Does the universe consist of space or matter?

If you have done any reading on quantum physics, you know scientists have concluded there is far ¹more space than matter in the material world. Because of this, some have even argued those things that appear solid are merely an illusion i.e. there is nothing of significant substance there. Some suggest all that we see may even be merely a projection (or ²hologram) from an "Infinite Mind."

Yet, we can touch, feel, taste, and smell the objects we see and hear around us, even if there is very little actual ³matter present. So if there is more space than matter what determines what we see and experience?

There is force (energy/frequency)! 

What do I mean? To use a familiar example, we are told at one level, everything is made of atoms. Atoms, in turn, are made of a nucleus that consists of protons and neutrons with electrons traveling around the nucleus at an extremely high velocity. Yet the space that exists between the nucleus and its electrons far exceeds the size of the ⁴individual parts. When you measure the size of these ¹parts they are minuscule compared to the "footprint" of the atom i.e. space is actually the biggest part of what makes up the footprint. This is true of all atoms. So why do we see and experience a much larger "footprint?"

We know that electrons fly around the nucleus at an incredible speed. So much so that it creates more of a solid-looking blur as you see on the right...


rather than the nice little circular patterns often used to illustrate an atom below. 









What we see and experience appears much larger than its individual parts. 

What is behind this force and what are its effects?

If you take a hammer and touch it to your face, would it hurt? It might be cold or hot but if placed lightly against your face, that's it. However, what if you took this same hammer, attached it to a long steel cord, and spun it at an incredibly high speed? And then some part of you accidentally got in the path of this spinning hammer. What would be your experience? Would this change of conditions make any difference?

A silly question, but I asked to make a point. It's the same hammer, is it not? So what is the difference? Force or the velocity of the hammer when it comes in contact with your face. Before it was still, now it's moving... and fast. 

So it's not just the hammer you are experiencing but the force behind it, i.e. the speed/velocity at which the hammer is spinning when it strikes you. That speed represents energy. Or to say it another way, there is much energy or force needed to put the hammer in motion. This speed/force makes the hammer feel much more significant (bigger, more powerful, or solid) than if it were merely stationary - the hammer itself isn't more powerful, the force behind it is.

Now, what if the hammer were held in place by some invisible (electromagnetic?) attraction/force/energy between it and a central object it was attracted to and could be spun around that central point — relatively far away from the hammer — in all directions, always maintaining the same distance and speed from the central object, similar to how electrons travel around a nucleus. What if its speed was such that it created the appearance of a somewhat round and solid object far bigger than just the hammer — like the illustration of the helium atom on the right above? In fact, the velocity was so great it made this entire assemblage of parts look and feel like one large solid vibrating object and not a singular tiny object spinning around a minuscule central point/object. 

This could explain why something so small as an atom comprised of even smaller electrons spinning around a tiny nucleus is experienced (seen and felt) not as something spinning but something solid (but also "vibrating" which all atoms do) and much larger than its individual parts. 

Since the parts are so minuscule, they would not have the same effect as being hit by a hammer. The electrons are too small individually to hurt us. But this configuration of speed and mass combined would feel solid (I propose what we are actually feeling is more force-energy contained or moving the particular parts, than substance-matter). Then when you have millions of individual atoms held together by an invisible electrical attraction/force, it would appear to be an object that could be observed, touched, and held, all the while comprising virtually no matter at all compared to its footprint - which we see and experience. So when you push up against an object, such as a piece of steel you are not feeling substance primarily, you are feeling force but in a very uniform, structured, and controlled manner (we now understand that atoms aren't static but actually vibrate constantly and consistently, which further supports this hypothesis i.e. atoms are in constant motion or at least it's individual parts are but in a very precise or tight and specific design or pattern - if you will - based on the properties of the particular parts. 

What I am suggesting hasn't been proven that I know of. I am offering a hypothesis that fits with what we already know about atoms, observed through our own experience, and also what science has recently discovered about electronic plasma. (For a fascinating documentary click here to watch "Thunderbolt of the gods" on electronic plasma).

