During the 1970’s to be “born again” became something of a fad. We had a “born again” President, “born again generals, “born again” professional athletes, “born again” entertainers, and “born again” convicts. We even had the “year of the evangelical” in 1976. It seemed for a while that everyone was claiming to be an evangelical Christian. But like all fads, this one too went stale. The “Moral Majority” of Jerry Falwell was followed by Pat Robertson’s “Christian Coalition.” The nineties brought the moral scandal of televangelists Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart and the financial scandal of Oral Roberts. The public grew weary of born-againers, and the label receded into the background, though not before being trivialized beyond recognition. A low point was perhaps reached when one of the soaps carried the line, “Oh, Sally (or Jane or whatever the name was), don’t tell me now you’re born again too!” – as though nothing worse could be said.

Nevertheless, the Bible says of genuine Christians that they have “been born” again. The theologians speak of the doctrine of “regeneration.” Those who were dead in trespasses and sins are made alive in Christ (Eph 2:1-5). We are “born again to a living hope” (1 Pet 1:3). Jesus said,

"Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. . . . That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again.’” (Jn 3:3,6,7)

We must be born, “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (Jn 1:13).

By this second birth we become members of God’s family. We become His children by adoption, as we’ve seen. God’s adoption includes elements of what we identify with natural birth. The application of the benefits of Christ’s redemption in the ordo salutis begins with the “effectual call,” or regeneration, followed by justification by faith and adoption. We are “born of God,” that there might be a transformation of our nature. Through regeneration we are made to take on the nature of our adoptive Parent, our heavenly Father. This has dramatic implications for Christian life and living. It is these implications that John will elaborate on right through to 5:13.

The Apostle John’s point in our current text is that those who are children of a righteous God practice righteousness. He is expanding upon what he first said in 2:29:

If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone also who practices righteousness is born of Him. (1 Jn 2:29)

We may look at his teaching under four headings: 1) righteousness is necessary in light of our new nature (3:9,10); 2) . . . in light of what sin is (3:4); 3) . . . in light of sin’s destiny (3:5,6); 4) . . . in light of sin’s author (3:7,8).

New Nature

We begin by looking at the last two verses of our passage.

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. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (1 Jn 3:9,10)

The outlook of these two verses underlies the whole passage. One who is “born of God” has the perspective and practice concerning sin that God has. The child of God does not “practice sin.” He does not sin as a way of life. Why? “His seed abides in him.” God has done something decisive within us. His “seed” has been planted in our hearts. Internal change has taken place. The “seed” may be taken as a reference to “God’s nature,” as the RSV translates it, planted within us by the word and Spirit. “Seed,” says Morris, “emphasizes the fact that there is a divine power at work in the believer.”1 The Apostle Peter writes,

for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and abiding word of God . . . And this is the word which was preached to you. (1 Pet 1:23,25b)

The “living and abiding word of God” is the “seed” by which we are “born again,” in the Apostle Peter’s usage. Elsewhere we are said to be born of the Spirit (Jn 3:5,6,8). The children of God are those who have had the divine nature or principle planted within them. They are born of God. The implications of this are clear, as they are for any other kind of birth.

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (1 Jn 3:10)

The differences between the children of God and the children of the devil are “obvious.” Each resembles his parent. One born of a cat has the nature of a cat. One born of a dog has the nature of a dog. One born of white, black, or yellow racial parentage can immediately be identified. Likewise, one born of God has the nature of God. What is God’s nature? Righteousness! “He is righteous” (v 7). Think of a fish swimming happily in its watery environment. What if its nature were transformed? What if it were given lungs and legs? Throw it back into the sea and it will find that watery environment now inhospitable and undesirable. It will want out. This is what happens to those who have the seed of God placed within them. The watery environment of sin and rebellion is no longer hospitable and desirable. We want the air and solid ground of God’s kingdom. We want the environment that suits our new nature. The seed of righteousness is planted in the believer’s heart. Therefore, one born of God seeks righteousness and flees sin. He seeks what is right. He is holy because God is holy. The family character is holy, and so the children born into the family have that character: they are holy. Conversely, “anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God” (3:10)

