Can you continue to knowingly sin and remain a Christian?

[Jethro Bodine]

Please explain what sins the born again can continue to commit? Using the Word of course to explain.

"Continue" to commit. If you mean live in them as a matter of unrepentant, willful disobedience, then none, because that is what signifies the unbeliever - slavery to sin. Meanwhile, the born again person does not live in those things but may be overcome by them on occasion because of immaturity, or fear, or lack of vigilance, etc., as he is growing up into the stature and image of Christ. The sins the born again person can commit are the usual sins of the flesh body he still has and which compete with the Spirit for his obedience:

19The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

(Before you respond, note, the 'practice' inserted in the text for the purpose of interpretation.)

 

[justbyfaith]

And, so you're saying the very person who penned Romans 14 called him out for doing Romans 14? Obviously, Peter was not exercising some kind of Romans 14 sensitivity. Peter was sinning. Don't try to rationalize this away.

Paul wrote Romans in A.D. 57; Galatians in A.D. 49.

I believe that Paul may have indeed adopted a point of view more conducive to Peter's behaviour in 8 yrs time.

Peter understood the principle of Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8 whereas maybe Paul did not yet understand this yet.

And Paul also was looking at things from the perspective of the fact that his ministry was primarily to the Gentiles.

From that perspective, Peter was sinning.

From Peter's perspective, whose ministry was to the circumcision, he was not.

 

[justbyfaith]

That is an incredibly prideful claim that really says it all. What qualifications do you have to make that claim? Every version I've looked at has the plural in 1 John 1:9, so clearly they know something you don't, such as the slight difference in ending--ἁμαρτίαν in 1:8 and ἁμαρτίας in 1:9. M. R. Vincent in his Word Studies in the New Testament says:

"Sins

Note the plural, as compared with the singular, sin, in the previous verse."

Not to mention that according to Wuest's Word Studies in the Greek New Testament, the Greek verb homologeō, "confess," is "present subjunctive, speaking of continuous action" (vol 2, p. 104). That fully supports the plural "sins."

I hadn't seen that in the Greek before. I stand corrected.

All I had to go on before was my Strong's Concordance; and it does not make a distinction between singular and plural.

But looking at the actual Greek word opened my eyes to what it really means.

I guess that means that we have to confess all of our sins in order to be forgiven; rather than simply admitting that we are sinners?

We had all better get started!

 

[justbyfaith]

However, I think that scripture interprets scripture.

Luk 18:9, And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10, Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11, The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12, I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13, And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14, I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Psa 51:3, For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

According to these passages, it is confessing your sin (that you are a sinner) that justifies you.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Paul wrote Romans in A.D. 57; Galatians in A.D. 49.

I believe that Paul may have indeed adopted a point of view more conducive to Peter's behaviour in 8 yrs time.

Peter understood the principle of Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8 whereas maybe Paul did not yet understand this yet.

And Paul also was looking at things from the perspective of the fact that his ministry was primarily to the Gentiles.

From that perspective, Peter was sinning.

From Peter's perspective, whose ministry was to the circumcision, he was not.

Peter was being a hypocrite because he was afraid of the circumcision group. That's a sin. And don't forget, if Peter wasn't sinning then Paul was for judging him. So this is a no-win either way for the 'born again people don't sin' doctrine.

If you have the Spirit of God in you, you need to stop playing these games and have the courage to face the truth. We all do sooner or later. That's how we learn and grow and progress to the perfection God set us apart to walk in. Adamantly defending doctrine is one thing. Refusing to acknowledge the truth when it is plainly and irrefutably presented to you is quite another.

 

[justbyfaith]

Peter was being a hypocrite because he was afraid of the circumcision group. That's a sin. And don't forget, if Peter wasn't sinning then Paul was for judging him. So this is a no-win either way for the 'born again people don't sin' doctrine.

If you have the Spirit of God in you, you need to stop playing these games and have the courage to face the truth. We all do sooner or later. That's how we learn and grow and progress to the perfection God set us apart to walk in. Adamantly defending doctrine is one thing. Refusing to acknowledge the truth when it is plainly and irrefutably presented to you is quite another.