Can we explain this

This leads to a very basic question. If this theory is correct, what energy or force could or would be at work i.e. where does the energy come from that propels electrons around the nucleus of an atom and holds the atom together so that its individual parts don't fly apart? 

What we do know is this force/energy is so great that when the individual parts of the atom are separated (split apart) it results in an incredible release of energy as demonstrated in an atomic bomb. 

We have an answer. And believe it or not, it's in the most "unscientific" book of all -- at least according to many scientists -- the Bible.

Col 1:15  He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (i.e. all physical/material things). 16  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

And also

Heb 1:2  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son (the Christ), whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he G⁵³⁴²upholds the universe by  G⁴⁴⁸⁷the word of his G¹⁴¹¹power...

Last but not least

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2  He was in the beginning with God. 3  All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. 

All three passages tell us Christ -- the same person who became a man and walked among us over 2000 years ago -- is the eternal Creator.

The Colossians passage tells us Christ is not only the Creator but the sustainer of the universe i.e. the one that holds everything together and keeps everything going. He is constantly standing before and in oversight over the creation (...he is before all things... see definitions of the words below in the original greek language) and in or by his very existence all things stay together instead of disintegrating into their various parts and flying off into space.

Last of all, in the book of Hebrews we are told how he does this; by speaking/ 
commanding things to be - which also produces vibration/release of energy. Though we too speak, giving off vibrations/energy, His is a power far beyond us or our understanding i.e. we do not bring physical things into existence out of nothing merely by speaking. Only God did and does. The picture the passage gives us is His speaking is the energy (vibration/frequency/force) that energizes and moves all things and holds all things together. All things are held together simply by the power of his words. If His words alone are this powerful, imagine how powerful He must be as a Being. 

Granted, an electromagnetic force may be involved in holding things together, but that explains the "what" not the source of it, i.e. who or what creates/causes/sustains the magnetic force! The fact that we can observe the effect of electromagnetic energy does not explain the source of that energy. Science can only observe the "what" and not explain the "how" or "why." We must go to scripture for the explanation.

If we dig a little further into the specific keywords in these passages, we get an even clearer and more amazing picture.

It is unnecessary to read every part of the definitions below. I have underscored and emboldened, or italicized what I think are the key elements of the definition that are relevant.

Keywords in Col 1:17 

And he is G⁴²⁵³before all things, and in him all things G⁴⁹²¹hold together.

Before: G⁴²⁵³ πρό pro pro

A primary preposition; “fore”, that is, in front of, prior (figuratively superior) to. In compounds it retains the same significations: - above, ago, before, or ever. In compounds it retains the same significations.

Total KJV occurrences: 46

Hold together: G⁴⁹²¹  συνιστάω /συνιστάνω /συνίστημι - sunistaō /sunistanō /sunistēmi

Thayer Definition:

1) to place together, to set in the same place, to bring or band together

1a) to stand with (or near) (Christ is ever with and before but distinct from creation (i.e. he is both imminent and transcendent)

2) to set one with another

2a) by way of presenting or introducing him

2b) to comprehend

3) to put together by way of composition or combination, to teach by combining and comparing

3a) to show, prove, establish, exhibit

4) to put together, unite parts into one whole (kind of like an atom?)

4a) to be composed of, consist

Part of Speech: verb

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G4862 and G2476 (including its collat. forms)

Citing in TDNT: 7:896, 1120

Keywords in Heb 1:3  

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he G⁵³⁴²upholds the universe by the G⁴⁴⁸⁷word of his G¹⁴¹¹power. 

