1 John 3:6 (NKJV) 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
A few years ago, we received an email from someone who had read one of our daily devotionals. That devotional had covered the topic of sin and the believer, and they had written back to tell us that what we had said about sin was untrue, and that Christians are incapable of sinning.
They told us that once a person is a follower of Christ, they are no longer capable of sinning.
While this isn’t a widely held belief, we wanted to write about it today to clear up any misconceptions when it comes to this idea.
The verse above states that “whoever abides in Him does not sin”. It is this verse and other similar scriptures that are part of the doctrine that says it is impossible for believers to sin.
The problem with that idea is that the verses used to back it up are taken grossly out of context or badly misunderstood.
In 1 John 3:6, above, John is referring to habitual sin, not just a single incident. In Chapter 1, verse 8 he clearly states that believers do sin, and that anyone who says they don’t is deceived.
1 John 1:8 (NKJV) 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
John’s goal in 1 John 3:4-10 is to combat false teachers of that time who were saying that sin doesn’t matter because it’s simply our flesh doing what it is supposed to do. They believed that flesh is bad, and since we live in fleshly bodies, we are destined to live lives of continual, habitual sin.
What these people miss is the fact that when we become a child of God (born of God), He gives us a new nature.
That new nature is Holy Spirit-driven, meaning that we will now be convicted if we contemplate sin or are faced with any temptation that can lead us into sin. No, we will not be perfect in following His leading. But as we grow, our tendency to sin will become less and less.
What John is teaching here is good for all of us to consider. Sin will entice each and every one of us. It’s a fact of life.
But what isn’t a fact of life is that we are powerless to fight it off. On the contrary, we are very well equipped to fight it off. God’s word tells us so many, many times.
We are told to resist the devil and he will flee (James 4:7). We are told that we are never tempted without God providing a way out, and that no temptation is more than we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13).
So, as believers, it’s important for us to understand this. Habitual sin in the life of a believer, with no remorse, and no efforts on the person’s part to stop it, is not what God expects, and it is not a true reflection of what the life of a believer should be.
In fact, John himself stated very plainly at the end of the verse above (1 John 3:6), that whoever sins (habitually and without remorse), has neither seen Him or known Him.
Very sobering words, for sure. And words that we need to weigh carefully in our own lives.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808
401-315-0902
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