In the opening chapter of John’s letter, he wrote:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1.8 and 10).
Chapter 3 appears to contradict what John wrote in the first chapter of his letter.
How do we explain his teaching and apply it to our lives?
We can all agree that John is right when he says, “Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3.4).
The root cause of sin is the belief that we know better than God. Since we think we are better able to provide for our lives, we disregard his guidance.
This behavior is lawless because we live in self-will outside of God’s law.
A Problem Verses
The next verses seem to contradict John’s earlier words in chapter one.
You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him (1 John 3.5-6).
Someone might be tempted to question John and say, “What is it? First, you say if we claim to not sin we are a liar. Now, you say that people who abide in Jesus don’t sin? You can’t have it both ways.”
John doesn’t stop here. He continues with his message about abiding and sin.
Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.
Everyone who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the works of the devil.
Those who have been born of God do not sin because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot sin because they have been born of God (1 John 3.7-9).
One thing is clear. Jesus came to earth to free humans from the power of sin. John states this in verses 5 and 8.
If we read John’s letter in its original Greek, it will be easier to answer our questions.
The tense that John uses for sin refers to a continual action. My paraphrase of John’s teaching about sin is below.
— Verse 6 – No one who abides in him continues in a sinful lifestyle . . . no one who continues in a sinful lifestyle has either seen him or known him.
— Verse 8 – Everyone whose life is characterized by sin is of the devil.
— Verse 9 – Those who have been born of God do not continue in a life of sin because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot continue in a life of sin because they have been born of God.
Look at the bottom portion of the picture where darkness or sin resides.
Since Jesus has set us free from sin, his children will not live continually in sin or the darkness. This is John’s message in chapter 3.
Now, look at the top portion of the light or righteousness.
Just as people who abide in a relationship with Jesus will not live in sin/darkness, neither will they live all the time in the light/righteousness. This is the teaching of the first chapter.
People who live in an abiding relationship with Jesus resemble the wavy line of the picture. The goal is to live a Jesus-kind-of-life, but failures occur.
We all know the up-and-down nature of obedience to God’s guidance. God has made provision for our inconsistencies. Thank God for his grace.
If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1.9).
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I continue our study of 1 John today. Our video can be found on the Bob Spradling YouTube channel.
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