Do you have a "renewed mind".?

[Sidon]

Uh. . . no, Solomon. . .the apostles' letters were written to the churches.
That may apply to the gospels, but not to the epistles.
.

Are you a "hebrew'?
If you are then read the HEBREWS and find out more then you understand now.

Go and look at Paul's other epistles.
He always clearly writes to CHURCHES......."to the church at galatia, corinth, ephesis"... To the church at ROME.

"church" = BODY OF CHRIST.

That is not the same as "HEBREWS">
Understand?

See, the born again are not HEBREWS.....we are all those other epistles, headings, Clare73

Look at Hebrews Chapter 2:3 """"how shall any escape if we ignore so great a salvation""""?

So, why would Paul be preaching the Gospel to the born again?
Would Paul be talking to the CHURCH< telling them not to ignore SALVATiON, when the CHURCH is all the "Born again", already?

C'mon THINK.

A.) He's NOT talking to the Believers, there.

= HEBREWS are unsaved JEWS.

 

[Clare73]

Are you a "hebrew'?
If you are then read the HEBREWS and find out more then you understand now.

"Physician, heal thyself."
(Translate: OK, hot shot.)

The letter to the Hebrews is written to
professing Jewish Christians who were considering returning to Judaism (maybe the large number of priests who became obedient to the faith in Acts 6:7, and were suffering ostracization and disinheritance by their friends and families, respectively; or maybe Jewish converts thinking of merging with a Jewish sect, such as the one at Qumran on the Dead Sea),

and the apostle's burden there is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as revealer and mediator, greater than Moses and the angels at Sinai,

with five warnings (2:1-4, 3:7-4:13, 5:11-6:12, 10:19-39, 12:14-29) regarding apostasy.

Go and look at Paul's other epistles.
He always clearly writes to CHURCHES......."to the church at galatia, corinth, ephesis"... To the church at ROME.

"church" = BODY OF CHRIST.

That is not the same as "HEBREWS">
Understand?

See, the born again are not HEBREWS.....we are all those other epistles, headings, Clare73

Look at Hebrews Chapter 2:3 """"how shall any escape if we ignore so great a salvation""""?

So, why would Paul be preaching the Gospel to the born again?
Would Paul be talking to the CHURCH< telling them not to ignore SALVATiON, when the CHURCH is all the "Born again", already?

C'mon THINK.

A.) He's NOT talking to the Believers, there. = HEBREWS are unsaved JEWS.

For your edification, I present in the following something of mine (my own presentation from the NT)
on the second warning of Hebrews 3:7-4-13, and which I have previously posted in another thread:

So beginning with the particular issues presented in the text:
1) One of the issues of the NT Hebrew Christians is unbelief. . .how can that be?
2) Another issue is the Sabbath. . .why would Hebrews need warning about the Sabbath?
3) And what does Canaan have to do with NT Hebrews and the Sabbath?
These issues must be addressed in a correct explanation of Heb 3:7-4:13.

Hebrews 3:7-19: God's people failed to believe in the past.

"So, as the Holy Spirit says:

Ps 95:7-11: Today, (as distinct from OT Canaan) if you hear his voice (gospel preached),
do not harden your hearts (refuse to believe)
as you did in the rebellion (refusal to enter Canaan),
during the time of testing (their testing God) in the desert,
where your fathers tested and tried me
and for forty years saw what I did (exiled Israel in the wilderness).
That is why I was angry with that generation,
and I said 'Their hearts are always going astray,
and they have not known my ways.'
So I declared an oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' " (God's own rest)

See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.

[NB: There is an issue of not holding firmly, of turning way (rebellion, apostasy), of unbelief by the NT Hebrews that the writer is addressing. They were considering a return to their OT religion, perhaps because of persecution by their fellow Hebrews, or threats of their families to disinherit them, or both, the reason can only be conjecture.

This passage is actually the second of five warnings in the letter:
1) 2:1-4 - do not fail to hear the gospel,
2) 3:7-4:13 - do not fail to believe,
3) 5:11-6:12 - do not fall away (apostasy),
4) 10:19-39 - do not lapse back,
5) 12:14-29 - do not refuse God.]