Upholds: G⁵³⁴² φέρω  pherō̄

Thayer Definition:

1) to carry

1a) to carry some burden

1a1) to bear with one’s self

1b) to move by bearing; move or, to be conveyed or borne, with the suggestion of force or speed

1b1) of persons borne in a ship over the sea

1b2) of a gust of wind, to rush

1b3) of the mind, to be moved inwardly, prompted

1c) to bear up, i.e. uphold (keep from falling)

1c1) of Christ, the preserver of the universe

2) to bear, i.e. endure, to endure the rigour of a thing, to bear patiently one’s conduct, or spare one (abstain from punishing or destroying)

3) to bring, bring to, bring forward

3a) to move to, apply

3b) to bring in by announcing, to announce

3c) to bear, i.e. bring forth, produce; to bring forward in a speech

3d) to lead, conduct

Part of Speech: verb

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: a primary verb (for which other and apparently not cognate ones are used in certain tenses only, namely, oio; and enegko

Citing in TDNT: 9:56, 1252

Word: G⁴⁴⁸⁷  ῥῆμα rhēma

Thayer Definition:

1) that which is or has been uttered by the living voice, thing spoken, word

1a) any sound (vibration) produced by the voice and having definite meaning (i.e. not random or arbitrary, but with specific meaning and purpose)

1b) speech, discourse

1b1) what one has said

1c) a series of words joined together into a sentence (a declaration of one’s mind made in words)

1c1) an utterance

1c2) a saying of any sort as a message, a narrative

1c2a) concerning some occurrence

2) subject matter of speech, thing spoken of

2a) so far forth as it is a matter of narration

2b) so far as it is a matter of command

2c) a matter of dispute, case at law

Part of Speech: noun neuter

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G4483

Citing in TDNT: 4:69, 505

Power: G¹⁴¹¹ δύναμις dunamis (also root word for dynamite)

Thayer Definition:

1) strength power, ability

1a) inherent (vs delegated) power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth

1b) power for performing miracles

1c) moral power and excellence of soul

1d) the power and influence which belong to riches and wealth

1e) power and resources arising from numbers

1f) power consisting in or resting upon armies, forces, hosts

Part of Speech: noun feminine

A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from G1410

Citing in TDNT: 2:284, 186

The bottom line is we don't only need mass to see and experience the material world, we also need force, energy, power, etc. The "solidness" we experience when touching or engaging the material world may be more because of force than mass. Mass alone is too small to explain what we actually see and experience. Science has confirmed this. Which matches exactly with what scripture tells us in the passages above. 

And the observed creation is real, not a projection in the ultimate sense i.e. there really is material (though in far lesser amounts than the non-material parts) moving at a high velocity which I propose gives it its "solidness" i.e. it allows us to experience it as solid, not as space or according to the ¹space to mass ratio we know it to be. The vast majority of what we see isn't space, in the sense of a vacuum, it is because of energy, force (dark matter?) - unseen for sure, but very real (it has a real measurable effect just as magnetism does) - that we can see and feel it.

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¹The estimate is only 0.0000000000000000000042 percent of the universe comprises actual matter. Do a web search on this number, and you will find plenty of sources that cite this.

However, scientists are now saying there is something in all that emptiness/space, we just can't see it. They call this "dark matter" because we see evidence of its influence/effect even though there is nothing there i.e. no observable matter but highly charged electromagnetic plasma.

For a fascinating documentary ("Thunderbolt of the gods")  on how scientists may be incorrect in their materialistic/ gravitational model of the universe, click here.

²This is proposed by the fascinating book "The Holographic Universe" I recommend it though I don't totally agree with everything in it. What I agree with is it shows through the science of quantum physics, clear proof of an infinite cause/source/order/being (what this book calls "implicate order") behind all that we see and experience.  

³By matter, we mean anything that we can touch and see. We distinguish this from "dark matter" (which is actually not matter at all) we can not see or touch it, hence the label "dark" (though we can see its effect/influence on matter). I (and the Thunderbolts researchers) am suggesting this so-called dark matter is not matter at all but force in the form of electromagnetism. 

⁴We are told that if an atom were about the size of a professional baseball stadium, the nucleus would be the size of a pea in the very center of the baseball field with the even smaller individual electrons being at the outside parameter of the stadium. The electrons circle the stadium at such a high velocity and in so many directions (though always held in place at the same distance from the nucleus), so that the stadium (atom) would appear to be a much larger structure than the actual parts. This is an illustration of how miniscule the parts are to the actual footprint or the stadium we see to illustrate the analogy.

