You’re right, we have to always address the text.

Let’s look at verses 8-10 really quick: https://twitter.com/arerowbee/status/1351602067266301952

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

1 John 1:8

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 1:9

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”

1 John 1:10

Verses 8 & 10 make it clear that the individuals being addressed are not Christian.

“We are deceiving ourselves, the truth is not in us, we make God a liar, His Word is not in us” = all describe the characteristics of an unbeliever.

In context though, these are people who are claiming to have no sin at all.

They never admitted that they were sinners (as all Christians must do before God saves them).

Essentially, they were denying their sinfulness.

In the words of @DrAndrewFarley, 1 John 1:9 was written to “sin deny-ers.”

People who thought that they had never sinned before in their lives.

So the logic follows that if they confess their sins as verse 9 requires of them, God will forgive them because He’s faithful, just, and perfectly able to clean them from ALL unrighteousness.