As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice (in the gospel),
do not harden your hearts (in unbelief)
as you did in the rebellion." (and refuse to enter into Christ's full-time salvation rest from your own works to save, as your fathers refused to enter into Canaan's full-time battle rest from their enemies)

Who were they who heard and rebelled? (refusing to enter Canaan)
Were they not all that Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned (rebelled), whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter (the promised Canaan rest, Exodus 33:14) because of their unbelief.

Hebrews 4:1-10: Do not fail to believe again.

Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands (Today, if you hear his voice--in the gospel--Matthew 11:29, salvation rest is still available), let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it (by returning to your OT religion and failing to enter into NT salvation rest). For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did (Galatians 3:8; sacrifices and ceremonies); but the message they heard was of no value to them because those who heard did not combine it with faith. Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, "So I declared on oath in my anger, 'They shall never enter my rest.' "

And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world. For somewhere he has spoken about the seventh day in these words: "And on the seventh day God rested from all his work." (God's Sabbath-rest is full time, not just one day a week). And again, in the passage above he says, "They shall never enter my rest." (God's own full-time Sabbath-rest)

It still remains that some will enter this rest ("Today. . .") and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in (to the full-time promised rest from their enemies in Canaan, Deuteronomy 12:10) because of their disobedience. Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today (Ps 95:7), when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice (in the gospel)
do not harden your hearts."(and fail to enter God's own full-time Sabbath rest in his NT salvation-rest)

For if Joshua had given them rest (in the promised rest of Canaan, a prefigure of God's NT salvation rest), God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest (which is full-time) also rests (full-time) from his own work (to save), just as God did from his.

Hebrews 4:11-13: Warning

Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest (salvation rest), so that no one will fall (from faith, salvation) by following their example of disobedience. For the (judging) Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (take heed of the God with whom we have to do)"

Jesus' NT full-time salvation rest is the fulfillment of God's ("my") own full-time Sabbath rest for his people. The Sabbath is fulfilled in Jesus Christ who is our Sabbath rest.
In the NT, we are not required to observe the Sabbath.

Hebrews 10:25 - However, Christians are required not to forsake assembling together for the Lord's Supper (Acts 2:42).

 

[ViaCrucis]

How to explain this to you...
hummmmm.
I appreciate the question.

Let me ask you this, Viacrucis.
Do you love your mother?
Yes?
Where is your love for her always located?
Its IN your heart, but you can't see it.
So, Is that a "work", ???? This love you have for her in your heart?
See that?

Yeah, that's a work. Love is a work.

So, when you originally have in your heart, FAITH, in Christ... the very first time, the very first moment.....this faith is located in the same place where your LOVE for your mother is located.
Neither are a work, yet both are absolutely REAL.
= God SEES this... in you, in both cases. He can SEE IT in you.

So God sees something inside of me, and responds to something in me, to something I do. God reacts to me, and responds by saving me.

I don't know how else to read what you're saying here.

Now, God has created the ONLY WAY He saves a person, John 14:6 based on Him providing the BLOOD and the FORGIVENESS that He APPLIES to us, as a GIFT the very INSTANT He SEES the faith in our heart that we have for His Son.
"Justification BY faith".

That's not what justification by faith is. It's justification by grace, through faith; that justification happened objectively once and for all on the cross (Romans 5:18), and is made ours personally through faith, hence we are justified through faith (Romans 5:1)--a faith that is not of ourselves, but the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8), not of our own efforts so that none may boast (Ephesians 2:9)

Here is the bumper sticker. "You take Christ and God takes you".

We don't take Christ, Christ takes us. And in Christ we belong to God, as ransomed and redeemed people.

We GIVE Him our heart faith, as He requires.....(all that BELIEVE) (John 3:16) and then once we do, He SEES it in that place inside us were our LOVE is stored, and He accepts this to then give us the Blood Atonement, which is our eternal Salvation.

Right, so as I've been saying, you believe that we do something (a work) and God responds to our work, and saves us on the basis of something we have done, in this case, that work being to believe.