Paul was judging righteous judgment because as concerning the gospel to the Gentiles, Peter was sinning against that; in that he was compelling Gentiles to live as Jews.

As for his own ministry, which was to the circumcision, he was not sinning; since he was catering to the weak consciences of his Jewish brothers and sisters even as Paul later admitted he was right in doing (in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8).

Now, I am not playing any games and the Spirit of God does indeed dwell in me.

The truth is,

1Jo 3:9, Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

1Th 5:23, And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Th 5:24, Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Heb 10:14, For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
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1Jo 3:7, Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

1Jo 3:3, And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

1Jo 2:6, He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
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1Jo 3:6, Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

1Jo 2:17, And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth (sinneth not) for ever.
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Jde 1:24, Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

2Pe 1:10, Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

1Jo 2:10, He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.
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Rom 6:14, For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

Rom 8:12, Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

Rom 8:12, Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do.

 

[07/07/07]

That's not what Peter was guilty of:

11When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned. 12For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group. 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

14When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Galatians 2:11-14

Paul said he and Barnabas stood condemned in their hypocrisy and not walking in line with the truth of the gospel. Now, either Paul is right and they sinned, or, he is the one who is sinning here by falsely accusing them. Take your pick, Hopeful, justbyfaith , 07/07/07 . Let me know which one, Paul or Peter, sinned in the story.

Are you using Peter's less-than-perfect discretion to justify continuing to knowingly sin? Peter was in the learning process of what Jesus taught and learning through the Spirit that God was reaching out to the gentiles. Jesus taught the disciples to only reach out to the house of Israel; but now after Jesus was no longer with them for some time, the Spirit was teaching them to reach out to the gentiles. Peter was caught in the middle, as he was a Jew. I'm quite confident that Peter reflected on these things to learn the more perfect way that the Holy Spirit was revealing to him and others.

 

[Free]

I hadn't seen that in the Greek before. I stand corrected.

All I had to go on before was my Strong's Concordance; and it does not make a distinction between singular and plural.

And that is just one way that many misuse Strong's. Translators have many years of combined relevant knowledge and experience, and to simply discount that and say they are all wrong, when you have no relevant knowledge or experience, is no small thing.

But looking at the actual Greek word opened my eyes to what it really means.

I guess that means that we have to confess all of our sins in order to be forgiven; rather than simply admitting that we are sinners?

We had all better get started!

It simply affirms why we need the conviction of the Holy Spirit, so that every sin can be confessed. It is very important to also note that in 1 John 1, John includes himself, the apostles, and whomever else helped in the ministry in everything, as seen through the consistent use of "we" and "our":

1Jn 1:1 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—
1Jn 1:2 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—
1Jn 1:3 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.
1Jn 1:4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1Jn 1:5 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.
1Jn 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1Jn 1:7 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.
1Jn 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (ESV)

John certainly seemed to think that he was a sinner, along with every other believer.

However, I think that scripture interprets scripture.

Luk 18:9, And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10, Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luk 18:11, The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luk 18:12, I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13, And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luk 18:14, I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Psa 51:3, For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

According to these passages, it is confessing your sin (that you are a sinner) that justifies you.

Okay, but that has no bearing on 1 John 1:8-10.

 

[Hopeful]

You need to start being more honest.

Is it a sin to put away the special dishes until visitors show up?
It shows your love for the normal family is hypocritical because they don't seem to be worthy of the good dishes.
Please answer the question.
Is it hypocritical and a sin to do favors for visitors that you don't do for the regulars in your life?

 

[Hopeful]

That's not what Peter was guilty of:

11When Cephas came to Antioch, however, I opposed him to his face, because he stood to be condemned. 12For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself, for fear of those in the circumcision group. 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.

14When I saw that they were not walking in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “If you, who are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?” Galatians 2:11-14

Paul said he and Barnabas stood condemned in their hypocrisy and not walking in line with the truth of the gospel. Now, either Paul is right and they sinned, or, he is the one who is sinning here by falsely accusing them. Take your pick, Hopeful, justbyfaith , 07/07/07 . Let me know which one, Paul or Peter, sinned in the story.

