Commentaries:
Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown
The confession of sins is a necessary consequence of "walking in the light" (1 John 1:7). "If thou shalt confess thyself a sinner, the truth is in thee; for the truth is itself light. Not yet has thy life become perfectly light, as sins are still in thee, but yet thou hast already begun to be illuminated, because there is in thee confession of sins" [AUGUSTINE].
that we have no sin--"HAVE," not "have had," must refer not to the past sinful life while unconverted, but to the present state wherein believers have sin even still. Observe, "sin" is in the singular; "(confess our) sins" (1 John 1:9) in the plural. Sin refers to the corruption of the old man still present in us, and the stain created by the actual sins flowing from that old nature in us. To confess our need of cleansing from present sin is essential to "walking in the light"; so far is the presence of some sin incompatible with our in the main "walking in light." But the believer hates, confesses, and longs to be delivered from all sin, which is darkness. "They who defend their sins, will see in the great day whether their sins can defend them."
deceive ourselves--We cannot deceive God; we only make ourselves to err from the right path.
the truth-- (1 John 2:4). True faith. "The truth respecting God's holiness and our sinfulness, which is the very first spark of light in us, has no place in us" [ALFORD].
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Isaiah 44:22
Philippians 3:13
1 John 1:1
1 John 1:10
1 John 2:1
1 John 2:4
1 John 3:6
1 John 3:9
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