1 John 1:8-10

v8: A real temptation we face is that “of deceiving ourselves by denying or excusing our sins.” The truth is that we “have sinned” and we are those “in whom sin still lives to some extent,” which is why “the Christian life is a life of continual repentance, humiliation for sin, putting it to death,” and “a life of constant faith in and thankfulness and love for the Redeemer.”

v9: Those who confess and acknowledge their sins before God can be sure that He will forgive “all their sins and cleanse them from the guilt of unrighteousness, and at the right time deliver them from the power and practice of it.” The reason we can be certain of this is because God is faithful to His Word, “in which he has promised forgiveness,” and “just toward himself and his glory,” providing “a sacrifice through which his righteousness is declared in the justification of sinners.”

v10: To deny our sin is to challenge God’s truthfulness because He has abundantly testified “to the continued sin and sinfulness of the world by providing a sufficient and effective sacrifice for sin that will be needed in every age,” and “he has given his testimony to the continued sinfulness of believers themselves by requiring them… to confess their sins” and to trust in sacrifice of Christ.