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NASB | 1 John 3:9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | 1 John 3:9 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. |
Subject: One born of God cannot sin? |
Bible Note: This subject of sin in a believers life is tied to the doctrine of the two natures that results from the new creation. (Ro 6:6 ; 2 Cor 5:17 ; Eph 2:15; 4:22-24 ; Col 3:9,10) Believers do indeed sin. 1 John 1 establishes that. The question is , what is the origen of that sin? Paul in Romans 7 states that "it is no longer I that do it (sin), but sin that dwells within me". And at the end of the passage he makes a very important statement; "so then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin". Paul is not talking here as an unbeliever but he is describing the conflict within a believer between the new man (himself) and the old man(the flesh) . To anwer your question, no, free will does not stop at salvation. Yes, we are capable of doing the the wrong thing willfully. And that is the point that our will is what chooses to do what the new man desires or what the old man wants. Sin resides with the old unregenerate flesh (old man) that was born of our mother. There is no sin in the new man that was born of God. When we sin , we yield (the will) to the lusts and temptations that come from the old nature or come through the old nature from the world around us. I believe that the KJV has 1 John 3:9 and 5:18 translated correctly |