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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: Bad Dog :: The sense conveyed throughout John's first epistle is not that the redeemed leads a life of complete cessation of sin but a life that is not characterized by sin. Proof of John's thinking on the subject lies in 2:1: "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin." He continues by opening the possiblity of sinning and offering the remedy: "And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." ..... John continues to expand on the topic in 2:4: "and He Himself [Christ] is the propitiation for our sins [John was writing to regenerate believers]; and not to ours only, but also for those of the whole world." Propitiation refers to the turning away of God's wrath [see also 4:10]. The holiness of God demands punishment for man's sin; therefore, God, out of love [John 3:16], sent His Son to make substitutionary atonement for the believer's sin, thus propitiating [satisfying, appeasing] the wrath of God against the Christian's sin, turning it away and directing it towards Christ, who, on the cross, finished the work that He came to earth to do. ...... To interpret John's epistle to mean that disciples of Christ always live absolutely perfect and sinless lives renders Christ's words in Matthew 6:12 meaningless: "Forgive our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors." A man who has no sin has no reason to pray for forgiveness. And we should bear in mind that Christ's words of instruction on prayer were given for the benefit of regenerate believers, His disciples. --Hank |