Peter didn't (initially) see it that way.
Visiting Jews without the knowledge of "all for one and one for all" were coming, and Peter didn't want to upset them.
Paul, on the other hand, saw an opportunity to illustrate that Jews and Gentiles were now equals.

 

[Hopeful]

Don't you have the mind set on the Spirit? So the thing you want to do is please God, and yet Paul says because of the flesh, which you acknowledge is present for both believer and unbeliever alike, is in conflict with the Spirit "so that you do not do what you want" Galatians 5:17.

He's not saying anything remotely close to believers being sinlessly perfect because they have the Holy Spirit and always walk according to it.

Hopeful ,07/07/07

The "things I would" (KJV)" are the things I would have done were I still walking in and after the flesh.
I can't do them anymore because I walk in the Spirit...thanks be to God.

Your interpretation would imply that those walking in the flesh are also unable to do the things of the flesh.
Where do you see that ever happening?

 

[Hopeful]

Yes and no. Every born-again believer is "in Christ" and in him possessed of all the perfection that he is. This is the sole reason why God accepts any of us (Ephesians 1:6). In Christ, we are made "perfect" positionally, on a spiritual level fully justified, sanctified, and united with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection (1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:1-14; Romans 6:1-6) but in our daily condition, our mundane, practical living, we are far from this perfection. Becoming spiritually-mature is the process whereby what is true of the born-again believer in their spiritual position in Christ more and more characterizes their daily, mundane condition. So yes, spiritually, the born-again person is "perfected" by being placed in Christ by the Holy Spirit who makes of the believer his "temple" (Titus 3:5-8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20). In the Spirit, the Spirit of Christ (Romans 8:9), all the perfection of Christ is in the believer.

But the effect of the Spirit's presence within the born-again person manifests progressively, over time, in their living. To analogize: A man may purchase a new house to live in but he makes that house his home through a process that takes time and effort, the man moving his possessions into the house, arranging them as he likes in the various rooms of the house, putting up pictures on the walls, and drapes over the windows, and new paint on the walls. He may have to re-shingle the roof and put in new flooring; he may have to do some work on the plumbing in the kitchen, or repair the foundation of the house. The man being physically within the house is only the beginning of a process whereby he makes the house his home. So, too, the Holy Spirit when he takes up residence in the one who has trusted in Christ as their Savior and Lord. The Spirit "moves in" to the "house" that is the new convert and then goes to work on each "room" of their life, making them all, over time, reflect himself.

The Holy Spirit must clean out a lot of "junk" that has accumulated in the new convert's life; but where a homeowner has free-reign to act as he likes in his newly-purchased house, the Holy Spirit waits upon the born-again believer to agree to his transformation of the "house" of their life. The Spirit will not kick in the doors of each "room" of a believer's "house" and forcefully change what's in it. Only when the believer has agreed to his entering and altering the rooms of their life - submission - will the Spirit transform them to reflect his ownership. For some believers, this process may take decades; really, there is no believer who ever comes fully to the end of the transformation process this side of the grave.

Many believers, for example, don't know anything about "walking in the Spirit," and so, in a stumbling, frustrated and exhausting effort try to produce for God from their own fleshly power what only He can produce. Many believers don't realize how much they've compromised with the World, the flesh and even the devil, and so, live in a double-minded way, a friend of the World and a prisoner to their flesh, while trying to be a child of God, too. Taught badly, and neglectful of God's word, and blinded by their sin, they have little awareness that they are actually double-minded and far from the life of communion with God that they could have. Many believers have no idea who they are in Christ, what their spiritual inheritance in him is; and so, they live as spiritual paupers, though they are co-heirs with Christ. For all of these reasons (and many others) the born-again believer, truly indwelt by the Holy Spirit, may not bear the "Fruit of the Spirit," but live in spiritual and moral squalor, ignorant and bound.