I'm not seeing where I've misunderstood you. I'm simply seeing what you're saying, and pointing out that it's wrong.

Just because you don't think you are saying we are saved by works, that is exactly what you are teaching. You are simply making faith the work that I must do in order to be saved. Thus you are placing the locus of my salvation not in the finished work of Jesus Christ, but in myself.

That's just salvation by works. You are teaching salvation by works, just because you word what you're saying in a certain way doesn't change the material substance of your teaching. And the material substance of your teaching is that we are saved by our own works.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

So, why would Paul be preaching the Gospel to the born again?

Because the Faithful need to hear the Gospel. That's why St. Paul instructs Timothy to, in his capacity as a pastor, preach the Gospel at all times (2 Timothy 4:2).

The Epistle to the Hebrews is written to Christians, Hebrew Christians.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Sidon]

"Physician, heal thyself."
(Translate: OK, hot shot.)

The letter to the Hebrews is written to
professing Jewish Christians.

Well, here is the thing.
If a Christian , born again, decided to become a buddhist, this would not impact their spiritual birth.
They would always, be, and always are born again, as God causes this.... and this is not what they did for themselves.
So, if later, as born again, a believer want to be stupid, then they are stupid, born again.
The "new birth" is not related to behavior, its only based on God causing the Spirit in a person to become a "new creation".
So, once you are born again, (not just water baptized) but born again, that is resolved in eternity.
If you choose, as a born again Christian, whatever behavior you choose....this does not affect your Spiritual Birth.

Now, moving on.... if you have a commentary, or if you belong to a denomination that believes that "hebrews" are the body of Christ, then its what you believe.
Its what they believe, and your belief is based on what your source has led you to believe and think.
In your case, Your source is not the NT, but rather its your sources you will continue to cut and paste., cut and paste.
Have you noticed that i never cut and paste?
I never do this.

So, as cut and paste sources your final authority, then that is on you, Clare73.
That's your decision, and you've made it.
See, the easiest thing to do, is to find a "source" or a "church" that contradicts the bible.
You have yours.

 

[Sidon]

Yeah, that's a work. Love is a work.

So God sees something inside of me, and responds to something in me, to something I do. God reacts to me, and responds by saving me.

God saves based on the blood of Christ.
This is the "gift of salvation".
There is no "work" required to receive a gift.
God accepts Faith, to give you the "Gift'.
Now, if you see this as a work, inside yourself, as "faith",, then that's fine by me.
You are allowed to think according to how you choose to think.

If you think that "God is Love" is a work, and if you think that a heart's emotions are a "work", then go right ahead.

 

[Sidon]

The Epistle to the Hebrews is written to Christians, Hebrew Christians.

You should actually read Hebrews, vs, just believing what you have been told to think about it.
Wouldn't that be the right thing to do?

Let me show you something to see.

Have you ever heard the term.....>"preaching to the Choir"?
This means, to explain as if those who are already, are not yet.

In other words......
Lets say that im preaching to a room full of born again Christians.
Everyone in the room is saved.....born again.
So, i preach for 3 hrs, only this.....>"Jesus said you must be born again".

Now, what am i doing that is ridiculous, and i just did it for 3 hrs.??
I just preached "how to be born again" for 3 hrs, to a room full of people, who are AREADY BORN AGAIN.

Why would i do that?
A.) i wouldn't.

So, in that light, go and read Hebrews, starting in Chapter 1.
Look at Chap 6 and 10., as its the same Context.

You will see the Apostle Paul, preaching the GOSPEL, the CROSS. (how to be born again), starting in Chapter 1 and continuing.
And why would he do that to people who are born again?
Answer.... ?
A.) He didnt.

They are hebrews, unsaved Jews., hence the Epistle's Title. 'Hebrews".

Next.....
Go to the "Acts of the Apostles", and read Chapter 28, starting at vs 10., and compare "scripture with scripture".
Paul is AGAIN talking to unsaved HEBREWS, and this time he gets completely frustrated with these unsaved Christ rejecting Jews, (Hebrews) same as he was in Hebrews 10, but this time he tells them...."im finished with you, im DONE, im taking the Gospel to the GENTILES, as they will HEAR IT".
And he did.
Paul became the "apostle TO the Gentiles", after leaving the Christ rejecting Hebrews to their unbelief.

