If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
This verse is both encouraging and discouraging! It is a relief to know the Word of God acknowledges that I have sin. I cannot deny this, and here I see the Lord through His Word understands that this is our state. Yet it is discouraging because my flesh nature would love to declare myself "sin free" and self righteous! So how wonderful again it highlights what Jesus has done for us that we may not be free from our sin nature, but we are freed from the guilt. I like John Gill's wording here: yet they are not without sin; though they are freed from the guilt of sin, and are under no obligation to punishment on account of it, yet not from the being of it; their sins were indeed transferred from them to Christ, and he has bore them, and took them and put them away, and they are redeemed from them, and are acquitted, discharged, and pardoned, so that sin is not imputed to them, and God sees no iniquity in them in the article of justification; and also, their iniquities are caused to pass from them, as to the guilt of them, and are taken out of their sight, and they have no more conscience of them, having their hearts sprinkled and purged by the blood of Jesus.
I also like how John Gill brings out this cry of anguish in all our hearts as Christians, the constant war between flesh and spirit: Notwithstanding believers are cleansed from their sins by the blood of Christ, yet they are not without sin; no man is without sin: this is not only true of all men, as they come into the world, being conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity, and of all that are in a state of unregeneracy, and of God's elect, while in such a state, but even of all regenerated and sanctified persons in this life; as appears by the ingenuous confessions of sin made by the saints in all ages; by their complaints concerning it, and groans under it; by the continual war in them between flesh and spirit; and by their prayers for the discoveries of pardoning grace, and for the fresh application of Christ's blood for cleansing.
He also brings out that Christians might say "we don't have this sin" or "that sin" but we all carry the seeds of sin within us and are equal to other sins: the sins of believers are equally sins with other persons, are of the same kind and nature, and equally transgressions of the law, and many of them are attended with more aggravating circumstances, and are taken notice of by God, and resented by him, and for which he chastises his people in love. As the next part notes, that if we say we have no sin we actually deceive ourselves. As believers, we have to watch for that fleshly nature, carnal behaviour called self-righteousness. Self-righteousness keeps us proud, yet when we realise the hopelessness of our sin nature, it keeps us humble and humbled at what Jesus continues to do for us by His actions on the cross over 2,000 years ago.
And the next part says "and the truth is not in us". It really lines up with what John says at the beginning of this chapter about walking in the light. I think if we're walking in the light, then we readily see the darkness of our own lives and our dependency on Jesus.
It is well worth reading what David Guzik writes here:
Jamieson, Fausset and Brown write: The confession of sins is a necessary consequence of "walking in the light" (1Jo 1:7). "If thou shalt confess thyself a sinner, the truth is in thee; for the truth is itself light. Not yet has thy life become perfectly light, as sins are still in thee, but yet thou hast already begun to be illuminated, because there is in thee confession of sins" [AUGUSTINE].
that we have no sin--"HAVE," not "have had," must refer not to the past sinful life while unconverted, but to the presenthave sin even still. Observe, "sin" is in the singular; "(confess our) sins" (1Jo 1:9) in the plural. Sincorruption of the old man still present in us, and the stain created by the actual sins flowing from that old nature in us. To confess our need of cleansing from present sin is essential to "walking in the light"; so far is the presence of some sin incompatible with our in the main "walking in light." But the believer hates, confesses, and longs to be delivered from all sin, which is darkness. "They who defend their sins, will see in the great day whether their sins can defend them."
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