Question on being unable to sin

[kiwiekat]

1 John 3:9 : Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God.

I don't understand why it says we are not able to sin...can someone explain it to me please? Any help is appreciated!

 

[jeffweeder]

hi
John had also said , if we say that we have no sin we decieve ourselves 1jn1:3,..If we say we have not sinned we make god out to be a liar 1:10.
a paradox..There is a difference between sins of weakness and wilful habitual sin. It is a matter of your inner nature .

 

[BBgrey]

Yes. I also agree that there is a difference between habitual sin and sin of weakness. However, I don't think 1 John 1:8-10 (concerning claiming we don't have sin) supports that point. 1 John 1:8-10 is referring to people who say they've never sinned at all.

In the NIV 1 John 3:9 says:
"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him;he cannot go on sinning because he has been born of God."

The book of 1 John is full of statements on this issue. (See 1:6, 2:3-6, 2:29, 3:6-10, 5:18). I wrestled with them too. Here is what I've learned from studying 1 John to figure it out.

John is writing during a time when Gnosticism was starting to influence the church. Gnostics highly valued knowledge to make you "spiritual" but did not really value virtue. As a result, many Christians were adopting these ideas, so there were a lot of "Christians" out there who kept sinful lifestyles and weren't trying to change.

John is trying to communicate that it can't work that way. You're either on one side or the other. A true Christian has the spirit of God in him/her and is not going to be "okay" with sin in his/her own lives. Christians who have truly met Christ can't just go on sinning as if Christ has had no effect on their convictions. The person who just keeps their sinful lifestyle obviously does not really know God.

Those are my thoughts on that verse. I do find it interesting, however that John seems to imply that it is possible for a Christian not to sin. (Notice the "if" in 2:1)

BBgrey

 

[Dmckay]

1 John 3:9 : Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God.

I don't understand why it says we are not able to sin...can someone explain it to me please? Any help is appreciated!

Perhaps it will help your understanding if you look at it this way. It isn't as if a believer CAN'T sin, or John would be contradicting himself when he stated, "If we say we have not sinned we make G-d out to be a liar." And we know that G-d can't lie.

John is speaking about what characterizes our life. Just as when we are first saved we don't automatically become mature believers and perfect reflections of the image of Christ, so too, sanctification is progressive. Whhile we were yet unseved we were slaves to sin and had no freedom to keep from sin. Now we are slaves to righteousness, and not sinning becomes more and more the character of our lives.

Believers are now indwelt by the Holy Spirit of G-d and He is going to make us uncomfortable with sin in our lives. We are slowly being conformed into the image of Christ. Of course, the more receptive we are to the Holy Spirit's guidance in your life the faster you will experience sanctification in you life. The more sway we allow the Holy Spirit to have in our lives the less we will enjoy the fruit of our sin, and the less attraction sin will have for us.

 

[kiwiekat]

Thank you all for your help. I think I just need some time to absorb that concept. I wonder if us Christians can come to the point where they truly become sinless?

 

[Lilly of the Valley]

1 John 3:9 : Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God.

I don't understand why it says we are not able to sin...can someone explain it to me please? Any help is appreciated!

It means not living in continual unrepented sin. Those who truly serve God aren't doing that.

 

[Dmckay]

Thank you all for your help. I think I just need some time to absorb that concept. I wonder if us Christians can come to the point where they truly become sinless?

That will only happen when we are with Jesus. Then we will be free from the presence of sin. Now we are saved from the penalty of sin and the poser of sin in our lives.

 

[WAB]

1 John 3:9 : Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God.

I don't understand why it says we are not able to sin...can someone explain it to me please? Any help is appreciated!

In writing to Believers in the book of Romans, God (through Paul) informs us that "..though [they] were slaves of sin, yet [they] obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." (Rom.6:17,18; NKJV).

So... although the Lord did actually "...set free from sin..." all true believers, yet as the Apostle John points out in 1Jno.1, we all (including John) still have the capacity to sin.

However... as the passage in Romans shows us, it is not mandatory that we sin. Just as with mankind's freedom to accept God's free gift of salvation or reject it, so we choose; sometimes out of long ingrained habit...whether or not to sin. But... Praise the Lord... He has made provision for our failures in 1John 1:9.

 

[WAB]

In writing to Believers in the book of Romans, God (through Paul) informs us that "..though [they] were slaves of sin, yet [they] obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness." (Rom.6:17,18; NKJV).

So... although the Lord did actually "...set free from sin..." all true believers, yet as the Apostle John points out in 1Jno.1, we all (including John) still have the capacity to sin.

However... as the passage in Romans shows us, it is not mandatory that we sin. Just as with mankind's freedom to accept God's free gift of salvation or reject it, so we choose; sometimes out of long ingrained habit...whether or not to sin. But... Praise the Lord... He has made provision for our failures in 1John 1:9.

Should have pointed out that the Believer is to change his habits! Almost impossible generally speaking, but certainly attainable In Christ.

 

[WAB]

Sometimes the Lord does by miracle what we are unable to do even though we want to, or yearn to do... Will not go into detail, but the Lord delivered me from alcoholism at the moment I put my trust in Him for my eternal destiny.

Other failings I have had to really work to overcome, and without exception, when I genuinely trust the Lord, He proves Himself to be the Deliverer!

 

[kiwiekat]

The phrase "unable to sin" still bugs me, hmm...so "to sin" can mean habitually sin by definition or by context? I guess it doesn't really matter, but some unbelievers that I try to talk to would just say this is an "interpretatation" if "to sin" does not mean habitually sin by definition, but by context.

 

[Lilly of the Valley]

The phrase "unable to sin" still bugs me, hmm...so "to sin" can mean habitually sin by definition or by context? I guess it doesn't really matter, but some unbelievers that I try to talk to would just say this is an "interpretatation" if "to sin" does not mean habitually sin by definition, but by context.

It means that by the rest of scripture and common sense. I mean all christians sin...but true christians don't live in continual unrepented sin. So that's how you know that meaning.

 

[holycaveman]

Very good discussion. Alot of great truths so far. I have also been recently looking at john. The sin thing of course to us who are in the flesh, is always a hard thing to grasp. Especially comming from someone so far above us as our Lord. However he knows this.

Its a true statement that we cannot sin. As far as when a believer is walking in the spirit(the Lord) he is not going to be overcome by the adversary(the devil). Because his focus is wholy on ones savior. However when our mind drifts and our flesh takes over we as christians do also have the capasity to sin. Fortunatly we also have a redeemer of sins(Jesus Christ). Which when a christian who is following the Lord, asks for forgiveness of his sin the Lord so forgives!

Awsome prior statement of romans, very good example. Rom 6 slave to sin, rom 7 still slave to sin. Rom 8 now slave to rightousness! Amen. "daily putting to death the deads of the flesh"!

 

[Sinzero]

1 John 3:9 : Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because His seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God.

I don't understand why it says we are not able to sin...can someone explain it to me please? Any help is appreciated!

Hi!
I'm new at CF, but I would like to respond with a question which may help you see the answer you seek.
John makes several statements which seems to be crucial in understanding the message.
Why does John write this letter according to his own words? The answer is writen in the book. There are three parts.
(The part that pertains to the Christians begins in Chapter 2 verse 1)
The first chapter seems to be directed to unbelievers according to verse 3 which states that this is writen so that those that hear and adhere may have fellowship with christians and with the Father and the Son. then he proceeds to explain the massage of salvation to them starting in verse 5-10.
I hope this helps. If you honestly seek the truth, you will find it. The Spirit, not man, will lead you to it.