 

[Sidon]

Because the Faithful need to hear the Gospel.

-CryptoLutheran

A preacher is not sent to preach the Cross, or how be born again, to the "faithful"< as the faithful are already born again, hence "faithful"
See, the GOSPEL, is the "preaching of the Cross", and there is not a need to preach "the Cross" to those who have been redeemed by it already, unless they are "fallen from Grace", and are become "in the flesh" and do not any longer trust Christ to keep them saved.
So, in that case, im talking to a legalist, and so, i will talk to them about the EFFECT of the Cross, and the effect of redemption.

So, a preacher, is sent to the LOST, to preach how to become born again.

If we, (me) go to the FAITHFUL, then i dont need to lead them to the Cross, i need to teach them how to work out their salvation, beyond their current revelation.
I am to lead them into more understanding of their Salvation.

 

[Sidon]

You're simply saying the apostle John in 1 John 1:8-10 is a liar.

John isn't lying.
He's just not talking about himself.
John does not have sin.
Its odd that you would think that He does.
Clare73, you think this, because you do not believe that Christ has already redeemed Him from ALL his Sin.
So, You would need to explain to us your theology that teaches you to tell a Christian forum that John is not born again.
Im sure you can find more online help to cut and paste for us.
But, that isn't going to prove that all John's sin is not covered with Christ's blood, 2000 yrs ago.
So, think on that before you post more that you didnt actually write.

Listen,
John is born again.
He's Made Righteous.
Christ has all his Sin, and John has God's Righteousness.

 

[ViaCrucis]

God saves based on the blood of Christ.
This is the "gift of salvation".
There is no "work" required to receive a gift.
God accepts Faith, to give you the "Gift'.
Now, if you see this as a work, inside yourself, as "faith",, then that's fine by me.
You are allowed to think according to how you choose to think.

I don't believe faith is a work. That's kind of been my whole point.

Faith isn't something we do, or something we have in ourselves.

Faith is something God Himself gives us. Faith comes from outside of ourselves.

Everything involved in our salvation comes from outside of ourselves, it comes from God alone. God alone is the One who works to save us. God alone is the One who accomplished the work.

Everything comes from outside of me, and is given to me as pure gift.

The only thing I bring before God is my naked, wretched sin.

If you think that "God is Love" is a work, and if you think that a heart's emotions are a "work", then go right ahead.

God's love is a work--His work. Our love is also a work, that's why our love cannot save us. The Law commands that we love, if our love could justify us then we could be justified under the Law, since the Commandment of the Law is to love.

But now that you have mentioned that God is Love, and are talking about God's perfect love--that love with which He loves us sinners--you are at least one step closer to understanding the Gospel then you were before. For it is God's love that saves us, not our love.

And once you can begin to properly understand the Gospel, and also properly understand the Law; at that point you'll also begin to understand what is meant by "be transformed by the renewing of your mind" and also Christ's call to carry our cross as disciples, and to therefore walk in repentance in humility before God as redeemed sinners.

Repentance isn't for our justification. Repentance is for our ongoing struggle as disciples of Jesus Christ.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

A preacher is not sent to preach the Cross, or how be born again, to the "faithful"< as the faithful are already born again, hence "faithful"

You are confusing preaching the Gospel with telling people how to "get saved". Because you are conflating preaching the Gospel with proselytizing.

These are not the same thing.

See, the GOSPEL, is the "preaching of the Cross", and there is not a need to preach "the Cross" to those who have been redeemed by it already, unless they are "fallen from Grace", and are become "in the flesh" and do not any longer trust Christ to keep them saved.

If you think you are no longer in need of the preaching of the Cross, then that is all the more evidence for why faithful preaching is necessary to the Faithful. If you, a confessed believer in Christ, no longer believe you are in need of God's faithful promise and word which is, in Christ, for you, a sinner--then that is precisely why preaching is necessary, and why repentance is necessary.

