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1 John 3:9 - Being Born Again Is The Death Of Sin.TRANSLATIONS AND PARAPHRASES1 John 3:9 (NIV) No 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. 1 John 3:9 (NLT) Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God. 1 John 3:9 (ESV) No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God's seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 1 John 3:9 (AMP) No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because God's seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again - who is reborn from above - spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him. 1 John 3:9 (CWB) No one who has been born of God will continue living a sinful life because he's been changed by the power of the Holy Spirit. He doesn't keep on living sinfully because it's not consistent with his new nature. 1 John 3:9 (TLB) The person who has been born into God's family does not make a practice of sinning because now God's life is in him; so he can't keep on sinning, for this new life has been born into him and controls him--he has been born again. CONTEXT Deliberate sin is a serious thing. When you deliberately sin, you grieve the heart of the Father who loves you and has a wonderful future planned for you (vv. 1-3). You grieve the Savior who died for you and delivered you from the power of Satan (vv. 4-8). Deliberate sin grieves the Holy Spirit who lives in you and gave you new birth (vv. 9-15). You have a new nature and a new Father; therefore, you should live a new life. To John, lack of love is the same as hatred; and hatred is the moral equivalent of murder (Matt. 5:21-26). Deliberate sin also grieves God's people (vv. 16-24) because we cannot minister to them as we should if we are not walking in love and in the light. Strive to have a heart that is right before God and men (Acts 24:16). Ask God to use you to be an encouragement and help to others (James 2). Love is more than a matter of words (v. 18). [Chapter by Chapter Bible Commentary by Warren Wiersbe] INTRODUCTION There is a difference between committing a sin and continuing to sin. Even the most faithful believers sin, but they do not cherish a particular sin or continually choose to commit it. A believer who commits a sin can repent, confess it, and find forgiveness. A person who deliberately continues to sin, by contrast, is not sorry for what he or she is doing and does not repent of it. Thus, this person never confesses their sin and never receives forgiveness. Such a person stands in opposition to God, regardless of his or her religious claims. We all have 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 the present 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; and (3) seek the help of the body of Christ, being open to their willingness to hold you accountable and to pray for you. "They can't keep on sinning" means that true believers do not carelessly or purposely continue to sin, nor do they become indifferent to God's moral law. All believers still sin, but they are working consciously to gain victory over sin. We are "born into God's family" when the Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us Jesus' new life. Being born again is more than just having a fresh start; we experience rebirth and receive a new family name based on Christ's death for us. When this happens, God forgives us and totally accepts us, and the Holy Spirit gives us new minds and hearts, lives in us, and begins helping us become like Christ. Our perspective changes, too, because the Holy Spirit renews our minds day by day (see Romans 12: 2; Ephesians 4: 22-24). Because of this, we will begin to think and act differently. (For more on being born again, see John 3: 1-21.) [Life Application SB 2019] COMMENTARY At first reading you may wonder how to interpret this verse because you know that you sin every day. And you will continue to battle sin, as does every believer. So what does this verse mean? The key is in the phrases "practice of sinning" and "keep on sinning." John is telling all Christians that, because they have the Spirit of God within them, they should not make a habit of sinful actions or thoughts or become indifferent to God's moral law. All believers sin, but they are working to gain victory over sin by overcoming temptation and becoming more like Christ. They shouldn't continue to fall into the same temptations over and over if they are truly new creations in Christ. When you became a, Christian, God forgave and accepted you into his family, and the Holy Spirit began to help you become more like Christ. When a difficult situation arises, ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?" Using the knowledge you have gained from reading the Bible you should have an insight into how best to obey God. [The One Year Bible for New Believers] I remember when I was in grade school I had to do an experiment growing a lima bean. I guess education hasn't advanced all that much, because now, 50 years later, the nine-year-old in our house has grown a lima been too. But what's interesting is that, the sprouting plant will always grow toward the sun. Somehow the life of the bean is drawn toward the light. You can turn the plant around, even lay it on its side. Whatever you do, the sprout will orient toward the sun. That's what John was saying about us when he wrote, "No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning" (v. 6). The NIV captures the vital tense of the verb. It's not that a Christian never sins. It's that believers will not "keep on sinning." John said the reason is that God's seed - the principle of divine life - has been planted in our personalities. God's life within us grows in the direction of godliness. His life is oriented toward purity. And if God's life really is in us, there will be a definite tilt toward what is right, and away from sin. Anyone may sin at times, and in all likelihood will. But you can still tell the DIRECTION in which a person is growing. And so can everyone else! [The 365-Day Devotional Commentary] The Problem of Habitual Sin If we were walking the dusty roads of Israel with Jesus and came upon the man known as Judas Iscariot for the first time, he might not be what we had expected him to be. At first blush, we might even think that he was a stand-up guy. We might believe that he was devout, deeply religious, and very concerned about others. And we would have been shocked upon discovering that he was the one who betrayed the Lord. That's because Judas was an incredible actor. He was a performer. He knew how to talk the talk, but he certainly didn't know how to walk the walk. Yet Judas had no excuse. He had the privilege of spending a number of years with God incarnate. He would have been fully aware that Jesus was never hypocritical or inconsistent in any way, shape, or form. He saw Jesus live a flawless life. Yet Judas did not believe. And not only that, he turned against Jesus and sold Him for 30 pieces of silver, the price commonly paid to purchase a slave. Judas was able to do the wicked things that he did because he never really knew Jesus. Sure, he knew about Him. In fact, he knew about Him more than most people did. But he never personally knew Jesus. Judas's life could be summed up by this statement about him: "So he went his way" (Luke 22:4 NKJV). He lived the way that he wanted to live. If you can habitually commit sin without any remorse, that's a clear indicator that you don't know God. There are a lot of people running around today saying, "I'm a believer. I'm a follower of Jesus." Yet, if they can persist in sin, something isn't right. The Bible doesn't say that a Christian won't sin, only that a Christian won't habitually sin. [Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries; https://www.harvestdaily.com] LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 1 John 3:9 - Being Born Again Is The Death Of Sin. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2007/20071206-0752.html Galatians 2:20 - Dying to Self and Living for Christ. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250330-1352.html Luke 9:23 - MORE OF JESUS. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2025/20250624-1531.html James 4:7, 8 - How To Deal With Temptation. https://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190823-0932.html LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT https://abible.com/links/ |