Those Who Have Been Born Again Do Not Continue to Sin.
Reprinted with permission from Faith Pulpit, November/December '05
Four views that appeal to this verse
1. The works-righteousness view
This view teaches that 1 earns or keeps salvation past practiced works, and thus that the person who chooses to sin has forfeited any right to heaven. This view contradicts the Bible's clear educational activity on salvation as God's gift through organized religion (Ephesians 2:8-9), purchased for united states not by our works simply by the cede of Christ upon the cross (Romans 3:24-25, 2 Corinthians 5:21, one Peter 2:24).
two. The instantaneous sanctification/Wesleyan view
This view states that information technology is possible for a believer to take an experience following conversion in which the principle or root of sin is removed and replaced by love for God. 1 John 3:9 does non back up this view just, rather, argues confronting a 2d work of grace past implying that one who sins has never been born of God.
3. The progressive sanctification/perseverance view
This view recognizes that believers occasionally sin but argues that, considering they have been regenerated, it is impossible for believers to habitually practice sin. This view has much to commend it but is not entirely satisfactory upon consideration of a literal rendering of the poetry (run into Five Factors, ane. The text).
4. The sinless seed/new nature/Holy Spirit view
This view argues that it is not the believer who is sinless but rather God'south seed that remains in each believer. This view has much to commend information technology besides just is not entirely satisfactory considering it fails to distinguish in this verse between God'south seed and the one who has been begotten of God.
Determination: none of these views is completely satisfactory. I believe a right understanding of poetry 9 must incorporate elements from both of these last two views.
Five Factors to consider in developing a correct understanding
1. The text: 1 John 3:ix
This writer's literal rendering of this poesy says, "Each one having been begotten (or born) of God does not do sin because His (God's) seed in him remains, and he (or information technology) is not able to sin because He (or it) has been begotten (or born) of God."
two. The context: 1 John 3:4-10
Whoever commits sin as well commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5And y'all know that He was manifested to have abroad our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6Whoever abides in Him does non sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7Niggling children, allow no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just every bit He is righteous. viiiHe who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the start. For this purpose the son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9Whoever has been born of God does non sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not exercise righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not dear his brother. xiFor this is the message that you heard from the first, that we should love one another, 12not equally Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his blood brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's righteous. (NKJV)
3. The identity of the "sin" the verse is talking well-nigh
a. Sin as lawlessness: verse 4. This verse is not describing a failure to obey a item law but the full general attitude of lawlessness.
b. Sin as failure to practice righteousness: verse 6. The present tense of the verb and its participle support the idea that this is non describing an occasional sin but the exercise of sin.
c. Sin as failure to honey one's brother: poesy 10. Most interpretations overlook the fact that oft in one John 3 the "sin" being referred to is actually failure to love one's blood brother (see verses 10-23).
4. The phrase "He [or it] is not able to sin"
In 1 John iii:ix 2 singled-out identities are described: (a) the i having been begotten of God and (b) God'south seed. In sorting out what is being said in this poesy most each of these two things, it should be noted that the 3rd person singular ending on a verb can be translated, "he," "she," or "it."
This existence the case, verse 9 could be interpreted: "Whosoever is born of God does not commit sin …considering he is born of God." The omitted words would refer to God's seed and would explain why the ane built-in of God cannot exercise [poieĊ] sin: "for God'due south seed [which is the Holy Spirit or new nature] remains in him and it [God's seed] is non able to sin."
5. The truth that believers are able to do sin and get enslaved to it.
1 John 1:vii-10 states,
But if we walk in the lite as He is in the lite, nosotros have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses united states from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and merely to forgive us our sins and to cleanse u.s.a. from all unrighteousness. xIf nosotros say that we have not sinned, we brand Him a liar, and his word is non in the states.
Elsewhere in Scripture information technology is articulate that believers tin choose to practice sin. In Romans vi:12-13 Paul admonishes his readers,
Therefore exercise not let sin reign in your mortal torso, that you should obey it in its lusts. thirteenAnd practise non present your members equally instruments of unrighteousness to sin, just present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members every bit instruments of righteousness to God.
Paul's admonition shows that it is possible for a laic to let sin reign in the trunk, but it too shows that it is possible for a believer to decline to let sin reign. And in verses 14-xvi Paul makes information technology clear that, while sin cannot cause God'southward law to send believers to hell, choosing to sin can crusade believers to go enslaved to it. He says,
For sin shall not have dominion over you lot, for you lot are not under the law but nether grace. 15What then? Shall we sin considering we are not under police but nether grace? Certainly not! xviPractise you non know that to whom yous present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you lot obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
Paul'southward admonition, however, does not imply that there is no observable difference in the beliefs of a laic and that of an unbeliever. 1 John three:10 explains, "In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practise righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not beloved his blood brother." But this verse also explains that the primary observable difference between the behavior of a believer and that of an unbeliever involves love (or business for the wellbeing) of other believers. one John three:11-xix supports this understanding.
Conclusion: Because true believers possess God's seed and it is non able to sin, their behavior will be observably different from that of unbelievers. This deviation will exist especially evident in their honey and concern for other believers.
Myron J. Houghton is the Senior Professor of Systematic Theology and managing director of the Master of Arts Theological Studies program at Faith Baptist Theological Seminary. He taught at Denver Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary before coming to Faith in 1983.
Source: https://sharperiron.org/article/1-john-39-%E2%80%93-those-born-of-god-do-not-sin
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