1

1 John 3:9 says:

"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." (NKJV)

The verse appears to say that it is IMPOSSIBLE for Christians to sin (those who are born again). Yet John already made clear in 1 John 1:5-10 that Christians will sin, but when we do we can find forgiveness in Jesus if we confess our sins to God.

My first question is: why the apparent contradiction?

Secondly, if John means that the new creation cannot sin, perhaps he's saying that even though the new creation cannot sin, the old nature nonetheless continues sinning. If this is the meaning, this leads to the second question:

If the new creation cannot sin, does this mean that someone who's born again can NEVER end up lost because, having been born again, he (his new creation part) can never grieve or offend God? No matter what heinous sins he might fall into, it is never his 'real' self which is sinning, but his old nature; but his old nature is not the part of him that's 'saved', it's the new man, born of incorruptible seed which is saved?

Alternatively, if salvation is only guaranteed if someone abides in Christ and continues in faith then perhaps it's possible for the new creation to die if it doesn't continue in faith?

Marisa
  • 747
  • 2
  • 8
  • 20
  • Please [edit] this to quote from your preferred translation. And are you really asking a question here, or are you trying to argue your position? – curiousdannii Apr 05 '16 at 12:53
  • Hello Curious dannii, no I'm not trying to argue my point because I don't have a point on this issue. I'm on the fence! I've started a personal Bible study to try and find out the truth but I see how certain verses can be applied to both views. I was hopeful that Greek scholars or others who are more familiar with the 'sum' of God's Word could shed light for me. Perhaps it's possible for the new creation to die if it continues in unbelief. In which case, a Christian could lose salvation, and 1 John 3 8-9 wouldn't teach unconditional eternal security. I really don't know. That's why I'm asking. – Marisa Apr 05 '16 at 15:30
  • @Marina Sorry, when I first read your question yesterday I thought your questions were rhetorical. It's much clearer now thanks! – curiousdannii Apr 05 '16 at 23:51
  • 3
    See also: How should we understand “he cannot sin” in 1 John 3:9? and In 1 John 3:6, is “keeps on sinning” a good translation of ἁμαρτάνει?. – Susan Apr 06 '16 at 17:54
  • @Susan: Isn't this indeed a duplicate of How should we understand "he cannot sin" in 1 John 3:9?? –  Apr 06 '16 at 18:51
  • @Simply I tend to think so, but I can't vote so I've got one hand tied behind my back and a hammer occupying the other.... – Susan Apr 06 '16 at 19:04
  • @SimplyaChristian I followed the 2 links posted by Susan and notice they were uploaded a year ago. I didn't know they were there until pointed out just now. But even if my question duplicates one from years earlier, isn't it good to keep the current duplicate since new members are unlikely to have seen the first posting and it's possible that new members might add additional and maybe even better answers? – Marisa Apr 06 '16 at 19:44
  • @Marisa You may want to start a bounty. :) – Paul Vargas Jun 09 '16 at 18:50
  • Let's just say that if a person genuinely desires to follow Christ and His Gospel, a change should eventually become palpable. Perhaps this change might not happen suddenly, or with great ease, but it will happen. – Lucian Aug 01 '17 at 16:07

0 Answers0