1 John 1:8 & 9

1 John 1:8 (NASB) – “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us”.

“If we say that we have no sin,” Self-righteous people are convinced they have no sin. “I’m basically a good person.” They are deceiving themselves, for the truth is we all fall short (Rom. 3:10, 23). We all need God’s grace. Gnosticism was a false teaching that infiltrated the first-century church. Although the forgotten teachings of Gnosticism are a matter of speculation, it seems that the Gnostics were among those who claimed to have no sin.

“The Truth” is another name for Jesus (John 14:6). It’s also a name for God the Father (1 John 5:20) and God the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:6) Truth is not a manmade construct but is defined by the One who is truth personified. Both grace and truth are revealed in Jesus (John 1:17).

“The truth is not in us”. Those who are disconnected from the One called Truth are living in a false reality. This is not about Christians going through a bad patch, for the truth abides in us forever (2 John 1:2).  
                                                                     
When reading the Bible, it’s important to identify the audience. John’s letter would have been widely circulated. It would have been heard by all kinds of people. Here in the first chapter, John is speaking to those who are disconnected from Christ (verse 3), are walking in darkness (verse 6), and do not have the truth in them (verse 8). Even though he uses words like we and us, he is inviting unbelievers to put their faith in God. At the start of the next chapter, he will shift his attention to believers or the children of God.
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1 John 1:9 (NASB) – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness”.

“If we confess our sins,” If those who say they have no sin (see previous verse) repent and agree with God that they have sinned, God will cleanse them from all sin. To confess is to agree. Confessing sins does not mean reviewing your sins one by one (what if you miss one?) in a futile attempt to merit forgiveness or maintain fellowship with the Lord. Biblical confession is agreeing with God that we are cleansed from all sin by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). Nor do we need to work to maintain our fellowship with the Lord for God abides with us forever and he will never leave (1 John 4:15–16, 2 John 1:2).

“He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins” God does not forgive us because we are good, but because he is good. He is the faithful and righteous One who loved us while we were sinners and sent his Son to save us (1 John 4:14). Forgiveness is a done deal—Jesus will never return to the cross—but you will never experience God’s forgiveness unless you receive it by faith. Forgiveness is not a wage to earn but a gift to receive and in Christ you have it (Col. 1:14). In him, you are completely and eternally forgiven according to the riches of his grace (Eph. 1:7).

“and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. All means all. In Christ, you have been cleansed from all unrighteousness and all sin by the blood of Jesus (1 John 1:7). You have been 100 percent forgiven on account of his name (1 John 2:12).

​(The Grace Bible commentary by Dr. Paul Ellis)