God is excited about your potential not your faults

God fully sees all your faults and flaws, yet he doesn't see them at all.

He sees them in that he's fully aware they exist.

Yet he doesn't see them at all i.e. they have no bearing on his infinite love for you and his absolute and complete commitment to your highest good if you are his child (i.e. you are in Christ).

In fact it is ¹because of his love and commitment to us he seeks to wean us from any and all faults or flaws that cause us or others harm (yet never holding those faults against us) or interfere with our drawing nearer to him and experiencing and participating in his love more fully. To say it simply from scripture, who he loves he disciplines. 

God views our faults and flaws much like loving parents with a toddler (or a child with a handicap). The lack of maturity (or presence of a flaw) is not off putting to loving parents. They are totally patient and kind. They see it as part of the growing up process, maybe even cute on occasion.

Loving parents don't chide their child when they take their first steps only to fall down again and again. No, they applaud their child for every successful step they make and encourage them to get up and try again and keep trying until they are great at it. 

They also look forward with equally ²eager anticipation to the day when their kid starts to run, or ride a bike or do gymnastics or play an instrument or sing a song or figure out a tough math problem or fix something broken or whatever else they reveal they are good at. 

They are ³always seeking to help their child grow and mature because they want her/him to experience the fullness of the joy of being all they are meant to be; the fullness of the potential they were born with and created for. They are excited to see how they will grow and to watch what strengths and characteristics will develop over time, and amazed/delighted as they do. 

So it is with God, our perfectly loving heavenly parent, toward us his imperfect but growing child. 

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¹in fact he could not address our practical/relational alienation from him until he addressed our legal/judicial alienation. It is only because we are no longer under condemnation due to Christ's removal of it, that God now takes up residence in us by his Spirit and reveals himself to us again, reawakening our hearts to his love for us. For more on this click here. 

²What about those who didn't have such perfect parents growing up?... 

You have one now. 

When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up. Psalm 27:10 (KJV) 

(CEV)  Even if my father and mother should desert me, you will take care of me.
(ERV)  Even if my mother and father leave me, the LORD will take me in.
(ESV)  For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.
(GNB)  My father and mother may abandon me, but the LORD will take care of me.

³And just like a good coach will push his student to go beyond what they may think they are capable of, so does God. God is cheering us on, believing in us and pushing us to grow to our greatest potential for our greatest joy and his highest glory. 

God is present in our going

God always eagerly awaits and enjoys our times of deliberate and focused worship and pursuit of him through *private meditation and prayer. It is during these times we often sense his presence most and feel most renewed in our relationship with him. 

However, he is equally present (objectively) when we have stepped away from our focused time with him to focus and actively engage/love the world for his glory. 

To say it another way, God is no less present with us when our focus is on others instead of exclusively on him. It only may be less so subjectively/consciously i.e. we may only have a lesser sense of his presence, however, what has changed is not God's actual presence, only our focus. 

In fact, we have reason to believe he's actually as present if not more so (or at least in a different but not a lesser way) when we are engaging/loving the world for his glory. We see this in the following verses in John 14:

21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”...  

23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

Both of these verses indicate God revealing himself to us and through us ("...manifest myself to him..." and "make our home with him..." with us) is tied to keeping his commandments i.e. our faithful pursuit of him through obedience. What commands are we to keep? The key commands being that we love God with all our heart, soul, mind and our neighbors as ourselves i.e. loving sacrificially as (in the same way) God loves us. Everything flows out of these two. 

This isn't saying he loves us more because of our obedience but that we experience his presence and love in our obedience. When we are loving the world for his glory, our hearts are in unison with his own heart i.e. we are closer to his desires for others who are also in his image. 

We usually think of private times with God as those times we refresh and renew ourselves through coming into God's presence. And in fact, these times are just that, but as we come to understand what God has called us to and that he is also with us in our going and spreading his glory by loving others, this is empowering and can also be a kind of refreshing.

