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The order of things...

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Linny:
Okay, I have a question for those of you who have been studying this a while longer than myself.
Today, my husband and I watched a teaching by Ray on Repentance from Nashville 2005. It was great by the way. But he was asking the audience to put 3 things in order.
They were: repentance, cleansing and forgiveness.
His point was that the church doesn't put forgiveness first as it should be, with repentance 2nd, and cleansing 3rd. I completely understood this and agreed with it. At the cross, Jesus said, "It is finished." "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."

Then I found this scripture which clearly gives the church their reasoning for putting the order as:
1)repentance, 2)forgiveness, and 3)cleansing.
It is:
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.

Now the Strong's has the IF as a condition of forgiveness.
My question is: Is this translation incorrect? I did a comparison and all the translations I have had the IF in there.
Perhaps there is a translation out there that I don't have that makes this clearer?

Thanks for your help in advance!
Lin

hillsbororiver:
Hi Lin,

I believe this verse can be looked at in the present (constant) tense and it clears up the meaning, Rotherham's translates it as;

1John 1:9 If we are confessing our sins, faithful is He and righteous, that He should forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

This really applies to every minute of our lives (as least in my own I know this to be true) as we are not going to say one prayer or make one confession and be done with it, no, this cleansing takes a lifetime. I don't think the other translations corrupt the message but they do cloud it a bit.

Hope this helps.

His Peace to you,

Joe

Linny:
Thank you Joe! That does clear it up quite a bit.

Chris R:
Hi,

"If" is translated  from the greek word "e-ä'n" While it is translated several times "if", it seems to be translated several thousand times, whoever, or whatsoever.

Peace

Chris R

Deborah-Leigh:

Confessing our sins is not a once of but a way of life that draws us to Christ.

Hebrews 4 : 15 For we do not have a High Pries Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptations, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are,yet without sinning.

So...if we do not recognise that we are weak, infirm and liable to vanity and temptation then we do not approach Christ confessing our sins.....

There are two judgments. One on the House of God now and the other at the White Throne. Those who recognise their beast within and know that we are powerless without Christ, then instead of giving up, we hold fast our confession of faith in HIM.

This is easier said than done! It requires His Spirit to obey, follow and know Him! Understanding comes by His Spirit.

Peace be to you

Arcturus :)

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