trying to establish the foundational truth in chapter one that EVERYONE needs a Saviour and His blood, instead of mere knowledge (false teachings of Gnosticism) in order to be cleansed from all sins and walk in the Light and have Christian fellowship with one another!
Thus, 1 John 2:1 is telling us that as born again believers, we can walk free from every sin. "BUT if anyone does sin, we have an advocate... Jesus Christ the righteous." - 1 John 2:1
As a believer, you have already confessed your need for a Saviour (1 John 1:9) and you have been cleansed from all sins / unrighteousness.
Now, if (not when) you sin (1 John 2:1), remember that it is Christ who is your advocate and your Righteousness. You can't confess to be forgiven because you are already forgiven in Him. Now He lives in and through you, so that you don't have to sin (Gal 6:1).
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