1 John 1:8
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

One of the greatest dangers of sin is its self-deceptive nature. We are often quick to point out the sins and failings of others, yet are equally quick to excuse our own.

The self-deceptiveness of sin is perhaps most frequently seen in the heart of one who has not put faith in Christ. A person who rejects Christ as Savior usually does so because of their unwillingness or inability to recognize their own sin. And if we do not admit our sin, then we cannot understand our need for atonement. After all, if we’ve done nothing wrong, then there is no penalty to pay. If we have no sin, then we need no Savior.

And yet Scripture tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” [Romans 3:23] and “none is righteous, no, not one” [Romans 3:10]. We each have dishonored God by disobeying His Word and thinking and acting in manners that deny His holiness and reject His character. Only by admitting our unrighteousness can we ever come to a place where we are able to receive the righteousness of Christ, credited to our account by the mercy of the Father.

And yet, John’s warning in this verse also extends to those who are saved by Christ (which would have made up his original audience). The fact that God has dealt with our sin problem through Christ in an eternal sense through salvation does not relive us of the necessity of sanctification. In other words, while on one hand we are already made perfectly holy through the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, on the other hand we are still in the process of being made holy by the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit.  

Because of this, we must be willing to admit sin in our lives, ask God to search us and reveal hidden sin [Psalm 139], and respond to the Scripture as it does its work of teaching, reproofing, correcting, and training in righteousness. [2 Timothy 3:16] Only by choosing to remain vulnerable, sensitive, and honest with God and ourselves can we ever hope to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” [2 Peter 3:18]