A Greatly Misunderstood Passage of Scripture--Part 1

“No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (I John 3:6-9 NASB). The statement “No one who is born of God practices sin” does not mean that the born-again one does not sin but that he does not practice sin. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world” (I John 1:8-2:2 NASB). “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life” (I John 5:19-20 NASB). If a person is honest, he will admit that he would like to have a better understanding of some of the statements found within the context of these verses.

Every person who has been born of God has been permanently begotten. There are sixty-nine (69) perfect tense verbs, participles, and infinitives in I John. The perfect tense expresses perfective action, completed action with continuing results. In other words, it is completed action with a resulting state of being. It looks at both ends of the action. The action is not going on, but the results are continuing. Therefore, the punctiliar and linear are combined in the perfect tense of the Greek. No part of the Greek language is more important than tense. Therefore, when God does something it is permanent, unchanging, immutable—enduring and Godlike.

Believers go from the starting place as children of God to the goal of being like Jesus Christ by means of progressive sanctification. Sanctification is not perfection, but it concludes with glorification. (See John 1:11-13; I John 3:2-3; John 17:17.)

The subject of sin is prominent in I John. Before one can have assurance of salvation, he must have some understanding of the principle of sin and God’s provision for sin. As a believer, one understands why God prohibits sin. The principle of sin makes it possible to sin, but the committing of acts of sin is prohibited. If this is confusing, then a study of the subject is greatly needed. Two things are affirmed: (1) The one having been born of God (perfect passive participle of gennao) does not live in sin. (2) He cannot live in sin because of the inward principle of life. God is the source of the principle of life. Furthermore, we see the difference between Christ who does not have the principle of sin (John 8:46) and those who have been born of God who do possess the principle of sin, because they have a sinful nature (I John 2:1; 5:16). The believer cannot practice what Christ came to take away.

Sin not only dwells but reigns in the unbeliever. The believer cannot practice what Christ came to take away. The believer’s heart, like the magnetic needle of a compass, may be disturbed by temporary attractions; but it hastens to its resting place (point), which by the inward principle of life it always re-seeks.

The following are evidence of abiding in Christ: (1) Freedom from the power of sin—“No one who abides [meno, present active participle, meaning abide, dwell, continue] in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him” (I John 3:6 NASB). (2) Keeping Christ’s commandments—“And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us” (I John 3:24 NASB). (3) Walking as Christ walked—“The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (I John 2:6 NASB). How did Christ walk? Christ walked submissively according to the truth.

There is a sense in which believers sin. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (I John 1:8-10 NASB).

On the other hand, there is some sense in which Christians cannot sin. It is the sin of apostasy that is in view. “They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, in order that it might be shown that they all are not of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth” (I John 2:19-21 NASB). Thus, the saint does not keep himself from every sin, but the Devil is not able to make him renounce his faith in Christ as Lord and Savior.

Apostasy is making shipwreck of the faith (I Tim. 1:19). It is a return to and being overcome by the world, and this can take place only after a person has escaped the corruptions of the world through a mere mental assent (knowledge) of Jesus Christ (II Peter 2:20-22). There are several steps in apostasy from God: (1) There is a “looking back” (Luke 9:62). Lot’s wife had outwardly left Sodom, but her heart was still there. Compare this with a “side-glance” of the professing believer (John 21:20). (2) There is a “shrinking back” (Heb. 10:38). The demands of Christ are too rigid for some who profess to be regenerated. Contrast this with Hebrews 10:39—“But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul” (NASB). (3) There is a “turning back” (John 6:66). The path of godliness is too narrow for the desires of the flesh. “But there are some of you who do not believe. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who did not believe, and who it was that would betray Him. And He was saying, For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me, unless it has been granted him from the Father. As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew, and were not walking with Him anymore” (John 6:64-66 NASB). (4) There is a “falling away” (Heb. 6:6). Contrast this with the “fall” of the Christian—not the “falling away” of the Christian. Hebrews 6:4-6 says, “For the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame” (NASB).

Apostates fall away, but Christians fall. David said, “The steps of a man are established by the LORD; and He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong” (Ps. 37:23-24 NASB). Paul said, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man, and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry” (I Cor. 10:12-14 NASB).

When one contrasts “falling away” with “falling,” he sees that “falling away” describes a nonbeliever, and “falling” portrays a believer. Biblically, one cannot apply “falling away” to a Christian, because that would involve God’s grace. That would require God’s grace to change its living nature—immutability to become mutable, faithfulness to become unfaithfulness, and grace not to be able to finish what it starts. Everything God starts is brought to a completion. Thus, Paul said, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6 NASB).

The following interpretations are given for consideration: 1. Some say, “The believer is not under law (Rom. 4:15; 6:14).” Their comment—“There can be no sin where there is no law.” Romans 4:15—“For the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there violation.” Romans 6:14—“For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.” Answer—According to the texts, it is not where the Christian is positionally, but where he is conditionally. John’s opponents were severely maligning him, distorting his message of grace. John is not talking about sinless perfection (I John 1:8). Anyone who believes in sinless perfection is deceived. 2. Some say, “It is only the new nature that does not sin.” Answer—John is not emphasizing the new nature, but a person “who is born of God” (I John 5:18 NASB). Who is responsible for sin—nature or person? Do you remember what the man convicted of a crime told the judge? He said, “Judge, it was my old nature alone that sinned.” The judge replied, “I sentence the old nature to ten years, and since the new nature cannot be separated from the old nature, you will still have to serve ten years for your crime.” 3. Some say, “John has his eyes on the future state of glory (I John 3:1-3).” Answer—True believers cannot practice what Christ came to take away by His death, burial, and resurrection. John does not deny the fact that Christians sin (I John 1:8; 2:1). Furthermore, I John 3:7 reveals the character of true believers in Jesus Christ. He said, “Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (NASB).