If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
"The status just described is analogous to God’s full acceptance of Israel, as expressed in Balaam’s inspired utterance: ’He has not observed iniquity in Jacob, nor has He seen wickedness in Israel’ (Numbers 23:21). Yet, on a practical level, Israel was full of failures!" [Note: Hodges, The Epistles . . ., p. 67. For further discussion of this verse see Ed Glasscock, "Forgiveness and Cleansing in 1 John 1:9," Bibliotheca Sacra 166:662 (April-June 2009):217-31.] 