1 John 1: 8 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
The protasis of the next conditional sentence returns to the negative marked by having a denial of sin. Sin (hamartian) is often defined as missing God’s intention through willful disobedience of God’s commands. This missing the mark is inherited as part of the fallen human condition. Sin is not accidentally committed but naturally committed because of our human weakness and the influence of encroaching death. Humans fight the curse of death by fighting against God, themselves, and others. When God gives a command, which is always for our good, our tendency is to rebel because we want to do things our own way, essentially trying to be our own god.
Sin comes in many forms and experiences. Being physically and mentally weak as a human and sinning are different. All people are weak, get sick, tired, angry, emotional, depressed, and experience many other frailties of our species. We make poor decisions out of ignorance or even with the best intentions that go wrong. Sin, however, is a deliberate rejection of the light that God has given to us. We choose to walk in the darkness. We reject Jesus as Savior and Lord, evidenced by our disobedience. Intentional sin is a significant theme in this letter.
Two temptations come in relation to the reality of sin. One is to deny that it exists and just blame everything on human weakness or to claim that humans are inherently good. The other is a subtle temptation that comes as a person grows in faith, who thinks that he or she is above sin. Since Jesus saves us from sin, sin is never going to be part of our life again. John corrects both extremes in this verse. Sin is a reality that plagues every human, saved or unsaved. As long as we are in this world, sin is an ever-present possibility. There are several reasons for this. One is simply that the world is fallen and full of temptation. We will never be free from temptation. A second is that we are weak on our own. If we could overcome sin by our own power, we would not need God’s grace. We cannot be saved by our own righteousness.
John is not creating an excuse for sin nor ignoring its power and presence, as he will demonstrate in the following verses. His purpose in this verse appears to be to wake up the readers from any spiritual numbness to the conviction of the Holy Spirit. Living in ignorance of sin eventually leads to a hardened heart. Such a person is deceived and not aware of the truth. John is making the truth plain and simple, which should bring awareness, which is the first step in restoration.