So, in that case, im talking to a legalist, and so, i will talk to them about the EFFECT of the Cross, and the effect of redemption.

The irony is that you are the one preaching legalism.

So, a preacher, is sent to the LOST, to preach how to become born again.

Then what, exactly, is my pastor doing? Is he just there to wear fancy clothes and sound "spiritual"? No. My pastor's duty and obligation to his congregation is to be a faithful preacher of the word, to preach the Gospel to the sheep that they might hear God's precious word for their edification, building up, and sustaining them in the faith. That is why we come together for the liturgy: To hear God's word, to receive the Sacraments, to be energized and refreshed by Christ and the Spirit present in the Liturgy through Word and Sacrament, at work in our lives as God's people.

If we, (me) go to the FAITHFUL, then i dont need to lead them to the Cross, i need to teach them how to work out their salvation, beyond their current revelation.
I am to lead them into more understanding of their Salvation.

It seems to me that your time would be better spent learning, rather than trying to teach.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Clare73]

Well, here is the thing.
If a Christian , born again, decided to become a buddhist, this would not impact their spiritual birth.

Precisely. . .because a "Christian" who did that was never born again in the first place.
He was always a tare.

They would always, be, and always are born again, as God causes this.... and this is not what they did for themselves.So, if later, as born again, a believer want to be stupid, then they are stupid, born again. The "new birth" is not related to behavior, its only based on God causing the Spirit in a person to become a "new creation". So, once you are born again, (not just water baptized) but born again, that is resolved in eternity.
If you choose, as a born again Christian, whatever behavior you choose....this does not affect your Spiritual Birth.

That applies only to those who are born again, not to tares who profess, but
do not actually possess, saving faith.

Now, moving on.... if you have a commentary, or if you belong to a denomination that believes that "hebrews" are the body of Christ, then its what you believe. Its what they believe, and your belief is based on what your source has led you to believe and think. In your case, Your source is not the NT, but rather its your sources you will continue to cut and paste., cut and paste. Have you noticed that i never cut and paste?
I never do this.
So, as cut and paste sources your final authority, then that is on you, Clare73.

What you do is not pay attention, or you would have seen that the material in my post #42
is my own presentation from the NT which I had previously posted on another thread.

That's your decision, and you've made it.
See, the easiest thing to do, is to find a "source" or a "church" that contradicts the bible.
You have yours.

Indeed! It is the NT, as I personally demonstrated in post #42.

Non-responsive to my NT presentation in post #42.

 

[Clare73]

John isn't lying.
He's just not talking about himself.

He's talking about Christians, of which he is one.

John does not have sin.
Its odd that you would think that He does.

It's even more odd that you think John is not a Christian.

Clare73, you think this, because you do not believe that Christ has already redeemed Him from ALL his Sin.
So, You would need to explain to us your theology that teaches
you to tell a Christian forum that John is not born again.

Almost as bad as your factual total misrepresention of my post #42.

Im sure you can find more online help to cut and paste for us.

Bragging about one's lack of attention is not becoming.

But, that isn't going to prove that all John's sin is not covered with Christ's blood, 2000 yrs ago. So, think on that before you post more that you didnt actually write.

Not paying attention, compounded by bragging about it, is really not a good look.

Listen,
John is born again.
He's Made Righteous.
Christ has all his Sin, and John has God's Righteousness.

Still non-responsive to my personal NT presentation in post #42.

 

[Sidon]

God's love is a work--His work. Our love is also a work, that's why our love cannot save us.

-CryptoLutheran

Im not following your idea of God's love being a "work".
Also, the reason your love can't save you, is because your love can't redeem you from your sin.
It takes BLOOD to do that for you. = "The Cross".

 

[Sidon]

You are confusing preaching the Gospel with telling people how to "get saved". Because you are conflating preaching the Gospel with proselytizing.
CryptoLutheran

Paul disagrees with you ViaCrucis.

Paul said that Christ sent him not to water baptize but to PREACH the Gospel.
Paul said he only preaches "Christ Crucified".

So, me too.

"soul winning" vs "street preaching", vs, "pulpit preaching", vs "forum preaching"...
All has the same message.
All that changes is the technique regarding the delivery of the message.

