1 John
1Jo 3:6-10 - Who Sins? Who does not Sin?
by Joe Holder
Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother. (1Jo 3:6-10)
Is it possible for a child of God to live above active sin in his life? Is that John's point here? No, John states his purpose, "In this the children of God are manifest...". How does a person manifest his spiritual identity? The whole context deals with this question. Sadly we live in an age in which many believers attempt to broaden God's family beyond what God teaches in Scripture. They occasionally make near heroes of reckless sinners more than of righteous people. If you were to rephrase this passage to fit the ethical outlook these people posit, it would read, "Whosoever abideth in him continues to sin, but he really feels bad about it."
This lesson has seen many battles over its true intent. We will not settle all the issues here, but we should attempt to establish John's intent and hold to it as nearly as we can. Can anyone realistically interpret these words to mean that John intended us to think that anyone who sins and feels badly about it is a righteous saved person? Whatever the primary meaning of the passage, this cannot reasonably match the language or the context we see here.
First we should attempt to find John's overall balance and teaching in the whole letter. We cannot read the first chapter and think for a moment that John thought anyone, even a child of God, has the ability to attain sinless conduct in this life. Do you really want to make God a liar? How then do we approach and interpret this passage so as to honor it in the immediate context as well as to honor John's message and intent in the first chapter? The most obvious accomplishment of comparing these two lessons will eliminate the idea that John implied that a believer has the ability to attain sinless perfection. We eliminate that view immediately by John's own words in this same letter, first chapter. How then do we interpret this passage so as to honor its intent and to avoid contradicting the first chapter? I will outline two major views and offer reasons for my preference toward one of them.
The first view states that John's intent refers specifically to the "part" of the child of God that is changed in the new birth. In other words the "regenerate part" of the child of God cannot sin. This view is somewhat difficult to prove or to defend. First John did not say a certain part of us cannot sin, but another part of us can. Thus it strains, if it does not outright violate, the direct language of the passage. If John had intended to teach that a certain part of our constitution does not sin, why didn't he use language to make that point more clearly? If that was his intent, he chose poor language to make the point. And this conclusion leads us to raise the same question regarding the Holy Spirit's role in directing the structure of the passage. Do we know better than John and the Holy Spirit who inspired his writing how to say what they jointly intended? The intent in this interpretation may be good, but the interpretation compared with the language strains credibility. And it may question the wisdom of God in the choice of the words He inspired John to use in writing the message. Few Bible believers would question the theological point made in this argument. It is almost certainly true. The question relates to the intent of this particular passage. Is that John's and the Holy Spirit's intent here, given the language structure? Is this the most obvious and concise intent of the words we see in the passage?
The alternate view is articulated well by A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, from the words and verb tense of the actual Greek text. "Sinneth not (ouch hamartanei). Linear present (linear menoôn, keeps on abiding) active indicative of hamartanoô, "does not keep on sinning." For menoô (abide) see 1Jo 2:6; Joh 15:4-10. Whosoever sinneth (ho hamartanoôn). Present (linear) active articular participle like menoôn above, "the one who keeps on sinning" (lives a life of sin, not mere occasional acts of sin as hamarteôsas, aorist active participle, would mean)." Robertson's emphasis deals with a dominant lifestyle either of sin or righteousness. It seems to carry stronger direct support from the original language in which the New Testament was written. It also seems to match obvious New Testament teaching more naturally.
How can a person in whose heart God has written His law continue in a habitual practice of sin? If so, what purpose does God's law written in the heart serve? Isolating this passage from the flowing context of 1John creates much of the problem. A single concise statement (1Jo 3:3) in the context sets the tone of the whole dialogue John develops here. A person who has the hope of verses 1 and 2 will live so as to manifest its impact on his/her life. You can't truly possess this knowledge and remain in the habit of unrestrained or continuous and habitual sin. A person will manifest their spiritual state by actions consistent with that state, not by empty words void of transformed conduct. While the end result of the lesson does not lead to sinless perfection, neither does it permit continuous uninterrupted sin. We manifest our spiritual state first of all by an altered lifestyle that avoids sin. We further manifest our spiritual state by a progression in godliness, what theologians call "progressive sanctification." In other words you will see advancement or progress in the godly conduct of God's children. They will not reach a state of conduct a mere step short of scandal and stagnate there, reasonably satisfied that they are as good as most other believers. Such stagnation manifests lack of a spiritual state with God far more than favoring a gracious state.
For this purpose the Son of God was manifest, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Jesus came to destroy the legal penalty of sin, but that is not John's point here. He was also manifest that He might destroy the actual influence of the devil. That seems more consistent with the passage. Satan's works appear in the life, in actual conduct, of people. If Jesus came to destroy the devil's works, we must conclude that His purpose in this aspect of His coming relates to an ongoing diminishing of sinful works in our conduct. By the intervening work of the Holy Spirit He constantly assaults the devil's influence and deception in our lives. We respond as children of God by following the Holy Spirit's influence and continuously walking more and more away from conduct the devil encourages. To use John's terminology, we manifest that we are children of God through moving constantly away from specific sinful actions and attitudes we formerly allowed in our lives. We grow in grace and in righteous conduct!
His seed remaineth in him. John does not by this reference to the spiritual seed, the spiritual life or nature, justify singling out only the regenerate nature. Rather he clarifies the driving force that will not allow a child of God to practice sinful habits continually. The moral influence of the Holy Spirit in your life is not a fleeting and occasional one, but a constant and progressive one. John did not say that his seed comes and goes, but that it remains. The spiritual life directly and constantly impacts one's conduct and attitude toward sin.
Take a special time this week to assess your spiritual journey over the last several years. Have you allowed sinful sloth to lead you to contentment with this notion that you are as righteous in your personal habits as you need to be? Have you slowed down your spiritual growth because of other factors in your life? We may easily decide to interrupt our spiritual growth for fear that it will demand more from us that we are prepared to give. Do you fear that God's influence in your life, if allowed to continue growing, might interfere with your "fun"? The more we allow such factors to control our life and to dwarf our spiritual growth the more we lose our spiritual vitality. We cease to manifest our spiritual nature to ourselves or to others around us. We cultivate the growth of doubts regarding our personal state with God. We might even reach the point at which we would seek to glorify our doubts rather than glorifying God in our lives. As you identify sinful habits in which you may have compromised your spiritual growth, pray and begin specific activities to confront and overcome those sins. You will clarify your spiritual manifestation in the process. Your joy and contentment will grow, and others will more clearly see Christ in you and know your spiritual state and commitment. No small matter, this question of manifesting our spiritual state.
1Jo 3:11-12 - How do we Love? How do we Show it?