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Having not sinned? (1 John 1:10)

From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

10If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.

– 1 John 1:10
(NASB® © 2020)
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It is hardly imaginable, that someone who calls himself a Christian says such a thing. Yet it happens. It is striking that one does not claim here that they are not sinning now. He does not claim he will not sin in the future, even with good intent. No, he looks back, and he claims he has not sinned in the past. This is not about one specific situation, saying he did not sin in it. It is about the entire past life: “I have never committed a sin. My life is sinless!”

Making God a Liar

The consequence is that God is made a liar. Whoever says this does not only lie (verse 6), he does not only deceive himself (verse 8), but he makes God a liar. This not only accuses God of a sinful act, it also attacks God himself. It attacks his deity. It attacks his holy, sinless nature. But God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). The lie stands in total contradiction to him. He is the God of truth (Psalms 31:5). The Lord Jesus is the truth (John 14:6). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). His word is truth (John 17:17). “Rather, let God be found true, though every person be found a liar” (Romans 3:4). If someone claims not to have sinned, it is more than a result of his sinful nature, but rather is virtual proof that it exists.

Following Satan’s Lie

He follows no one other than Satan himself. Satan is the father of the lie. Had God not said to Adam and Eve about the tree of knowledge of good and evil: “…for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die” (Genesis 2:17)? What was Satan’s later lie? “You certainly will not die!” (Genesis 3:4). In this, he made God a liar. Here people follow Satan. By their bold claim not to have sinned, they make God a liar. Both the Old and the New Testament testify that every person has sinned. This is without exception: “for there is no distinction; for all have sinned…” (Romans 3:23; Psalms 14:1–3).

Whoever still denies this opposes God’s word, thereby making God a liar. Such a person faces the same words that the Lord Jesus spoke to the Pharisees: “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).

God’s Word Not in Us

Another statement is that God’s word is not in us. In verse 8, John had already written, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. Then the truth is not in us.” Here it is his word that is not in us. His word is, of course, the truth. But verse 10 is more about the truth as revealed in the Bible, the Holy Scriptures. Whoever claims, contrary to God’s word, not to have sinned, must have rejected God’s word. How else can it be explained that someone comes to such a claim? Instead of God’s word, he relies on human logic and philosophy.

Unbelief and Rebellion

Unlike in verses 6 and 8, John does not set the true and genuine against the lie here. It is not hard to see what verse 10 is not describing someone living in God’s light, someone who is submitted to God’s verdict after recognizing his sinful condition. If he had recognized his true condition, it would have led to confession. We saw that in verse 9. Here, however, we are dealing only with unbelief and rebellion against God.

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From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

If We Confess Our Sins (1 John 1:9)

God forgives sins when they are honestly confessed—showing He is “faithful and righteous.” This isn’t about perfect wording or recalling every sin, but a sincere heart trusting Christ’s finished work. Sinners receive once-for-all forgiveness; believers confess to restore fellowship, not to regain salvation. God won’t punish the same sins twice.
1 John 1:9
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

Self-Deception (1 John 1:8)

John distinguishes sinful acts from sin as an inner ruling nature. Believers are forgiven and freed from sin’s power, though the old nature remains until Christ returns. Claiming “I have no sin” is self-deception and shows God’s truth isn’t in us—often seen in blaming others or trusting good works.
1 John 1:8
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

Walking in the Light (1 John 1:7)

John contrasts darkness with believers who “walk in the light” of God’s full self-revelation in Christ. This shared light brings true fellowship in God’s family and confidence: Jesus’ once-for-all atoning blood cleanses from all sin, securing peace before God even as daily failures remain.
1 John 1:7

Walking in Darkness (1 John 1:6)

Claiming “fellowship with God” implies possessing eternal life, yet some only profess it. John says a life that habitually “walks in darkness” exposes such claims as lies—regardless of status or religiosity. True believers may still sin, but their characteristic walk is in the light; words must match deeds.
1 John 1:6
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

The Message (1 John 1:5)

Believers are called into fellowship with God, which brings responsibility and must rest on a true, Christ-sourced message grounded in Scripture. 1 John highlights God’s nature: “God is light” and “God is love,” inseparable truths. God’s light exposes sin, yet new birth gives believers God’s nature. John then offers three “If we say…” tests to expose false profession.
1 John 1:5
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

Joy to the Fullest (1 John 1:4)

Believers can already “breathe the air of heaven” through fellowship with the Father and the Son, since eternal life is a present possession. This brings “full” (complete, perfect) joy that can’t be improved. The world offers only temporary pleasures; to enjoy this lasting joy requires practical separation from worldly desires.
1 John 1:4
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

Christian Fellowship (1 John 1:3)

John stresses that the apostles proclaim what they truly saw and heard about Jesus. This testimony invites believers into genuine “fellowship”—sharing God’s interests and thoughts—made possible through eternal life in Christ. True fellowship with God can’t reject apostolic teaching and includes fellowship with the Father about the Son and with the Son about the Father.
1 John 1:3
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

The Eternal Life with the Father (1 John 1:2)

John explains that Christ is “the life” and “eternal life”: uncreated, truly God, eternally in intimate fellowship with the Father, and revealed to us through the incarnation. God’s purpose in this manifestation is that believers share this life and learn what divine life truly looks like—perfectly displayed in Jesus.
1 John 1:2
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

That which was from the Beginning (1 John 1:1)

John’s letter opens urgently with Christ, “the Word of life,” as false teachings threaten believers in the “last hour.” He points back to what was true “from the beginning”: God’s Son became flesh, revealing God and eternal life. Truth doesn’t evolve—new “revelations” must be tested by Scripture and rejected if they depart from it.
1 John 1:1
From the beginning. An exposition of the first Letter of John.

The First Letter of John – Introduction

A brief introduction to 1 John: Early church testimony and its style link the letter to John the Apostle, written late in the first century (c. 96 A.D.). Facing rising false teachers and Gnostic errors about Jesus and eternal life, John warns believers, assures them they truly have eternal life, and describes its marks in practice.
1 John 1