We can all think of those times we did something significant and loving for someone in need and the joy it gave them and a sense of God's smile and pleasure we also felt as a result. 

We still need those times to draw near to him and be quiet before him, but in scripture, there is an indication that who God is and certain ways he manifests himself to us will only be experienced as we engage/care for/love others for his glory. 

God is always present

As his children, God is always with us whether we sense it or not. As we mature, the distinction (or line) between God's objective presence and our subjective experiencing it, diminishes due to our increasing ability to walk with him by faith versus feelings. We actually are more aware of his presence in reality (objectively) as our faith matures. So it's more an internal faith-based awareness of his presence that grows while an external sense or feelings of his presence may actually decline or at least ebb and flow. 

More and more we come to see our focus on loving those around us becomes a continuation and extension of our more private focus on God i.e. we come to see these two (focus on God and focus on others i.e. loving God and loving our neighbor) are not as completely separate and distinct as we may have initially believed or felt. They are only separate and distinct in execution (how they are brought about and manifested) but not in our engagement with God and his presence with us. 

God's objective presence

God is committed to us at all times in all things. It is in this sense he is always present. This does not mean we feel his present necessarily; it is simply an objective reality that has nothing to do with our feelings or our circumstances. It is a reality firmly rooted in the work of Christ on our behalf and only on that work, not our own work. 

Psalm 139:1-18 brings this out best. Emphasis, commentary and highlights added.

1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me! 2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. 4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. 5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it. 

7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? (i.e. nowhere) 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 

13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. 

17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18 If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you... 

Conclusion

In some very significant ways we are uniting and cooperating with God more in our displaying his love to others then we are in our drawing away in solitude with him. Focusing on the needs of others is a kind of participation in his presence, just indirectly verses directly. Over time I would suggest we will more and more come to experience God's presence in and through loving others for his glory as our faith matures.

To focus on loving others is just a different kind of focus and a different way to engage in his presence, not something wholly other than focus on God; different only in manner or kind not different in reality.  

Matthew 28:19-20

¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

What he also may be saying is an actual manifestation (i.e. sense) of his presence occurs when we are going and making disciples. 

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*God also manifests his presence in times of corporate worship. Though this is not engaging the unbeliever to display his love to them, it is also not a time of complete solitude.

It is a time of inner or personal worship but alongside others who are also worshiping God. It is personal worship and in that sense it is private but it is done together with others.

I John 1:9 and confession of sin

This verse may be one of the most misquoted, misunderstood, and misapplied verses in the New Testament. Why? I believe it in part is because of the lingering effect of the teaching on confession by the Roman Catholic Church. 

It is also partially due to our inclination to be our own god and savior. Our desire to earn our own salvation and God's love by "doing penance" and our aversion to admitting we need only God's solution to our rebellion. This also feeds into misunderstanding this verse and may likely play an even bigger role in our misunderstanding.

In considering this question of confession, we must ask and answer whether Christ's forgiveness is based on the work of Christ or on some work we must do in addition to that, such as confession of sins.

The proper interpretation of this verse can be resolved with sound hermeneutics. 

Instead of extracting the true meaning of this verse (exegesis) we tend to read into it what we believe it means (eisegesis) beforehand. To clearly understand this verse we must understand the context of this entire letter and the immediate context of the verses before and after as well as all of scripture.

John opens the book by talking about Jesus. Who he is and John's firsthand experience of seeing, hearing, touching, and living with Christ while he was on earth.

The Word of Life

1Jn 1:1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life — 2  the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us — 3  that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4  And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete. 

We can see from the opening John's desire in writing this letter is so his readers would come to know Jesus in the same way John does, " ...so that you too may have fellowship with us..." and "so that our joy may be complete..."

John not only desires that his readers are sure of their salvation but that John is also sure of their salvation and finds joy and assurance in knowing and having fellowship with them. In short, his desire is to help his readers be sure they truly know Christ and how they can be sure.

He also restates this objective in the conclusion near the end of the book...

