1 John 3:9, John says Christians cannot sin

1 John 3:9 says a Christian cannot sin.


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YeshuaFan

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I'm not talking about that. The flesh is nothing but sin. But in the Spirit we do not need to yield to temptation in thought or deed. If you censor temptation in the thought realm, it remains temptation only, and never becomes sin.
My point is that none can ever get to the place of never sinning again, correct?
 
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LoveGodsWord

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Have you completely eliminated than all known sin ?

I am a sinner and without JESUS I cannot do anything except sin. As I abide in Christ (God's WORD) I can do all things *MATTHEW 15:3-10. God's WORD is the power of creation and salvation as we believe it *EPHESIANS 2:8; JOHN 7:17; JOHN 8:31-36. I have temptation to sin in those sins I know about just like everyone does. By God's grace and walking his His Spirit (the Word of God) I do not continue in these sins because I have given them to JESUS *1 JOHN 1:9 and am now free to walk in his Spirit *GALATIANS 5:16
 
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Dave L

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My point is that none can ever get to the place of never sinning again, correct?
The flesh wars against the Spirit and visa versa. But you can walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. If you are lax, it can get away from you and sin will have its way needing your genuine remorse, confession and repentance.
 
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~Zao~

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Yes, that is why we need to continue renew our minds by reading scripture!
Romans 12:1-3 Positioning oneself as the offering is the renewing of the mind. Our mind is our garden to converse with Him in the shade of the day.

Romans 6:19-22
I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to moral impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification.
 
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Shawn Stuart

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For me I think John is addressing a lifestyle of habitual sin. Not to say that a Christian never sins but to say that he doesn’t willfully commit habitual sin. As we know in other places John clearly states that we cannot be sinless.
 
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LoveGodsWord

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For me I think John is addressing a lifestyle of habitual sin. Not to say that a Christian never sins but to say that he doesn’t willfully commit habitual sin. As we know in other places John clearly states that we cannot be sinless.

There is a difference between being sinless and not knowingly sinning because there is a difference between known sin (sins we know about) and unknown sin (sins we do not know about) *ACTS 17:30; JAMES 4:17. No one is sinless except Christ who we are to follow and grow into. We can be free from the sins we know about today when we believe and follow God's WORD *1 JOHN 1:9; 1 JOHN 3:9. To be sinless means to be without sin (known and unknown sin) and perfect which none of us are without JESUS. In God's eyes through JESUS we are perfect if we have confessed and foresaken the sins God has revealed to us. As we continue in his Word we grow in grace and knowledge, forsaking the sins that God continues to reveal to us. Abiding in Christ God gives us the victory to over come the world, the lusts of the flesh and temptation to sin (known).
 
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The Times

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1 John 3:9 says, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."

What do you say? Do you agree, or disagree? Take the poll.

Read the entire chapter for starters.

Simple test to meet God's criteria is this -

Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

Your thread topic in reference to 1 John 3:9 should be retitled as follows -

If an individual hates anyone in their heart today regardless of whose fault it is then their heart condems them today and they are therefore not born of God and are counted by God as a murderer, does anyone agree?
 
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Bruce Leiter

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1 John 3:9 says, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."

What do you say? Do you agree, or disagree? Take the poll.
That's the trouble with taking one verse out of the context of the chapter, the book, and the whole Bible. Go to 1 John 1:8-10, which seems to be in direct contradiction with this verse. The interpretation I like best of that verse is that sin no longer dominates or controls true Christians. However, as long as we have the sinful nature ("flesh"), that is, until death, we will still have to fight it, as in Romans 7:7-25.
 
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LoveGodsWord

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That's the trouble with taking one verse out of the context of the chapter, the book, and the whole Bible. Go to 1 John 1:8-10, which seems to be in direct contradiction with this verse. The interpretation I like best of that verse is that sin no longer dominates or controls true Christians. However, as long as we have the sinful nature ("flesh"), that is, until death, we will still have to fight it, as in Romans 7:7-25.

The GOOD NEWS of the Gospel of CHRIST is that we have a Saviour that has the power to save us from our sins *1 JOHN 1:9. We do not have to follow sin or the flesh or live in it if we have faith in God's WORD to save us from our sins (known). If we continue in sin (the flesh) we will die. If we walk in God's Spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh *ROMANS 8:12-13; GALATIANS 5:16; ROMANS 8:4; ROMANS 3:31.

1 JOHN 1:8-10 does not contradict 1 JOHN 3:9. It is saying that we are sinful and sinners by nature and need salvation through Christ. This is only possible by being Born again to walk in God's Spirit *1 JOHN 1:9; 1 JOHN 3:9; GALATIANS 5:16
 
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1stcenturylady

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That's the trouble with taking one verse out of the context of the chapter, the book, and the whole Bible. Go to 1 John 1:8-10, which seems to be in direct contradiction with this verse. The interpretation I like best of that verse is that sin no longer dominates or controls true Christians. However, as long as we have the sinful nature ("flesh"), that is, until death, we will still have to fight it, as in Romans 7:7-25.

