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NASB | Romans 6:6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 6:6 We know that our old self [our human nature without the Holy Spirit] was nailed to the cross with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin. |
Subject: Two Natures or One? |
Bible Note: Greetings Newwine! By the way, welcome to the forum! I am always willing to listen to someone's take on Scripture. :-) I am very familiar with 1 John 3:9. Here is my take on it. This is the only verse in all of the Bible that seems to say that it is impossible for a Christian to sin. That fact alone makes it quite unusual. Does it really mean what it appears to say? Consider the context. John has just commanded believers not to sin (2:1), but he also argues that if they do, they have an advocate with the Father. Thus, it would appear that sin is a possibility for a Christian even as obedience is a possibility. In 1 John 1:9, he writes to Christians that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If it were no longer possible for a Christian to sin, why would John say this? Paul, in Galatians 5, Romans 6, and Romans 8, deals with our need to walk according to the Spirit so that we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. So, evidently, it is possible for a Christian to sin. So, how does 1 John 3:9 fit into the picture? The answer is found in the tenses of the verbs. 1 John 3:9 literally reads, "everyone who has been born (perfect tense) from the God sin not he does (present tense), because seed of him it abides (present tense), and not he is able (present tense) to sin, because from the God he has been born (perfect tense)." The present tense speaks of present, continuous action. Thus, this verse is not speaking of an occasional act of sin. It is speaking of an habitual pattern of sin. No one living a pattern of sin can be said to be born of God (See 1 John 3:6). This truth would mesh with what Scripture says elsewhere about the Christian life. Consider Gal. 5:16 - " So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Yet, in the first verse of Gal. 6, Paul writes: "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." This is why I said that Scripture never says that it is 'impossible' for a Christian to sin. However, it is possible for a Christian not to sin. There is a difference. Thanks for the response my friend! Your Brother in Christ, Tim Moran |