1Jn 5:13  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 

When you read everything in between these opening and closing statements, John repeatedly gives ways one can know if they are true believers or not. There are several "if...then" scenarios John lists throughout the book indicating what a true believer looks like, how we can know if we are a believer, and what to do if we are not.

1Jn_2:4  Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,

1Jn_2:5  but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:

1Jn_2:6  whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.

1Jn_2:9  Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.

1Jn_2:10  Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling.

1Jn_2:11  But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

1Jn_2:17  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

1Jn_2:23  No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also.

1Jn_3:7  Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.

1Jn_3:8  Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

1Jn_3:10  By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.

1Jn_3:14  We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death.

1Jn_3:24  Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.

1Jn_4:6  We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

1Jn_4:7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.

1Jn_4:15  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

1Jn_4:16  So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

1Jn_4:18  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

1Jn_4:21  And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

1Jn_5:1  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

1Jn_5:10  Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son.

1Jn_5:12  Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

The point is this letter is not only for believers. In fact, as already mentioned in significant part, it is seeking to help his readers determine whether they are true believers or not and how they can know for sure i.e. he's also addressing potential unbelievers who might be reading this.

So given this context, what exactly is 1 Jn 1:9 telling us?

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

This is one of several "if...then" scenarios John gives in the opening part of his letter in the hope of passing on to them his first-hand experience of Christ so they too might know if they are true believers. He gives some preliminary scenarios on how to do so i.e. if we say or do (see list below) e.g. confess our sins, then this is what it says about us and what we need to do about it. 

1Jn_1:6  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1Jn_1:7  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.

1Jn_1:8  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jn_1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jn_1:10  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

We will come back to these verses later.

After going through this introduction John lays out the basis for our forgiveness in I John 2:1 which clearly says the work of Christ alone is how and why we are forgiven.  Nothing can add to or take away from this work.

1Jn 2:1  My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2  He (alone) is the propitiation for our sins...

Propitiation is simply another word for atonement.

G2434  ἱλασμός  hilasmos  hil-as-mos'

atonement, that is, (concretely) an expiator: - propitiation.

atonement:

1.     Satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury; amends.

2.     Theology. the doctrine concerning the reconciliation of God and humankind, especially as accomplished through the life, suffering, and death of Christ.

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/atonement

Note 2:1-2 is right on the heels of verse 1:9, explaining why God is "just and right" in forgiving those who acknowledge (confess) they sin/are sinners i.e. the basis of our forgiveness is the work of Christ, not our confession.

You will also note, unlike the opening section, he starts out chapter 2 calling his readers "little children" suggesting what he's about to say is for those who know they are genuine believers. Whereas the first chapter, he's clearly attempting to convince those who are not believers why they should be, how they may not be, and some ways to help if they aren't and reassure them if they are. 

In the first chapter, he points out that acknowledging we (everyone in general) are sinners i.e. recognizing our sin, is the basis for entry into Christ's forgiveness. This is what 1:9 is clearly telling us. It is not the basis for the ongoing forgiveness of a believer. Again, that is addressed in the following chapter in 2:1-2 (it is also hinted at in 1:7 which we will look at more closely later).

Is confession important

On the matter of confession in general, it is not whether there is value in confessing/ acknowledging/repenting of our sins. Of course, there is. This passage is our proof. We are also encouraged in James 5:16 to confess our sins to one another. However, outside this passage, we don't see anywhere in the NT (and or even in the OT ) that we are told to confess our sins to God to obtain ongoing forgiveness as some suggest this passage teaches. This may be a shock to some. If so, I encourage you to dig into the rest of scripture and see for yourself.

The question is what does God base the forgiveness of our ongoing sins on; the work of Christ or our "confession of sins?" Using 1 John 1:9 to suggest our sins are not forgiven as God's children until confessed to God, not only does not fit the *context of I John itself but the entirety of scripture.