Its all "preaching".

Now, TEACHING is different.

 

[Sidon]

Precisely. . .because a "Christian" who did that was never born again in the first place.
He was always a tare.
That applies only to those who are born again, not to tares who profess, but
do not actually possess, saving faith.

What you do is not pay attention, or you would have seen that the material in my post #42
is my own presentation from the NT which I had previously posted on another thread.

Indeed! It is the NT, as I personally demonstrated in post #42.

Non-responsive to my NT presentation in post #42.

If i missed your #42, i'll do a search.
np.

Also, "tares" are not born again.
Does this mean that if a born again person, backslides, or is caught up in a cult, that they are not born again..?

See, the proof of Salvation is to be born again.
There is no other proof.
The devil's people fake christianity, often, much better then the real christians behave it.

"fruit" is not the way you discern, utterly, if someone is really born again.

 

[Sidon]

"Physician, heal thyself."
(Translate: OK, hot shot.)
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest (salvation rest),.

Ok i already dealt with this post., as well as the false assumption that "Hebrews" are "christians", in this Epistle.

Paul never calls any other group, "hebrews".
He always, in all of his other epistles..... refers to the person by name in the 1st Chapter, or he refers to "the Church AT"..and names the city, in the 1st Chapter.
But in the case of unsaved Jews, he calls this epistie, "Hebrews".
This is not hard to understand, unless you have been taught falsely, and then it becomes a real issue to try to understand this epistle, as Paul intended it.
Which is what has happened to many people.

So, regarding the overall point of your post.....Let me get to core error, and just deal with that, as you asked me take another look.
The core error of it, is your idea that you can lose your salvation, as that is what is what you are trying to prove...... which is why you say we are to "make an effort" to end up in Heaven.
You refer to this as "rest".
Well, let me assure you, that the finished WORK of Jesus on the Cross, and the "work of God, which is that you believe on Jesus, whom God sent" is the only EFFORT we make, that God accepts to redeem us, using His Blood.

So, you are teaching works in place of Grace.
You are legalizing salvation by teaching it as...>"here is what a person must DO, to enter heaven".
Did you forget to post the verse that speaks about "enduring to the end"?
Did you forget that one Clare73?

So, like all who legalize salvation, you never talk about the blood of Jesus or The Cross, as these arn't a part of how you have worked out your own idea of self saving.

 

[Sidon]

He's talking about Christians, of which he is one.
.

In that verse, John is preaching, to them, He's not preaching to himself.
See, anytime an apostle or me or any preacher is talking to a group about their SIN, then we are not talking to the born again...and why? Because the sin of the born again, has been taken care of when Jesus became it for us on the Cross, and died.
See that ??????
Try to understand that, and if you can, then you may be able to recognize the situation with John.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Im not following your idea of God's love being a "work".

Because "work" means "a thing that is done". God's love refers to God actively (note that "actively" contains the word "active", meaning doing) loving us. God's love is God's work.

Also, the reason your love can't save you, is because your love can't redeem you from your sin.

Right, and the reason why our love can't redeem us is because our works--the things we do--are suffused with our own sinfulness. So even our best works fail and fall short of God's righteousness.

It takes BLOOD to do that for you. = "The Cross".

It takes an external Savior to save me, because I'm a sinner who is actively in collusion with my own self destruction through my sin.

It's not just blood, blood isn't magic. It's Jesus Christ, the God-Man, giving Himself over to death, to share in our death, to destroy death by His resurrection. His blood matters because it's His blood, even as it is His flesh, His life, His death, His resurrection.

God has become man and shared in our weakness, in our mortality, in all of the wretched travesty of the broken human condition.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

In that verse, John is preaching, to them, He's not preaching to himself.
See, anytime an apostle or me or any preacher is talking to a group about their SIN, then we are not talking to the born again...and why? Because the sin of the born again, has been taken care of when Jesus became it for us on the Cross, and died.
See that ??????
Try to understand that, and if you can, then you may be able to recognize the situation with John.

Why does John use first-person plural pronouns and cases?

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

-CryptoLutheran