1 João 3

1 João 3:9

Vernon McGee - "Whosoever is born of God" -- this is the new birth we have been talking about. This is what the Lord Jesus spoke of when He said to a religious ruler, "Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:7). "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin." A child of God is given a new nature, and that new nature does not and will not commit sin. The reason that the prodigal son could not stay in the pigpen is that he was not a pig. He was a son of the Father, and he longed for the Father's house. If you are a child of God, you will want to be in the Father's house, and you will long for it. "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin" -- unfortunately, this gives a wrong impression here. The idea is not just one act of sin; the idea is that he does not live in sin. John has said earlier in chapter 2, "If any man [any Christian man] sin, we have an advocate with the Father" -- the believer will sin. However, John makes it very clear that it is God's will that we live without sin: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not" (1John 2:1). Sin is anything contrary to the will of God, but when sin comes into our lives, John says that we have an advocate with the Father, and "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1John 1:9). Again, John is talking to believers, and he is saying that believers will sin. Therefore, when John says, "Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin," he is saying that that new nature will not continue to live in a pigpen -- never, under any circumstances will it do that. "For his seed remaineth in him." If you are a child of God, you have a divine nature. "And he cannot sin." Why? Because he "is born of God." John is talking about something that is real and genuine. He is not talking about some little profession which you made when you went down to the front of a church and shed a few tears. The question is: Have you been born of God? I believe in the security of the believers, but I also believe in the insecurity of make-believers. It is well for us to take an inventory and to look at our lives. We must examine ourselves and see whether we are in the faith or not. Are you really a child of God? Do you long after the things of God? That is the important thing. Someone might say of this young man who is a homosexual, "He cannot be a child of God." I say that he can be; but if he is a child of God, he is going to give up that sin. A prodigal son ought not to be in a pigpen, and he will not live there. He is going to get out. The day will come when he will say, "I will arise and go to my Father." And his Father is not anywhere near that pigpen -- He is as far from it as He possibly can be. Whosoever is born of God does not practice sin. He does not go on in sin. Whosoever is born of God does not practice sin. He does not go on in sin. When we received a new nature, we did not lose our old nature -- that is the problem. No wonder Paul cried out, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?" (Rom. 7:24). Only the Spirit of God can deliver you, my friend (ED: MEMORIZE Ro 8:13+). If you recognize that you are helpless and hopeless, if some sin binds you down, spoils your life, robs you of your joy, and you are miserable, then may I say to you that He can and He will deliver you -- if you want to be delivered. If you want to get rid of that sin, if you really want to serve Him, if you mean business with Him, He means business with you. "For his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God." (See Thru the Bible Vol. 56: The Epistles 1 John) Jerry Bridges - OUR NORMAL PRACTICE Holiness Day by Day: Transformational Thoughts No one born of God makes a practice of sinning. (1 JOHN 3:9) The apostle John gave us another indicator for knowing we have eternal life: “You may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him” (1 John 2:29). This test can be a tricky one. We might understand John to say that only those who always do what is right are born of God. Though that’s certainly God’s standard for us, obviously none of us measures up to it. Even John himself said, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). When John spoke of “everyone who practices righteousness,” he was thinking of our normal practice, of the dominant direction of our lives. Sometimes our obedience is marked more by desire than by performance. So we have to ask ourselves: Is my life characterized by an earnest desire and a sincere effort to obey God in all that He commands? What is my attitude toward God’s Law? Do I find it to be holy, just, and good? And do I delight in it in my inner being, even though I find my sinful nature struggling against it? (See Romans 7:12, 22–23.) Accompanying our sincere desire to obey God will be a heightened sensitivity to our indwelling sin. Often it’s our increased awareness of sin that causes us to doubt our salvation or to give Satan an inroad into our minds to suggest that “a Christian wouldn’t sin like you do.” But Satan would certainly not suggest such a thought to an unbeliever. Rather, he wants unbelievers to be complacent about their sin. So turn the tables on Satan and your own internal doubts. Ask yourself if those accusations or doubts are not really a sign that you do trust Christ. Bruce Barton - FINDING VICTORY Life Application Study Bible Everyone has areas where temptation is strong and habits are hard to conquer. These weaknesses give the devil a foothold, so we must deal with our areas of vulnerability. If we are struggling with a particular sin, however, these verses are not directed at us, even if for a time we seem to keep on sinning. John