The Apostle John is so convinced about this that he uses absolute categories in his descriptions of our righteousness. Verse 9 says, “No one who is born of God practices sin . . .” The word “practices” is literally “does.” “No one who is born of God does sin,” or “Everyone who is born of God does not sin.” Even stronger is the next statement, “and he cannot sin.” This statement, along with those in verse 6, have misled some and confused others:

No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. (1 Jn 3:6)

What does he mean?

1. Some have taken him in the absolute sense. They have understood him to mean that Christians do not sin, ever. Different “perfectionist” groups have claimed this verse for support. It is possible to lead a sinless life they say. A guest lecturer at the seminary I attended announced that he hadn’t sinned for over 20 years. The only way a person can say such a thing is to define sin in a restricted sense – say, as “conscious sin.” However that is not an adequate definition of sin. The Apostle John says sin is “lawlessness,” or any violation of the law and will of God. God’s law includes our thoughts and motives. It includes sins of omission, what we fail to do as well as what we do. It includes any instant when we fail fully to love God and our neighbor. It cannot mean that we never sin. The Apostle has already said,

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 Jn 1:8)

Are we to think that John contradicts himself within a matter of a few verses? Surely he does not mean that Christians never sin.

2. Others have taken his words in an idealized sense. They have understood him to be speaking in terms of ideals – ideally the Christian does not sin. Sinlessness is our goal. It is our ideal. But it does not explain his saying we “cannot” sin. That is not an ideal. It may be idealistic to say, “A Christian doesn’t sin,” in the sense that a parent may tell his child who is screaming in church, “Johnny, we don’t do that here,” though in fact at that moment, he is. But to say he “cannot” sin goes beyond the ideal. It is a statement of fact. Sinning is impossible for the one born of God, he says. So this is an unsatisfactory explanation.

3. Finally, he may be understood as speaking of the characteristic or habitual practice of the Christian. The Greek present is understood to indicate, as it has throughout this epistle, one’s habitual practice (cf. 1:7,8; 2:5,11, etc.). So we might read 3:6 as we do 3:9, adding the word “practices,” though it is not in the text.

No one who abides in Him practices sin; no one who practices sin has seen Him or knows Him. (1 Jn 3:6)

Or we might follow the NIV,

No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. (1 Jn 3:6 NIV)

The ESV also renders the sense as “keeps on sinning.” The same understanding should govern the translation of 3:9:

No one who is born of God practices sin (ESV = “makes a practice of sin”), because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin (ESV = “cannot keep on sinning”), because he is born of God.

Once again the NIV is helpful:

No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God (1 Jn 3:9 NIV)

Either way, the message is clear enough. “John is arguing rather the incongruity than the impossibility of sin in the Christian,” says Stott.2 A Christian is one who is born of God, who therefore has been inwardly transformed, “born again,” and who consequently lives a righteous life. Morris says this is his “habitual trend of life.”3 The one who is born of God cannot habitually and continuously or characteristically practice sin.

One of my best friends in college became a Christian in the midst of a long-term relationship with his girlfriend. They slept together regularly. It took a while for him to sort things out. But one day he announced to her, “I can’t do this any more.” He upset her terribly. The seed of God was within him. He could not continue in sin because he had come to abhor it. “The Christian has no business with sin and must never be complacent about it,” says Morris.4 He can’t be. The transformation of nature which occurs at conversion rules out the possibility that any child of God may continue in sin.

The next three points reinforce this primary point by highlighting the nature of sin and its destiny and source. John is showing us how contrary sin is to all that God is and all that we have become.

