1 John 3
Devotional
Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
– 1 John 3:9
This is a verse that is challenging for some. It has caused some within more charismatic expressions of the faith to say that truly born-again Christians never sin, after conversion. Such would be a wonderful reality, if it were true. But it certainly does not fit with my experience, and that of (really) every Christian.
So what does it mean “Whoever has been born of God does not sin?” It’s certainly not always the case, but here is one of those places where knowing even a little bit of the original language (Greek), or at least knowing how to use the freely available word study tools, is helpful. Helpful because the words “does not sin” in the original language (specifically the verb “to do”) is in the present, active, indicative in the Greek. This is important because that form of the verb would rightly be interpreted as indicating a person who is presently, actively and habitually continuing in sin. If you’re born-again, you won’t do that.
Helpful Resources
Enduring Word Commentary with Pastor David Guzik
Read the Scriptures at Bible.com
Download the YouVersion Bible App
Additional Daily Devotionals
My Utmost for His Highest | Oswald Chambers
Morning & Evening | Charles Spurgeon