is not talking about people whose victories are still incomplete; he is talking about people who make a practice of sinning and look for ways to justify it. Three steps are necessary to find victory over prevailing sin: (1) seek the power of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word; (2) stay away from tempting situations; (3) seek the help of the body of Christ—be open to their willingness to hold you accountable and to pray for you. Octavius Winslow - Daily Walking with God - MARCH 4. - Whoever is born of God does not commit sin; for his seed remains in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 1 John 3:9 Sin dwells in him, but does not govern—it has power, but does not rule— it torments, but does not reign with a continued, unbroken supremacy THESE words have received two interpretations, both of which we believe are equally true. The more general one is, that he who is born of God does not willingly sin, having "put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness," he cannot sin with the full consent and concurrence of the will. He hates it, he fights against it, he resists it. But it may be inquired, is not all sin an act of the will? We reply, not the renewed will. The apostle speaks of two wills in a believer, or rather, the same will under two opposite influences. Thus, Rom. 7:15: "That which I do, I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I." Ver. 19: "For the good that I would, I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." Few will question that Paul here speaks of himself as a regenerate man. And yet he refers to two antagonist principles dwelling in him—the one on the side of holiness, the other on the side of sin. "What I hate, that I do." No man can possibly hate sin, unless he is "born of the Spirit." "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil." And still he says, "what I hate," the sin that is so abhorrent to me—"that I do." Is there volition in the act? True philosophy demands that we reply, "Yes." Every sin must be voluntary; if not so, it cannot be sin. Is there the concurrence and consent of the renewed will in the act? True grace demands that we reply, "No." "For what I hate,"—there is the mark of the regenerate man—"that do I,"—there is the act of the will under the influence of indwelling sin… We beg the reader to mark this great evidence of regeneration. "Whoever is born of God does not commit sin." He does not commit it with the total, absolute, and complete assent (abandon) and concurrence of the renewed will. He does not give himself over to sin "with greediness." He "would do good." He hates sin. Grace reigns, not sin. Sin dwells in him, but does not govern—it has power, but does not rule—it torments, but does not reign with a continued, unbroken supremacy; in accordance with the promise, "sin shall not have dominion over you." (Ro 6:14) It may for a moment triumph, as it did in David, in Solomon, in Peter, and in a host of other eminently holy men; yet still the promise is verified, as we see in the restorings of the blessed Spirit in their spirit and conduct, in their humblings and confessions, and their holy and upright walk with God in after-years. Reader, have you ever been made sensible of the inward plague? What do you know of the warfare within—of "the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh"? (Gal 5:17+) Your honest reply will decide the great question, whether you are born of God. Bill Bright - Can’t Keep on Sinning 1 JOHN 3:9 I am sobered by the thought that, having served the Lord for more than 30 exciting, wonderful, fruitful years, I might yet dishonor His name and bring disgrace to His cause. I know what has happened to other brothers and sisters in Christ—some of whom had been Spirit-filled Christian leaders, and I know that I too could fail the Lord if I do not continue to trust and obey Him. Even the apostle Paul lived in reverential fear that he might dishonor the name and cause of our Lord. So be careful. If you are thinking, ‘Oh, I would never behave like that “So be careful. If you are thinking, ‘Oh, I would never behave like that,’ let this be a warning to you. For you too may fall into sin. But remember this: The wrong desires that come into your life aren’t anything new and different. Many others have faced exactly the same problems before you. And no temptation is irresistible. “You can trust God to keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it, for He has promised this and will do what He says. He will show you how to escape temptation’s power so that you can bear up patiently against it” (1 Corinthians 10:12, 13). For many years it has been my prayer, as I pray on the offensive, “Oh, God, if there is a possibility that I may dishonor or disgrace Your name by becoming involved in a moral, financial or any other kind of scandal that would discredit my ministry and nullify my witness for You, I would rather You take my life first before such a thing could happen.” The Scripture warns all believers that any one of them, too, could fall. No one reaches the place of spiritual maturity or perfection where he can say, “I don’t need the Lord’s help anymore.” The only one who can enable us to live victorious lives is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself Promises: A Daily Guide to Supernatural Living Rick Renner - John writes, “… for his [God’s] seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” The word “seed” is the Greek word sperma—and yes, it is where we get the word sperm. According to this phenomenal verse, God injected His own seed into you the day you gave your life to Christ! Just as the sperm of a human father carries