The Nature of Sin

We touched on this above. The Apostle John gives us a handy definition of sin:

Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. (1 Jn 3:4)

The word “sin” (hamartia) means “to miss the mark.” It is a negative definition, viewing sin as failure. Similarly, unrighteousness (adikia), means to depart from what is right or just. “Lawlessness” (anomia), however, gives us a positive or active definition of sin. This is sin as “active rebellion against God’s will and a violation of His holy law.”5 Sin is more than a “weakness.” It is more than just a “mistake.” “Mistakes were made,” has become a common way to dismiss high crimes. This is where we might sometimes like to leave the discussion. “Well I’ve made some mistakes,” we say. “We all fail,” we assure ourselves, “we all stumble.” “None of us is perfect.” No, there is more to sin than that. It is rebellion against God and His standard. All sin is rebellion. “Sin comes from contempt of God,” says Calvin.6 All sin involves a rejection of the will and word of God. Moreover, given the larger context of the Apostle John’s writing regarding the antichrist and the devil, “it implies not merely breaking God’s law, but flagrantly opposing him (in Satanic fashion) by so doing,” says Smalley.

Sin is fundamentally an offense against God. This is the meaning of David’s, “against Thee, Thee only have I sinned” (Ps 51:4). Why is this? Because it is God who defines sin by His law. When we sin, it is always against God. I may curse my neighbor, but primarily I sin against God. I may cheat the government or a merchant, but primarily I sin against God. When I decide to indulge the flesh, I also decide to reject God. When I make an idol of money or pleasure or power, I also rebel against God. Why? Because these are God’s rules that I am breaking. When I reject God’s law, I also reject the God who gave the law. When our children disobey our rules, they don’t just break rules, they break our rules and reject us and our authority. The law is not an arbitrary, impersonal standard. It is an expression of God’s righteous will.

This is why sin can never be a casual thing. We can never be indifferent or flippant about our offenses. It is lawlessness. It is “any want of conformity unto or transgression of the law of God,” says the Shorter Catechism (Question #14). Can a child of God habitually, defiantly, reject the authority of his heavenly Father? No, this is impossible. If sin is rebellion, if it is wicked and devilish, God’s children cannot indulge it. The child of God says with the Psalmist, “Oh how I love Thy law” (Ps 119:97). He meditates on it day and night (Ps 1:2). He grasps the goodness and spirituality of the law (Rom 7:12). The law is righteous as God is righteous. The child of God loves the righteousness of the law even as he loves the righteousness of his Father. He sees it as God’s will and wants to do all he can to fulfill it. He loves his Father, and knows that his Father loves him, and He commands only that which is in his welfare. A Christian cannot practice sin because it is anomia, lawlessness, a rejection of Law, and the God who gave it. We cannot bear to disappoint God, or grieve the Holy Spirit, or bring disgrace or dishonor to His name or kingdom.

Group loyalty is prevalent in all human societies because we naturally love what is natural to us. “Be true to your school,” we say. “America, love it or leave it.” “The south will rise again.” If righteousness is in our soul, if we are children of the righteous God, we will love righteousness. By implication, we will hate, abhor, and flee from all that is evil and contrary to the law of God.

Christ’s mission

Righteousness is necessary in light of Christ’s mission. The focus in verses 5 and 6 is Jesus Christ and what He has done to sin.

And you know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. (1 Jn 3:5)

The aim or purpose of Christ’s work is “to take away sins.” He did so by bearing sin on the cross (1 Pet 2:24; Heb 9:28; Is 53:11,12). He does so, further by cleansing our hearts (1 Jn 1:7,9). Sin, therefore, has no place in us, even as it has no place in Him – “in Him there is no sin.” When we sin we thwart Jesus’ purpose in the incarnation and the cross. He came to do away with isn. He Himself was sinless. How could we indulge it then? Would we undermine His work which He undertook at great cost? John therefore can say (as we’ve seen already),

No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. (1 Jn 3:6)

If we are abiding, or remaining with Christ, and His whole aim was to do away with sin, and in Him there is no sin, then it follows that there can be no habitual sin in us. We couldn’t do it, we couldn’t indulge it. Not if we’ve “seen Him.” Not if we “know” Him. To see and know Christ is to be transformed. It is to lose the gills for sin and gain the lungs for righteousness. It is to want to please, honor, and serve Christ and contribute to His glory and kingdom.

