“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” (1 John 3:9)

There is much debate concerning this verse by Christians as to whether its meaning is if, or when, you are Born from Above (Regenerated by the Spirit) (1) you will not sin because “his seed (Christ) remaineth in him (in the believer)”; or (2) you will not practice sin any longer.

The answer lies in understanding verses 4-6:

“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4)

“And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin.” (1 John 3:5)

“Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.” (1 John 3:6)

The First Thought of explanation is: We broke the law in Adam; therefore we are sinners (1 John 3:4).

“For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:21)

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)

In Adam, we fell into death (the curse of the law). This is spiritual death, or separation from God. We were, from that point onward, “dead” in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).

The Second Thought of explanation is: Christ Fulfilled the Law (1 John 3:5).

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (Matthew 5:17)

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.” (Romans 10:4)

“…love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:10b)

“…God is love.” (1 John 4:8b)

“For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Galatians 5:14)

Christ came to “take away our sins” by His Atoning Work on the Cross as our Substitute, our Sacrifice, and our Savior (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; Isaiah 53:1-12).

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:” (Galatians 3:13)

Christ was God in the Flesh (John 1:1-18). He was Perfect, Holy, and Righteous; the Perfect Lamb (or Sacrifice) of God; “yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). Christ was fully man; but fully God, therefore, sinless, “and in him is no sin.”

The Third Thought is: Therefore, all of those who are “in Christ” – sinneth not.

1 John 3:6 presents the truth of our Position in Christ; it is one of Righteousness. We stand in His Atonement (Reconciled back to God; Redeemed from sin and its penalty, its punishment, its power, and one day, its presence; Justified, or declared righteous in Christ’s work).

The secret is, those who “abideth in him (in Christ) sinneth not” (1 John 3:6).  Those who abide in Christ are those who have received Experiential Justification (been Regenerated; given the Gift of the Holy Spirit; those Born from Above). (See Romans 8:14-16; Galatians 4:5-6; John 3:3-8.) These people are “abiding” or dwelling in Christ. (See John 15:1-16.)

Therefore, John writes in 1 John 3:9, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin…” Or he no longer is in the Position of sin; for he is now “in Christ.” And being in Christ, he is not in the Position of sin, but in the Position of Righteousness and Perfection, as being “in Christ.”

He also has no power to sin, being “in Christ.” Why? Because he is now a New Creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17); set free from the dominion of sin and of death (spiritual death; separation from God; Romans 6:4-14; 8:2). He is now a “servant” (or slave) of Righteousness; and he bears the fruit of Holiness (Roman 6:8-22); for he stands in Christ (Romans 7:25; 8:1-16).

1 John 3:9b gives the first reason why he cannot sin, “for his seed remaineth in him.” Either Christ remains in the believer; or the seed, being the Children of God, remain in Christ. Either way, you are “in Christ,” in whom there is no sin. When this is viewed as to Position and not as to Practice; then you can understand, as God views His Children in Christ, or in His Atonement; they cannot ever be in the Position of sin, or of death (spiritual death), for they are in the Position of “life,” Eternal Life, who is Christ (1 John 5:20). (See also John 17:3.)

“And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)

There lies the answer to the title of this devotion – “Can You Live (in this earthly life) and Not Sin?” – The answer is: Yes. When you view it as a Position “in Christ”; in whom is no sin. “Whosoever abideth in him (in Christ) sinneth not.” Those in Christ are forever freed from the law of sin and of death by the Spirit of Life (Romans 8:2).

The question arises, “Why does all this matter?” It matters when you address verses such as:

“Blessed are the undefiled (or the perfect) in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.” (Psalms 119:1)

“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” (Psalms 119:2)

“They also do no iniquity (or they sin not): they walk in his ways.” (Psalms 119:3)

“Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.” (Psalms 119:4)

But to understand this statement, you must view it Positionally, as well as Personally.

The Child of God does, at times, commit sin in his daily walk. But this committing of sin does not negate his Position. However, it does break his fellowship with God until he confesses his daily sin. Note the next two verses in Psalms 119:

“O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!” (Psalms 119:5)

“Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.” (Psalms 119:6)

David acknowledged that in his daily life, he did not always keep God’s Word. But notice his plea (verse 5), “O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!”

And he said in verse 6, “Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments”; or, when I do walk in Thy ways. So it must be sensible to do so. When I do, I will not be ashamed.

Then in verse 7, David gives praise for being perfect (without sin) in his heart:

“I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.” (Psalms 119:7)

David is saying, when I have “learned” (know and carry out daily) Your Righteous Word, or Your Instructions; then I will praise Thee with “uprightness of heart” (or with a perfect heart; one that understands my Position in Christ, wherein is no sin). And He continues in verse 8:

“I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.” (Psalms 119:8)

David said, “I will keep thy statutes” (I will not sin).

Therefore, to answer our question – Yes, you can live and not sin; both as to understanding your Position in Christ and as to Practice daily; because Christ dwells in you and you dwell in Christ (Galatians 2:20).

In summary, 1 John 3:9 deals with the believer’s Position in Christ, in whom there is no sin. When you are “in Christ” experientially (that is, when you have been Born from Above); then you cannot ever be in the Position of Death (spiritual death), or under the curse of the law (which is spiritual death); because you are “in Christ.” You are in the Position of Righteousness (you have been declared righteous in the Atonement of Christ); and there is no separation from this Position (Romans 8:29-39).

In 1 John 3:6, “Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not.” The words “abideth in him” point to dwelling in Christ; knowledge of which comes in Regeneration (Romans 8:4-16; Galatians 4:5-6). It is in Regeneration that you come to learn of your Position of Righteousness (that you are not, and will never be, in spiritual death again); so you cannot sin.

However, those in the Position of Righteousness (or those who are in Christ), knowing that they are not in the Position of Sin (or under the curse of sin; or in spiritual death); which came from our sin in Adam (1 Corinthians 15:21; Romans 5:12) – they do in fact commit sin at times in their daily walk. This is what Psalms 119:1-3 is dealing with and this is the reason John wrote:

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8)

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

“If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:10)

“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:” (1 John 2:1)

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2)

The Children of God are safe and secure in the Atonement of Christ, in this Position you “cannot sin” (you can never be in the Position of spiritual death ever again); but you will sin in the flesh as long as you are on this earth, because the flesh (or the place of sin) will be in you until your physical death.

Therefore, John wrote 1 John 1:7-10 and 2:1-2, on the basis of the Atonement of Christ (or the propitiation in Christ for our sins). Then, on the foundation of being “in Christ,” we can confess our daily transgressions (sins) and are forgiven and cleansed “from all unrighteousness.”

Therefore, David wrote Psalms 119:1-7.

“Blessed are the undefiled (or the perfect) in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.” (Psalms 119:1)

“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.” (Psalms 119:2)

“They also do no iniquity (or they sin not): they walk in his ways.” (Psalms 119:3)

The question then remains: How many Children of God do not commit sin? True, you do not have to sin, for sin has no dominion over a Regenerated Child of Grace. But how many Children of God live daily without ever committing another sin?

Therefore, Positionally, in Christ, the Child of Grace cannot sin, or has no power to sin. But in daily practice, because of the old man (the flesh) that remains in the Child of Grace, he still has the capacity to sin. But when he sins, he is covered in the Atonement of Christ; Christ is the propitiation (satisfaction, appeasement) for our sins (1 John 2:1-2).