And so it is that we read in Scripture of the carnal babes in Christ in the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 3:1); and the believers in Galatia migrating into fleshly legalism (Galatians 3:1-3); and the brethren in the church at Rome ignorant of their co-crucifixion with Christ and so "living in sin that grace may abound" (Romans 6:1-3); and the Ephesian Christians participating in the "unfruitful deeds of darkness" (Ephesians 5:1-13); and the seven churches in the apostle John's Revelation most of which were badly corrupt, complacent, spiritually lukewarm, and fouled by false teaching (Revelation 2-3).

"Positionally".
That is the accommodation for sin.
"Positionally" frees some from the realization that positionally is "actually".
All accommodations for sin are of the devil.

 

[Hopeful]

No, I'm not. And I have God's word in support of this assertion, as I've shown. Like the rest of us, you really have no idea what God's holy perfection is and so cannot claim to live in it. If you were actually living in genuine, holy communion with God, what you would understand more and more keenly with each passing day is just how holy God is and how very far from His holiness you are.

Has that realization made you any more holy than you were after you turned from sin and were washed from your past sins by the blood of Christ?
Start out perfect and build on that !

But you walk in such darkness so long as you claim to have no sin! How amazing your blindness to this is! Yikes.

There is no sin in God, as 1 John 1:5 makes clear.
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
Walking in Him requires us to be free if darkness-sin too.

Darkness in God? Hah! No, there is only darkness in you. And, at present, that darkness is very great, concealing from you the plain truth of God's word.

Can God free a man from walking in sin?

 

[Hopeful]

And that is just one way that many misuse Strong's. Translators have many years of combined relevant knowledge and experience, and to simply discount that and say they are all wrong, when you have no relevant knowledge or experience, is no small thing.


It simply affirms why we need the conviction of the Holy Spirit, so that every sin can be confessed. It is very important to also note that in 1 John 1, John includes himself, the apostles, and whomever else helped in the ministry in everything, as seen through the consistent use of "we" and "our":

1Jn 1:1 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—
1Jn 1:2 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—
1Jn 1:3 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.
1Jn 1:4 And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1Jn 1:5 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.
1Jn 1:6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.
1Jn 1:7 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.
1Jn 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
1Jn 1:10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (ESV)

John certainly seemed to think that he was a sinner, along with every other believer.


Okay, but that has no bearing on 1 John 1:8-10.

Which verse is true?
1 John 1:7's "washed of all sin" or 1 John 1:8's no man can say he has no sin"?
Both are true, when you see that verse 7 applies to those walking in God, and verse 8 applies to those walking in sin.
Those walking in God have had all their past sins washed away by the blood of Christ.
Those walking in sin have not.

 

[Tenchi]

"Positionally".
That is the accommodation for sin.
"Positionally" frees some from the realization that positionally is "actually".
All accommodations for sin are of the devil.

Clearly, you aren't even trying to consider what I'm saying. Why, then, continue to discuss this matter with me? You won't be changing my mind, that's for sure, so I think we'll have to agree to disagree and leave it at that. I certainly have no more I wish to say to you on this topic.

Has that realization made you any more holy than you were after you turned from sin and were washed from your past sins by the blood of Christ?
Start out perfect and build on that !

This is so silly. You have no idea, really, what "perfect" is, objectively and practically. And the idea that you can build on perfection is nonsensical. One cannot add to perfection.

There is no sin in God, as 1 John 1:5 makes clear.
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
Walking in Him requires us to be free if darkness-sin too.

'Round and 'round we go... Your repetition of your erroneous ideas won't alter my views one iota. Only a better handling of Scripture and basic reason than you've offered will change my perspective.

 

[Free]

Which verse is true?
1 John 1:7's "washed of all sin" or 1 John 1:8's no man can say he has no sin"?
Both are true, when you see that verse 7 applies to those walking in God, and verse 8 applies to those walking in sin.
Those walking in God have had all their past sins washed away by the blood of Christ.
Those walking in sin have not.