the DNA of that father, God’s seed—the Word of God—carries the life and nature of God within it. When that divine seed was implanted on the inside of you, it imparted the very nature of God Himself to your spirit. See full discussion A True Child of God Cannot Continue To Habitually Practice Sin! Martyn Lloyd-Jones - THE DIVINE SEED 1 JOHN 3:9 Walking with God Day by Day: 365 Daily Devotional Selections The power of sin is not immediately destroyed in us. God has chosen to do this work gradually. This word “seed” is rather significant. Does that not simply mean God’s method and plan in every realm? In the realm of nature you sow the seed, but it may be weeks and months and perhaps years before you get the full bloom. Why does God do it like that? My answer is, I do not know, but that is God’s method; it is His way, and it seems to me that is what we are taught in the Scriptures. We are taught about being “babes in Christ,” we are taught about growing and developing, we are taught about “growing in grace.” John has already dealt with that when he said, “Every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). It is a process, a development, and surely if we do not interpret a section like this in that way, then it means that we are denying what he has already told us in the first chapter: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (verse 8). John’s object in writing is “that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father” (2:1). But why is that if the Christian is immediately delivered and made perfect? This is a great mystery. It is not for us to understand, but we must face the facts. We must realize that experience, the experience of the greatest saints, denies the teaching of sinless perfection, and we see that it is not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture. John exhorts us to strive to purify and cleanse ourselves and to interpret Scripture in our daily lives. We do not just have to submit and resign ourselves in order to be made perfect; we are to understand the Scriptures and their doctrine. We are to see their implication and to implement them in our daily lives. Sinless perfection is not in accordance with the teaching of Scripture. Gregg Laurie - TRUE BELIEVERS Because... - Page 68 ("Only Acting" but essentially same devotional) “Those who have been born into God’s family do not sin, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they have been born of God” (1 John 3:9 NLT) Of the twelve disciples, we envision Judas Iscariot as the one with shifty eyes, lurking in the shadows. While the other disciples wore white, Judas would have worn black. He was the one you would have immediately recognized as the bad guy. But I think Judas Iscariot was the very opposite: a phenomenal actor who came across as an upright man, devout in his faith. As one of the Twelve, Judas had been handpicked by the Lord Himself, but eventually betrayed Him for a few pieces of silver. Judas made the wrong choice to do the wrong thing, even though he had been exposed to so much truth. With his own ears, Judas heard Jesus deliver the Sermon on the Mount. With his own eyes, Judas saw Jesus walk on water. He saw Lazarus raised from the dead. He saw the multitudes fed with the loaves and fishes. He saw the blind receive their sight. He saw it all. He heard it all. Yet he became more hardened in his unbelief. Judas could go deeper into sin because he really never knew Jesus. If you are a true Christian and you begin to compromise, you will sense the conviction of the Holy Spirit. But if you can sin without any remorse, then one must question if you really know God. The true child of God, though still a sinner, simply will not live in a pattern of sin. If you find yourself, as a follower of Christ, immediately experiencing conviction when you start to sin, then rejoice. It is a reminder that you belong to the Lord. Wayne Grudem - Sanctification Has a Definite Beginning at Regeneration (Systematic Theology) THREE STAGES OF SANCTIFICATION 1. Sanctification Has a Definite Beginning at Regeneration A definite moral change occurs in our lives at the point of regeneration, for Paul talks about the “washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5). Once we have been born again we cannot continue to sin as a habit or a pattern of life (1 John 3:9) because the power of new spiritual life within us keeps us from yielding to a life of sin.This initial moral change is the first stage in sanctification. In this sense, there is some overlap between regeneration and sanctification, for this moral change is actually a part of regeneration. But when we view it from the standpoint of moral change within us, we can also see it as the first stage in sanctification. Paul looks back on a completed event when he says to the Corinthians, “But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor. 6:11). Similarly, in Acts 20:32 Paul can refer to Christians as “all those who are sanctified.” (The Greek expression is tois hēgiasmenois, a substantival perfect passive participle that expresses both a completed past activity --they were sanctified-- and a continuing result -- they continue to experience the sanctifying influence of that past action). This initial step in sanctification involves a definite break from the ruling power and love of sin, so that the believer is no longer ruled or dominated by sin and no longer loves to sin. In practical terms, this means that we must affirm two things to be true. On the one hand, we will never be able to say, “I am completely free from sin,” because our sanctification will never be completed (see below). But on the other hand, a Christian should never say (for example), “This sin has defeated me. I give up. I have had a bad temper for thirty-seven years, and I will have one until the day I die, and people are just going to have to put up with me the way I am!” To say this is to say that sin has gained dominion. It is to allow sin to reign in our bodies. It is to admit defeat. It is to deny the truth of Scripture, which tells us, “You also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11). It is to deny the truth of Scripture that tells us that “sin will have no dominion over you” (Rom. 6:14). This initial break with sin, then, involves a reorientation of our desires so that we no longer have a dominant love for sin in our lives. 