What does the Bible say about self-deception?

210 Then he enters a little more into the practical condition of our own conscience. "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." That is where truth in the inward part comes out. The new nature in us judges all the sin that is in us. He does not deny that we have learnt the truth; but if Christ is the truth in me, it must judge all that is of the old man as sin. If a person has only learnt the truth outwardly, he may gloss over all the rest. But if the truth is in us, everything comes out. If I say, I have no sin, looked at as in the flesh, I deceive myself, and the truth is not in me. Yet it is not merely saying that there is sin in me that is the thing. It is when really the heart and conscience are touched, so that I own I personally followed the flesh. It is not a doctrine then. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." His bearing towards us is gracious and forgiving, and He cleanses us completely.

Next, another wrong profession is condemned, "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves." This is the height of self-deception. We assume, not only that we have not sinned, but that we are without sin, without even the disposition to anything displeasing to God. We fancy we have arrived at that stage of Christian life when sin is altogether absent. This species of pseudo-holiness is a foolish and evil delusion. If we claim it, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

The dreadful character of sin is not felt in the soul until God works there, nor is its working realised unless there is truth in the inward parts. Therefore he who claims to be without sin exposes himself to be ignorant of God, ignorant of what sin is, insensible to what is so abhorrent to God and self-deceived.

Verse 8. "If we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves." The light requires that we should confess what we are in our nature. To say that we have no sin is not only ignoring a truth but also deceiving ourselves. In such a case the truth is not in us, for if Christ who is the truth dwells in us, we must know that we carry about a sinful nature.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Whoever may claim this only proves that he is not in the light, for light must reveal things as they are, and any true sight of the nature of God in the Person of Christ will plainly show to me the contrasting sinfulness of my own heart. A denial of this is gross self‑deception, which does not savor of light at all: the truth is not in such a soul: he is yet in darkness. It is possible of course that a believer may for a time persuade himself that sin has been eradicated from his nature, and hence in a practical way resemble what is considered here; but the apostle speaks abstractly and absolutely, in reference to one who is characterized by this proud self‑righteousness, therefore an actual enemy of God.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Here again is a broad, all‑embracing principle. If we” involves the same scope as does the expression in each one of these last five verses, that is, if anyone confesses his sins, there is in God perfect faithfulness, perfect justice in forgiving. As the light penetrates, it brings confession with it. Who can say whether repentance or faith is chronologically first? Are they not rather simultaneous? If one believes, it will be manifest in a spirit of confession: if one really repents, he will believe, for the evidence of faith is in his repentance. The confession here is real, of course, as being produced by the light, and cannot in any way be divorced from faith in the Son of God. If this is not specifically mentioned in the verse, yet it is clearly implied in God’s faithfulness and justice. Is God not faithful to His own Son, who has accomplished redemption for confessed sinners? And He is just in forgiving simply because the cross of Christ has satisfied every requirement of justice. Any sinner therefore may come to Him on the ground of this blessed verse, and find eternal forgiveness. On the other hand, a mere lip confession, such as King Saul’s (1 Samuel 15:30), which ignores the justice of God, is not even considered in this verse. Here rather is the reality that faces the facts of God’s faithfulness and righteousness, and frankly confesses. Compare the prodigal son (Luke 15:21,22). Forgiveness is the discharging of every offense against God, no holding it any longer against the offender. But there is cleansing from all unrighteousness also, in order that the soul may be in God’s presence in consistency with the purity of the light.

If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us.” This again is the mere haughty pride of unbelief in denying that its actions have been sinful. This superior attitude of self‑deception is only characteristic of one utterly devoid of life, and who does not hesitate to consider God a liar in order to maintain his own pride. God’s word is of course not in such a soul in any way. Honest facing of sin is one of the most definite effects of being in the light.