Both are true but not in the way you say. All these verses apply to believers, including John, the apostles, and whomever else was in ministry with them, as I have shown. To suggest the one verse applies to unbelievers when there is no basis for doing so, does violence to the text. What John means in verse 7 by "cleanses us from all sin," is expanded upon in verse 9 and in 2:1.

1Jn 1:7 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.
...
1Jn 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
...
1Jn 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (ESV)

Note that in 2:1, which clearly ties into what he just said in chapter 1 (it is one continuous letter, after all), John refers to those he is writing to as "My little children." This is not a term for unbelievers, but a term of affection for believers that are likely his spiritual children.

As for those believers who claim they are without sin, John says this:

1Jn 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
...
1Jn 1:10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (ESV)

As I pointed out previously, "we," "our," and "us" are consistent from 1:1. It cannot be more clear that John considers himself and all believers as sinners that need to confess their sins continually before God.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

As for his own ministry, which was to the circumcision, he was not sinning; since he was catering to the weak consciences of his Jewish brothers and sisters even as Paul later admitted he was right in doing (in Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8).

He was not catering to their weak consciences. He was afraid of them.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Are you using Peter's less-than-perfect discretion to justify continuing to knowingly sin?

Absolutely not. Stop automatically hearing that in my argument just because it seems to you that's why other people use the fact that born again people sin to justify their own willful sin.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Peter was in the learning process of what Jesus taught and learning through the Spirit that God was reaching out to the gentiles. Jesus taught the disciples to only reach out to the house of Israel; but now after Jesus was no longer with them for some time, the Spirit was teaching them to reach out to the gentiles. Peter was caught in the middle, as he was a Jew. I'm quite confident that Peter reflected on these things to learn the more perfect way that the Holy Spirit was revealing to him and others

Peter was sinning, plain and simple. And sinning despite the fact he had been shown by Jesus prior to this that the gentiles were clean in the vision he received on the roof top, and that the gentiles were included in the gospel when he preached to Cornelius and his family and they received the Spirit with signs following. So there is no truth to your argument that he was ignorantly, but obediently, operating under Jesus' prior command to not go to the gentiles. But you are certainly correct that this was used by God to teach him to not sin, just as God is doing that for all his born again people.

 

[justbyfaith]

And that is just one way that many misuse Strong's. Translators have many years of combined relevant knowledge and experience, and to simply discount that and say they are all wrong, when you have no relevant knowledge or experience, is no small thing.

rub it in. That is real, Christ-like behaviour.

It simply affirms why we need the conviction of the Holy Spirit, so that every sin can be confessed.

And again, the Holy Spirit convicts "the world",

Jhn 16:9, Of sin, because they believe not on me;

Okay, but that has no bearing on 1 John 1:8-10.

It does.

For it teaches that we are justified when we confess our sin (that we are sinners) and that has a direct bearing on how we should interpret 1 John 1:8-10.

As for those believers who claim they are without sin, John says this:

1Jn 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
...
1Jn 1:10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (ESV)

As I pointed out previously, "we," "our," and "us" are consistent from 1:1. It cannot be more clear that John considers himself and all believers as sinners that need to confess their sins continually before God.

It may be that claiming to be without sin would be to claim that we have not sinned; if you apply the definition to 1 John 1:8 of "without sin" as it is understood in Hebrews 4:15. If that is the case, then 1 John 1:10 is merely re-iterating 1 John 1:8; clarifying what was written in that verse.

Therefore, it is possible that a man may not have indwelling sin; while it would be true that all people have a record of sin; as all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. It does not mean that the person who doesn't claim to be without sin, is bound to sinning in the future; it should be clear from Romans 6:14, Romans 8:12 (kjv, nlt), that sinning in the future, for the believer, is not inevitable.

He was not catering to their weak consciences. He was afraid of them.

It says that he feared them, which is not exactly the same thing as being afraid of them. It could mean that he was considering their scruples and catering to them. Which is in line with biblical obedience on the part of Peter (Romans 14, 1 Corinthians 8).