1 John 3:9

Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God.

Whosoever is begotten of God ... This is a reference to the new birth, as indicated in the KJV, "born of God," and as rendered in the New Catholic Bible and the New English Bible (1961).

Doeth no sin ... As long as one who has believed in Christ, repented of sin, and been baptized into Christ, and in consequence of such obedience has received the earnest of the Holy Spirit, - as long as such a person continues in that status, he will not sin. The evidence of this is visible in countless thousands of Christians in all ages who have turned their backs upon wicked conduct and have taken seriously the high claims of their holy religion, the same being exhibited for all people to see in the godliness of their new lives in Christ. What is the reason for such a change? John gave it in the next clause.

Because his seed abideth in him ... The New Testament supplies abundant proof of what the "seed" is which is mentioned here. It is the word of God. Paul instructed the Colossians to let "the word of Christ" dwell in them richly, etc. (Colossians 3:16), and John had in mind the same thing here. The Lord Jesus himself said of the kingdom of heaven, "the seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11). In speaking of the new birth, Peter also mentioned the "incorruptible seed" which he promptly identified as "the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever" (1 Peter 1:23). Therefore, it is the word of God which is eternal, incorruptible and continually abiding in Christian hearts. This word is no mere "dead letter," but "living, active ... and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12); and, with such a monitor of their conduct, Christians are strongly persuaded to continue in the path of honor. Indeed, if the child of God will walk fully in that holy light, he will be effectively restrained from all sin. God, however, has given people the freedom of their will; and a failure of the human will can always result in the commission of sin.

And he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God ... This statement has been alleged to teach a whole anthology of errors, such as:

(1) The meaning is restricted to what Roman Catholic writers call "mortal" sins, and does not apply to ordinary sins!

(2) What is sinful in unbelievers (as adultery, greed, theft, etc.) is not sinful to the Christian!

(3) It is only the "old nature that sins"; the new man in Christ cannot sin. The new man is not connected in any manner with the old man! ("My old nature did it; I didn't.")

(4) John is here only holding up the ideal, or goal of the Christian life, not really meaning that the Christian cannot sin.

(5) It means that Christians cannot "consent to sin," that is, deliberately and purposefully walk in forbidden paths.

(6) It means that Christians cannot continue in a life of sin. Illustrations: Once, when traveling, this writer stopped at the entrance of a city and asked a policeman a question; and he volunteered the information that, "you cannot turn right on a red light in this city," not meaning in any sense whatever that it was impossible to do so, but that it was illegal to do so. John's words here may be viewed as exactly the same kind of prohibition, meaning, "those who are begotten of God are forbidden to sin"; it is against God's law. In view of what John said in 1 John 2:1,2, there could hardly be any doubt that this is exactly what he meant. "He cannot sin" is not a statement of impossibility at all, but a declaration of what is forbidden. Those commentators who see "impossibility" affirmed here favor the interpretation that makes "CONTINUING in a life of sin" to be the impossibility.