THE BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER AND SIN (1 John 3:4-10) PART 4

John makes two points:

(1). A true Follower of Messiah does not and cannot live in sin because YAHWEH’S seed is in him and he is born of Elohim (God) (3:9).

Verse 9 has generated a lot of confusion and controversy.

It’s one thing to say that no one who is born of YAHWEH practices sin, but then John goes farther and states that he is not able to sin! I’m sure that my experience is like yours: I feel quite capable of sinning and years of walking with the Redeemer Master has not lessened my ability! So, what does John mean?

Here are some principles to guide us. First, we must assume that John did not contradict himself or any other New Covenant (Testament) writer. He has said (1:8),

“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.” He said that he is writing so that we may not sin, but then he adds (2:1), “and if anyone sins, we have an advocate with the Father, Yahshua Messiah (Christ) the righteous.” He would not have written those words if believers were incapable of sinning.

Second, John’s main concern is not to delve into some deep theological discourse, but rather to be pastorally practical. He does not want his flock to be deceived by the heretics, whose errors lie behind the apostle’s words. Verse 10 is crucial to understanding the entire passage:

John wants us to be able to identify the children of YAHWEH Elohim and the children of the devil by observing their behavior. To do that, he again paints in black and white, with no gray areas. His point is that those who are truly born of YAHWEH Elohim practice righteousness; those who are of the devil (the only other category) do not practice righteousness.

There have been many different attempts to explain verse 9. Some have said that John means that believers cannot commit terrible sins, such as murder or what the Catholic Church labels “mortal” sins. But, clearly, John does not specify sins, and besides, believers are capable of committing such sins.

Others draw a distinction between the old and new natures of the believer and argue that the new nature is incapable of sinning. While this may be true, it clearly is not John’s meaning here. The heretics could have used this to argue, “I’m not sinning; only my old nature is!” But in verse 10 John says that by observing the person’s behavior, we can tell whether he is a child of YAHWEH Elohim or of the devil. He is talking about a whole person sinning, not just his nature.

Some holiness teachers think that the verse is teaching the possibility of attaining sinless perfection. They say that if you learn the secret of abiding in Messiah, you will live without sin. While that may be so, John does not attribute the believer’s not sinning to the abiding life, but to the fact that he has been born of YAHWEH Elohim. This is true of every believer, not just those who have attained it.

Some say that John means that believers cannot sin willfully or deliberately. But, both experience and Scripture show that believers are quite capable of willful, deliberate sin!

The key question in interpreting this verse is whether John is speaking about committing individual acts of sin, or is he talking about sin as a way of life? John uses the present tense throughout this section, and while the Greek present tense does not necessarily emphasize continuous action, it certainly allows for it. In 3:8, when John says,

“the devil has sinned from the beginning,” the verb is present tense. Clearly, he means, “From day one and persisting ever since, the devil is characterized by sinning.” Thus, when John says that those born of YAHWEH Elohim do not practice sin and that they cannot sin, he means that it is impossible for a child of YAHWEH to persist in a lifestyle marked by sin.

The reason for this is not only that he has been born of YAHWEH Elohim, but also that Elohim’s seed abides in him. This refers to the new life that Heavenly Father imparts to those He begets as His children. That word picture is helpful in understanding John’s meaning.

When you plant a seed in the ground, it does not sprout, grow and bear fruit in a day. It takes time, cultivation, water, and sunshine. Or, to use the human analogy, when a husband’s sperm unites with his wife’s ovum, new life begins. But it takes nine months before birth, and after that it takes years to grow to maturity. But, if life is present, it affects everything. It is impossible for a normal child not to grow.

So John is not talking about sinless perfection, but rather about the direction of the life of a believer. If the Heavenly Father has imparted new life to you and me, so that we have become His child, we cannot go on living in sin. When you do fall into sin, you will recognize that you cannot go on in it. The Heavenly Father will convict us of it and we will repent and walk in righteousness.

A pig and a sheep may fall into the same mud hole, but there is a difference. The pig will love it and wallow in it, because that’s its nature. The sheep will want to get out and avoid that mud hole the next time, because it has a different nature. If YAHWEH’S seed abides in us, we cannot wallow in the mud. If you like it in the mud and don’t want to get out, you may need to ask whether you truly have been born of YAHWEH Elohim.

NEXT. . . (2). The children of YAHWEH Elohim and the children of the devil are distinguished by the practice of righteousness and love (3:10).