Do you mind telling me which denomination taught you 1 John 1:8 is a Christian? I'm actually surprised it took a whole 48 posts for someone to come up with that one.
 
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Halbhh

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1 John 3:9 says, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."

What do you say? Do you agree, or disagree? Take the poll.

Best to read the passage, right people? I skimmed through answers to see if someone had posted the complete passage. Didn't see it.

But it helps! Notice the particular wordings of quite a few of the verses for the answer!

1See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, a we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 3All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.

4Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.


Even in verse 2 that's already happening, with the future tense thing. That's also a piece, along with the even more direct and sharp extra pieces in other verses. While it's tempting to only highlight a verse, like verse 6 with "continues", that's not really enough. No, it's not really enough. We need the fullness of all the passage, together as a whole.

And I'm sort of assuming everyone should know the crucial verses in chapter 1 by heart, all 3 of them, 8-10, together.

And... the first verse of chapter 2!

Especially that one.
 
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The Times

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That's the trouble with taking one verse out of the context of the chapter, the book, and the whole Bible. Go to 1 John 1:8-10, which seems to be in direct contradiction with this verse. The interpretation I like best of that verse is that sin no longer dominates or controls true Christians. However, as long as we have the sinful nature ("flesh"), that is, until death, we will still have to fight it, as in Romans 7:7-25.

I agree, that although we are justified of any wrong doing by Christ's works on the Cross, we the subjects of the Cross are required to come before Christ's feet as a broken and contrite heart, as prisoners of Christ on parole who are required to walk through the fires of God in a life long sanctification/rehabilitation process that purges the old man and replaces him by the new creation in Christ and according to his beatidudes.

Many take versus out of context to confuse justification with sanctification within the question of salvation. Justification is a done deal, though many are called and justified in Christ Jesus, yet sanctification is not a done deal and requires a subject of the Cross to finish their race of faith onto death in order that, only the few who stay the course are chosen.

Not every justified subject will permanently attain 1 John 3:9 title as Jesus said be faithful even onto death and I will give you a Crown of Eternal Life.

Many who die with hate in their hearts forfeit their Crown and are not chosen and this means that far few are chosen than the numbers who are justified.
 
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~Zao~

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1 John 2:18-19 also speaks about the anti-christ spirit of those who began but refused to adhere to Christ 1 John 4:3 who is the destroyer of Christianity and who must be set to flight. Confessing Jesus is speaking from a place of unity of Christ revealed thru attitudes of love, sacrifice and commitment. 1 John 4:6-8 The spirit of truth is differentiated from the spirit of error by God’s love in operation. John 13:35 Embracing Christ is to not justify unforgiveness, division and selfish ambition. God’s view of the church is one fused together in Christ’s love, of Christ’s prayers.
 
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The Times

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Human nature and the fickleness of humanity tends to exaggerate one's position in relation to 1 John 3:9, especially when wanting to cover the hate and bitterness people within this generation have towards one another.

They will look at 1 John 3:9 to try and dismiss themselves from the implications of versus exposing justified subjects who hold hate in their hearts for others.

Within this society having a form of godliness and denying the authority of God seems to be the flavor of the day (2 Timothy 3:5-7).
 
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Danielwright2311

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Being born of God is not being a Christian, Jesus was the only one born of God, we are converted Christians forgiven for sin.

How can you be forgiven for no sin??

If Jesus died for sin and there was no sin for the ones born of God then there would be no reason for the death of Jesus.
 
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aiki

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1 John 3:9 says, "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."

What do you say? Do you agree, or disagree? Take the poll.

Disagree with the apostle John? Of course not. But I do disagree with the contortion of his meaning that asserts a Christian never sins. The New American Standard Bible helps to clarify things:

1 John 3:9-10 (NASB)
9 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.
10 By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.


When John wrote the phrase "he cannot sin" in this verse, he had already qualified his meaning by using the present, active, indicative mood of the verb "does" ("poieo" in Greek) which the NASB version correctly renders "practices." The proper sense of "poieo" is that of a persistent and consistent character of living, not an occasional act. When one practices sin, one makes a regular habit of it. John writes, then, not that sin will never occur in a genuine believer, but that the genuine believer cannot make a practice of it. This understanding agrees better with those instances in Scripture that reveal genuine believers committing sometimes gross sin. (1 Corinthians 3:1-3; 1 Corinthians 5; 1 Corinthians 6; 1 Corinthians 11:17-22, etc.)
 
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1stcenturylady

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Being born of God is not being a Christian, Jesus was the only one born of God, we are converted Christians forgiven for sin.

How can you be forgiven for no sin??

If Jesus died for sin and there was no sin for the ones born of God then there would be no reason for the death of Jesus.

Did Jesus die so we could continue sinning, but still go to heaven? That is what some believe.
 
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