Sin’s source and destiny

Righteousness is a very practical matter. It is true that righteousness is a status which God grants to us in Christ. His righteousness is imputed to us. But the status manifests itself in practical righteousness, in a love of righteousness and righteous behavior. Anything less is deception.

Little children, let no one deceive you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous; (1 Jn 3:7)

Robert Law, in his famous commentary on 1 John entitled, The Tests of Life, said “Doing is the test of being.” We are sometimes told “our righteousness is positional.” That is true, but it is also experiential. Those who are reckoned righteous become righteous in their conduct. When God declares us righteous He then sets out to make us righteous. Our conduct is proof of our parenting.

the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. (1 Jn 3:8)

If we “practice sin,” we are “of the devil.” He “has sinned from the beginning.” “He was the eldest sinner, the first in sin,” says John Cotton. “He is the most industrious sinner,” as well, he continues. “He comes from compassing the world” (Job 2:2).8 The “children of the devil are obvious,” he says (v 10). There are only two families in all the earth: God’s and the devil’s. I am a child of one or the other. How we behave will tell of which we are. Do we practice sin? Is this our “lifestyle,” as it’s called, our way of life? The father of sinners is the devil. He is a liar and a murderer. He is the “father of lies.” There is “no truth in Him” (Jn 8:44). People who are doing “their own thing” in defiance of God sometimes think they are really “free.” This is one of sin’s illusions. They answer to no one, they say. They are unconstrained by external authority. Actually they are slaves of their father the devil. They are just following his lead. Like the blind following the blind, they do as he does. They are in the “snare” of the devil, “held captive by him, to do his will” (2 Tim 2:26). Jesus said, “Whoever sins is a slave of sin” (Jn 8:34). “You cannot walk in the way of sin without having Satan for your companion,” says Cotton.9 Or your master. Apart from Christ we are “enslaved to various lusts and pleasures” (Titus 3:3); we are “slaves of corruption” (2 Pet 2:19). The world illusion of freedom is slavery. It is bondage. It is a dead end.

Where is the devil headed? Like sin, Christ came to destroy him. “For this purpose” Christ came, “that He might destroy the works of the devil.” He is the seed of woman who came to break the serpent’s head (Gen 3:15). Christ came to “bind the strong man” (Mk 3:27). He died that “through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death; that is, the devil” (Heb 2:14). Did Jesus manage to do this? Of course. What are the devil’s works? The works of deception, of defiance of God, of destroying souls, of inflicting pain and suffering. In the realm of theology, it is error. In the realm of ethics, it is immorality. In the bodily realm it is disease. Christ conquered all of these. Consequently, the devil is not able to touch us (5:18). In time, Christ’s victory will be consummated, when all His enemies are “under His feet,” and the last enemy, death, is abolished (1 Cor 15:25,26).

If we are in the devil’s camp, we are on the losing team. Not sure that there is a devil? One may not be, but the Bible is. From cover to cover the Bible teaches the existence, of personal, supernatural evil. Evil is not just an idea. It is not just an impersonal energy. It has a supernatural, conscious, thinking source.

By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother. (1 Jn 3:10)

Sin is rebellion against God. It comes from the pit of hell. It is in the process of being destroyed. What business do we have indulging hellish lawlessness? It has no place, no part in the life of one born of God. Flee it, fight it. Cleanse yourself from it.

Who is our father? Of whom are we born? Our behavior, our conduct, will reveal the truth about us. The gospel is so wonderful, so powerful, that it always results in freedom from the devil and freedom from the bondage to sin. The truth of Christ liberates us. He changes and transforms us. This is why categorical language can be used. Those who are born of God practice righteousness, because the One of whom they are born is Himself righteous.