As true believers, we must acknowledge our sins i.e. clearly admitting when and where we commit them and turn from them in order to participate in and experience all God has for us so we might advance in our walk with God, but not in order to be forgiven. Admitting where we blow it is for our benefit and that of others, not for God's. He's already entirely forgiven us (for sin's past, present, and future) in Christ because all that is necessary to do so, has already been done by Christ, not us. 

Verbal consent or true repentance

True confession (actually it would be more correct to say true repentance) includes not simply admitting we sin but a full turning away from it, not merely verbally acknowledging (i.e. confessing) our sin. If there is no turning away (repentance) we are not truly recognizing our sin for what it is i.e. not really confessing it. Turning away from sin (i.e. rebellious distrust of God) is the point of true "confession" by a believer. Forgiveness is not.

Simple verbal admission of sin is actually harmful if we believe it's the grounds for our forgiveness or the goal of our confession. The goal of confession in this approach becomes forgiveness only. Once we have confessed, mission accomplished...our sins are now forgiven (or so we are told). Nothing else needs to be done. This allows us to not truly address our disobedience and turn away (repent) from it (but actually an excuse to avoid it) since our obedience is not the goal of this kind of confession, only forgiveness is... or so we think. In a roundabout way, it actually makes light of the destructiveness of sin. It's not a big deal when we sin. We can simply confess it and it's taken care of. 

True confession (repentance) for the believer is turning away from sin, not just admitting we have sinned. For the unbeliever, however, admitting they are sinners who have sinned is an absolute prerequisite to receiving forgiveness. Hence John's comments in 1:8-9.

1Jn_1:8  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.

If we do, we are promised he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Why? Because in 2:1-2 we are told Christ is the basis of that forgiveness. Confession is merely the means by which forgiveness comes to the unbeliever, not the cause of it, even for the unbeliever. 

We have further confirmation of this in Verses 7 - 10. These are scenarios addressing whether we are a believer or nonbelievers. The point is he is giving hypothetical examples of what needs to happen if a particular problem presents itself. John tells us if we claim to be a believer but do certain things, we simply are not a believer. 

1Jn_1:6  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1Jn_1:7  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.

Walking in the light (vs 7) is clearly a reference to believers in contrast to unbelievers who walk in darkness (vs 6). Note that confession plays no role in the blood of Jesus cleansing those who walk in the light from sin. It is ongoing merely by virtue of them being (walking) "in the light" i.e. being a true believer. This simply means they are believers in contrast to an unbeliever. In fact, this is the only reference to a believer in these opening "if/then" scenarios. But only to make a point of contrast to the unbeliever. 

If we walk in disobedience to Christ (walk in darkness) we are not truly believers (we lie) but if we are a believer, our walk will be characterized by the faithful pursuit of God (walking in the light). We will also love being with other believers (i.e. "...have fellowship with one another..."). And since forgiveness is based on the blood of Christ, it covers whatever sins we do commit ("...the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us [present continuous action in the Greek] from all sin..."). Being a Christian doesn't mean we are sinless/perfect, it means we are forgiven ("it is finished" and not because of our efforts...including "confessing our sins"). Because of this forgiveness, love, and acceptance in Christ, we desire and seek to be faithful.

1Jn_1:8  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

1Jn_1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

If we think we do not have a sin issue, we are deceived. However, if we admit (confess) that we do, he is faithful to forgive our sins because of the work of Christ on our behalf (vs 2:1), not our work of confession.

1Jn_1:10  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

If we deny we have a sin issue, this is evidence we do not know him at all. Being aware of our sin is actually evidence we know him. Again this is one of several "markers" given by John to help his readers know if they are true believers or not.

As you look closely at the context of chapter 1 it becomes clear he is appealing primarily to nonbelievers in these early verses.

Based on the context of the book of John, the common explanation that ongoing forgiveness of the believer requires our confession simply doesn't fit the context of the book and is an example of poor hermeneutics. We also know from the rest of scripture that all our sins, past, present, and future were nailed to the cross and we are now clothed in the perfect righteousness of Christ. Nothing we do or don't do can add to or take away from our absolute and perfect righteousness and forgiveness earned for us by Christ and assigned to us by His Father.

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