Now we are come to the second "if we say" of Christian profession. "If we say that we have no sin" is a very astonishing position for a Christian; yet there are those that appear to say it, of whom one should be sorry to think that they are not Christians. In this particular it is not implied that they may not be. It is said that "If we say that we have no sin, we mislead ourselves." Ah! this is easily done. We mislead ourselves easily. So thinking we do indeed err. How can those who have life eternal in Christ delude themselves so as to say that they have no sin? If they said that Christ had borne away their sins, it is true; if they said that the old man was crucified, it is also true; if they said that God condemned sin in the flesh, on their behalf, it would be true beyond doubt. But to say they have no sin, to look into their hearts first, and to raise their eyes to heaven afterward, and then say, "Having examined myself, I say that I have no sin," is strange delusion in a saint of God. In a Pantheist it is intelligible, because he and his god are equally blind. Low thoughts of Christ go with high thoughts of our state. The Pelagians at a later day seem guilty of this error.

There was One indeed of whom it could be said truly: "In Him is no sin;" in every other there is, not excepting one saint that ever lived. For there is still the old nature; and this nature is sure to break out where we do not keep it thoroughly under the power of Christ's death by the Spirit of God. But here it was a fleshly and false boast. All these "if we says" describe the growing evil among professing Christians. They suppose systematic error in speculative men. "If we say that we have no sin, we mislead ourselves, and the truth is not in us." This is so strong a statement as to make it doubtful whether those so deluded could be Christians indeed. But "the truth is not in us" appears to be a somewhat different thing from the truth not at all known by us. No doubt every Christian is presumed to know the truth by God's teaching. At any rate here attention is drawn to the peculiarity of the phrase; for the self-deception is imputed to the truth not being ours inwardly. The truth should be "in us," not merely believed and owned by us. Who doubts that there are persons not a few who hold these theories, of whom it would be wrong to think that they were not Christians? They mean probably that they never yield to sin: even this however is a bold thing for them to say. At best it evinces a very good opinion of themselves, which is far from what the more spiritual saints have ever felt or uttered.

This false claim would deny that we have a sinful nature, 'We have no sin'. It refers to sin in our nature. The next (v.10) refers to sins committed in practice. One of the very first principles of scripture is that of 'trees yielding fruit . after their kind.' (Gen. 1:12). Apples grow on an apple tree, plums on a plum tree and sins on a sin tree! If believers do not have a sinful nature then it is not possible for them to commit sins. What pathetic self-deception! To claim that we do not have a sinful nature is to claim that it is impossible for us to commit sins.

In considering these difficulties, it will be well to notice the important difference made in Scripture between 'sin' in the flesh and 'sins.' Very frequently, the evil principle, born in us naturally, is simply called sin, while the evil actions, words and thoughts which are the consequence of possessing this corrupt nature, are called sins. We will see the distinction in 1 John 1:8 & 9: 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' And again: 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.' This distinction is of the greater importance when we find in Scripture, that while, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, God does forgive our sinful deeds, that is our sins; yet He never forgives sin in the flesh, but 'condemns' or judges it. Suppose a child who has naturally a violent temper. In a fit of passion, one day, he throws a book at his brother, and breaks a large pane of glass in the window. Well, upon penitent confession of the naughty deed, the parents would be free to forgive him. But what about the bad temper that made him do it? Do they forgive that? Impossible! They detest it, and, if they could, would get rid of it-thoroughly rid of it. They utterly condemn it. Now, the bad temper (though, in itself, only one feature of an evil nature) would answer more to indwelling sin, while its evil activities, in hurting the brother and smashing the window, would answer more to the sins. And so I repeat, though God does most freely forgive the believer's sins, He never forgives the indwelling sin. Condemnation is the only thing He can righteously apply to it -death is our only way out of it (see Rom. 8:3). 'God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin (a sacrifice for sin), condemned sin in the flesh.'

This does not mean that after we are saved we will never sin again. The apostle John plainly writes of people who say this, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." 1 John 1:8. Note that we do not deceive God, or other people, but only ourselves.