laying it on the line

John lays it on the line right from the beginning of his first epistle...

1 John 1 

1 We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, 

whom we have heard and seen. 

We saw him with our own eyes 

and touched him with our own hands. 

He is the Word of life. 

2 This one who is life itself was revealed to us, 

and we have seen him. 

And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life. 

He was with the Father, 

and then he was revealed to us. 

3 We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard 

so that you may have fellowship with us. 

And our fellowship is with the Father 

and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 

4 We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

5 This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: 

God is light, 

and there is no darkness in him at all. 

6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God 

but go on living in spiritual darkness; 

we are not practicing the truth. 

7 But if we are living in the light, 

as God is in the light, 

then we have fellowship with each other, 

and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we claim we have no sin, 

we are only fooling ourselves 

and not living in the truth. 

9 But if we confess our sins to him, 

he is faithful 

and just 

to forgive us our sins 

and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 

10 If we claim we have not sinned, 

we are calling God a liar 

and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.