An article on Confessionism which I found really helpful

  This article "Confessionism: The Misuse of 1 John 1:9" lays out much that I have wondered about, and it actually summarizes much that I've thought, and it helped me to complete my thoughts.  I had arrived at many of these conclusions regarding the passage under question, 1 John 1:6-2:1.  However, it wasn't till part way through this article that I really put together the fact that a normative Christian response to sin is to recognize its presence in the believer.  Our understanding of our need of a Redeemer is the basis of our confession of sin's indwelling presence with us on this earth.  Nothing good comes from us; everything good comes from God.  Thus, I freely confess that I am a sinner who sins daily.

 As the author of the article says, we do admit/confess our sins, but it is not to obtain forgiveness.  The admission of our sin is a step on the path of repentance and change.  We have forgiveness, full and free, from the moment of our initial justification.