2. Sanctification Increases throughout Life (Scroll down to page 649 in Systematic Theology) 3. Sanctification Is Completed at Death (for Our Souls) and When the Lord Returns (for Our Bodies) (Systematic Theology) Lehman Strauss - born of God. (1 John 3:9) borrow The Epistles of John Two things are affirmed here—“doth not commit sin” and “he cannot sin.” Who is it that doeth no sin and cannot sin? That which is “born” or begotten of God. If you are born of God you have God’s nature in you (2 Peter 1:4). The divine nature in every child of God is just the same as it is in Christ. Christ was born of God, and because He escaped the sin principle through His supernatural conception apart from a human father, He neither did sin nor could He sin. It is wrong to say that Christ did not sin but could have sinned if He liked. The fact of the matter is He could not sin. The nature of God is so abhorrent to sin, that it is impossible for Him to have any participation with it. You could no more get Christ to sin than you could contaminate the sun by the stagnant water on which it shines. Christ not only did not sin, but He could not sin. Here is one difference between Christ and the Christian. Christ had one nature only; the Christian has two natures. When we became partakers of the divine nature, the old sin nature was not eradicated. The old nature remains unchanged, just as bad as ever, unalterable and unmended. But then too, the divine nature, His Seed, which is Christ Himself, remains unchanged and cannot sin. The word seed is used metaphorically of spiritual offspring, but it also signifies the principle of spiritual life imparted to the believer, and which remains in him unaltered and unalterable. Whenever I as a man, a Christian, commit an act of sin, it is the prompting of the old nature, and no Christian can say that he does not possess the old nature, for, 1 John 3:6,9 God Too the ‘Want To’ “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit (that is, practice) sin; for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9). It is the grace of God working in the soul that makes the believer delight in holiness, in righteousness, in obedience to the will of God, for real joy is found in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ. I remember a man who lived a life of gross sin. After his conversion, one of his old friends said to him, “Bill, I pity you—a man that has been such a high-flier as you. And now you have settled down; you go to church, or stay at home and read the Bible and pray; you never have good times any more.” “But, Bob,” said the man, “you don’t understand. I get drunk every time I want to. I go to the theater every time I want to. I go to the dance when I want to. I play cards and gamble whenever I want to.” “I say, Bill,” said his friend, “I didn’t understand it that way. I thought you had to give up these things to be a Christian.” “No, Bob,” said Bill, “the Lord took the ‘want to’ out when He saved my soul, and he made me a new creature in Christ Jesus.” When we are born of God we receive a new life and that life has its own new nature, a nature that hates sin and impurity and delights in holiness and goodness. Illustrations of Bible Truth by H. A. Ironside, Moody Press, 1945, p. 43 Jerry Bridges - OUR NORMAL PRACTICE No one born of God makes a practice of sinning. (1 JOHN 3:9) The apostle John gave us another indicator for knowing we have eternal life: “You may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of him” (1 John 2:29). This test can be a tricky one. We might understand John to say that only those who always do what is right are born of God. Though that’s certainly God’s standard for us, obviously none of us measures up to it. Even John himself said, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). When John spoke of “everyone who practices righteousness,” he was thinking of our normal practice, of the dominant direction of our lives. Sometimes our obedience is marked more by desire than by performance. So we have to ask ourselves: Is my life characterized by an earnest desire and a sincere effort to obey God in all that He commands? What is my attitude toward God’s Law? Do I find it to be holy, just, and good? And do I delight in it in my inner being, even though I find my sinful nature struggling against it? (See Romans 7:12, 22–23.) Accompanying our sincere desire to obey God will be a heightened sensitivity to our indwelling sin. Often it’s our increased awareness of sin that causes us to doubt our salvation or to give Satan an inroad into our minds to suggest that “a Christian wouldn’t sin like you do.” But Satan would certainly not suggest such a thought to an unbeliever. Rather, he wants unbelievers to be complacent about their sin. So turn the tables on Satan and your own internal doubts. Ask yourself if those accusations or doubts are not really a sign that you do trust Christ. (See Holiness Day by Day: Transformational Thoughts) ILLUSTRATION - H A