1 John 1:8 – 2:2 – If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. 1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
If we claim to not need forgiveness of sin because we have not been born with original sin, then “we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Those who delude themselves to not believing that original sin is within us all when we are born, have deceived themselves (Psalm 51:5, Ephesians 2:3). They have gone beyond lying about what they know to be true. What started as a lie to oneself, and others, then often repeated, becomes a lie that we delude ourselves into believing. We see it around us in those who tire of being repentant, or of feeling guilty, and so decide that will conclude that they are not guilty and so will not be repentant or ashamed. When God touches a soul, the soul can respond in a couple different ways. It can respond in a right manner and yield to God. Or it can respond in a wrong way and rebel against God (Genesis 4:6-7). It is the rebelling that creates a calloused, hard heart that, if persisted upon, leads to a hard ground that will not accept seed from heaven (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23).
The Gnostics of John’s day denied that they sinned. They believed they had esoteric knowledge that freed them from the guilt of sin. They believed that, though in physical bodies, they no longer were physical beings, but now spiritual beings. Since who they really were, they believed, was spiritual beings, their physical sins were no longer part their responsibility, because they were spiritual and not physical. They taught that all matter was evil and they were beyond that. In fact, they deny that Jesus came to earth and took the form of man because then he took on matter, which they believed was evil, and Jesus had no evil in Him. Yes, the most powerful lies are mixed with truth to come up with the wrong conclusion. While it is true that the righteousness of Jesus was imputed onto us and our filth was put onto Him, it is not true that we are guiltless of the sin we do. We are clearly called to repent and turn away from sin. The deception the Gnostics clung to came from putting into the Hebrew law and Christian Gospel what they wanted to believe and not receiving from them what they actually said. Yet, it was a powerful deception that was a supposed threat to the early church. Supposed, because we know that Jesus was watching over His flock. There is no other reason for its survival.
However, rather that denying our sin by saying it is not sin, or were not born of sin, or the sin that we do is not us and so we are free from the responsibility of it, we do not deceive ourselves but acknowledge the sin that we all do. We acknowledge that though we hate the sin we do, we do it. We know we have corrupt flesh that clings to us and though we have the Word of God and the Holy Spirit within, the flesh calls to us and we still sin. Acknowledging that we have sinned we confess our sins to God. When we first come to God we acknowledge that we were born in sin, and that we have committed sins . After coming to the Lord His precious Holy Spirit is continually working on us to work sin out of us. Praise God! Yet, until we are brought home in heaven, until we our free from these terrestrial bodies and are found in our eternal celestial bodies, we will struggle with sin. Of course, the hold of sin on us should weaken, but on this earth, it will persist.
We are thankful that the Lord did not forgive only our sins to the time of our conversion, but He also died for every sin we would ever do. So what is V9 stating? Is it stating that every time we sin we must again be reborn? Is it saying that we have fallen from grace and need to again be saved? No! Jesus died once for all sin (Romans 6:10). There is no more need of sacrifice (Hebrews 10:18). The one work of Jesus is efficacious for all our lives. Remember that God is omniscient and when Jesus died for our sins, He already knew what all our sins would be. Yup, He died for the “whole enchilada!”
If we claim that we have not sinned, that we do not sin, that is clearly against the Word of God. If we refuse to acknowledge the Truth of the Word, then we call God a liar. If we call the Word of God, if we call God a liar, than God is not within us. If He is not within us, then we are not His and we are still lost in our sins (John 14:15-17). Family, we all still sin.
I remember a time in my walk when I would, at the end of the day, stop to pray and repent. I tell you that I would struggle to remember a sin that day. I was sure I must have sinned, but I could not recall any. So I asked God about that. Oh, He opened my eyes about that. Yes, I was sinning in so many ways. Sins of commission and omission. In fact, sin that was still in my heart would later burst out and cause great harm. Oh Lord forgive me, I am still such a sinner. But, praise God, I am a sinner on the mend. All credit and thanks to our God!
1 John 2:1-2 are precious. They say so much! A paraphrase may be “Dear children, don’t sin. Fight it and resist it. However, you will sin. But don’t be discouraged because we have an advocate, our Hero Jesus, who is with the Father. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.” So, belonging to Him, Jesus already paid the full ransom to bring us into a right relationship with God. He died for all of our sins. And not only ours, but for the sins of the whole world. Yup, though not all will not choose to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus, the gift was meant for all, though of course, God knew not all would come to Him. Tragic!
These verses bring us a hope that never fades or perishes. Jesus died for our sins and though we struggle against the desire to sin, and too often fail in that struggle, God, who has accounted for all, has made a clear path to Him by taking everything into account. We are called to no longer sin. God knows we still will. See God looks at us the same way He looked at King David, He looks are our hearts (Acts 13:22). He sees that we want to please, but often fall short. It is the heart that is for Him that He wants (Acts 3:19). A heart for Him desires to please Him (Psalm 40:8). A heart for Him cries out and asks God to reveal sin our lives (Psalm 139:23). We ask Him to help us remove it from our lives so that we may please Him and not sin. And the beauty of it is, that He does! He has thought of it all! What that means is that we are safe in Jesus. Jesus who does not change keeps us safe (Hebrews 13:8). We are His and evermore shall be. May our hearts ever more belong to Him. He is always looking at hearts (Romans 8:27). He knows our sin is temporary, He wants our hearts. It is all tied together. Our actions and words reveal what is in our hearts (Proverbs 4:23, Luke 6:45). Let us continue to confess the sins that we surely choose to do. He will surely forgive us. Let our hearts be right with God, and more so every day. God is good all the time. He loves us. Our sins have been forgiven and always are. That’s just how God is. Praise God! He indeed is so wonderful!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.