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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: Hello Ray; I'm not sure I totally agree with MacArthur though he is a bible scholar and I am not. The way I see this is consistant with 1 John 3:9 in that the one that is born of God (the "new man", the "new creation") is incapable of sin and keeps himself from being influenced or corrupted by Satan. It cannot mean that the one born of God keeps himself(the whole man) from sin because 1 John chap. 1 denies this, and we know from our own experience that we do sin, and Paul is clear on that point in the latter part of Romans 7. We have two natures within us that war against each other and we, the whole person, are responsible for choices of our will, whether we choose to obey the new man or the old man. When we yield to the old nature, we sin, when we obey the new man we do not sin. By the way, Paul in Rom. 7:17,20 is describing the new nature ("it is no more I that that do it")and then the old nature, self ("but sin that dwelleth in me"). The "I" in the first part cannot be the same entity as the "me" in the second part, because otherwise he would contrdict himself. He makes the destinction very clear in verse 25 where he says " So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin." What do you think? M. J. Head |