We are in sin when we are without God and Christ in us. (Eph. 2:12; Eph. 4:18).
Naming the very name of Christ for man means departing from all iniquity. Those who values the real meaning of the name of Jesus Christ, that it means “salvation from sin” (matt. 1:21), will certainly depart from all sin. 2 Tim. 2:19.
The very sufferings of Jesus Christ as a provision for man specifically meant causing man to cease from sin. 1 Pet. 4:1,2.
The new birth is presented as making man sinless. 1 Jn. 3:9; 1 Jn. 5:18; 1 Cor. 15:34.
When we are born of the Spirit, we receive the Spirit of Christ within the heart, this causes us to keep the Law of God so that we are in fact sinless; this is because of Christ within the heart. (Jn. 3:5-8; Gal. 3:7-9,14; Gal. 4:6; Rom. 8:9,10; 1 Jn. 3:24).
However, there are so many people that do not believe we can stop sinning in this life, so they give a wrong interpretation to plain texts like 1 Jn. 3:6,9; 1 Jn. 5:18.
For example, General-Conference Seventh-day Adventism doesn't really believe that when John says “doth not commit sin” he means Sinlessness, here is how they interpret the Scriptures.
“It is important to note that in all the passages in 1 John demanding Sinlessness, the Greek verbs describing people who sin are in the present tense, thereby denoting people who live in a state of continual or habitual sinning.” George Knight, I Used To Be Perfect, pg. 74.
“Those in this second group are defined by John as being sinless, even though they still commit acts of sin for which they need to be forgiven… The Christian cannot sin [live in a state of rebellion] because he is born of God.” Ibid, pg. 75-76.
“Being “perfect” for Paul in Philippians and being “sinless” for John in his first epistle does not mean absolute perfection or absolute Sinlessness. But it does mean being free from an attitude of rebellion toward the Father and His principles set forth in the LAW of love. Because of less-than-adequate bodies and flawed minds that don’t know and understand everything, Christians still commit sins of ignorance and sins of infirmity.” Ibid, pg. 77.
“Thus we can be perfect or sinless in attitude without being perfect or sinless in action. John, Paul and Wesley agree on that point.” Ibid, pg. 78.
Evangelicals also interpret 1 Jn. 3:6,9, and 1 Jn. 5:18 to still mean that the person MUST commit sin of some sort. Read this false interpretation.
“Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him, nor known Him. This verse contrasts the true believer with one who has never been born again. It can definitely be said of the true believer that he does not go on sinning. John is not here speaking about isolated acts of sin, but rather continued, habitual, characteristic behaviour. This verse does not imply that when a Christian commits an act of sin, he loses his salvation. Rather it says that when a person sins habitually, it is conclusive that he was never regenerated. The question naturally arises, “When does sin become habitual? How often does a person have to commit it for it to become characteristic behaviour?” John does not answer this. Rather he puts each believer on guard, and leaves the burden of proof on the Christian himself.” William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary, pg. 2316-2317.
“Verse nine repeats the impossibility of one who has been born of God going on in sin. Some Bible students think that this verse refers to the believer’s new nature, and that while the old nature can and does sin, the new nature cannot sin. However, we believe that here again the apostle is contrasting the regenerate man with the unregenerate, and is speaking of constant or habitual behaviour. The believer does not have the sin habit. He does not defiantly continue in sin… Here, then is a statement that the divine life remains in the believer. He is eternally secure. Rather than being an excuse for the Christian to go out and sin, his eternal security is a guarantee he will not go on sinning. He cannot sin habitually because he has been born of God. This divine relationship precludes the possibility of continuance in sin as a lifestyle.” Ibid, pg. 2317.
“We know that whoever is born of God does not sin. Of this we can be sure, that one who has the divine nature does not go on practicing sin.” Ibid, pg. 2325.
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However there are yet some scholars that begin to see the real truth of 1 Jn. 3:6,9 and 1 Jn. 5:18, and refute the idea of “habitual sinning” or “continuing sinning” as a possible interpretation for “doth not commit sin.” Read.
“No one who lives (menon, “abides”) in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen Him or known Him. A widely held explanation of this verse is that a believer “does not sin habitually,” that is, sin is not his way of life. However, the Greek text has no words to represent phrases such as “keeps on’ or “continues to” or “habitually”. These phrases are based on an understanding of the Greek present tense which is now widely in dispute among New Testament scholars… It cannot be shown anywhere in the New Testament that the present tense can bear this kind of meaning without the assistance of other words. Such a view is invalid for this verse and also for 1 John 3:9… John’s point is simple and straight-forward. Sin is a product of ignorance and blindness towards God. “No one who sins has seen Him or known Him” (v. 6b). Sin can never come out of seeing and knowing God. It can never be a part of the experience of abiding in Christ. “No one who abides in Him sins” (v. 6a)… The solution to this problem has been suggested by the statement in 3:3 in which the purification of the one “who has this hope in Him” is comparable in its nature to the purity of Christ (“just as He is pure”). From this it follows that the regenerate life is, in one sense, an essentially and fundamentally sinless life. For the believer sin is abnormal and unnatural; his whole bent of life is away from sin… If Christ alone really lives, sin can be no part of that experience. Insofar as God is experienced by a believer, that experience is sinless.” Zane Hodges, 1 John in, John f. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, editors, The Bible Knowledge Commentary, pg. 894.
“As was pointed out in connection with verse 6, adding such phrases as “continue to” and “go on” to John’s statements about sinning is not justified on the basis of the Greek text. As before, the statements are absolute. One who is born of God… does not sin precisely because God’s seed remains in him, and he cannot sin because he has been born of God.” “God’s seed” is His nature, given to each believer at salvation (John 1:13; 2 Pet. 1:4). The point here is that the child partakes of the nature of his parent. The thought of a sinless parent who begets a child who only sins a little is far from the author’s mind. As always, John dealt in stark contrasts. All sin is devilish (1 John 3:8); it does not stem from the believer’s regenerate nature, God’s seed, but the child of God cannot and does not sin. The explanation here is the same as that given in verse 6. the “new man” (or “new self”; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10) is an absolutely perfect new creation. By insisting on this point, John was seeking to refute a false conception about sin. Sin is not, nor ever can be, anything but satanic. It can never spring from what a Christian truly is at the level of his regenerate being.” Ibid, pg. 895.
“As in 3:6,9… the words continue to are not justified by the original. John was affirming that anyone born of God is a person whose true, inward nature is inherently sinless.” Ibid, pg. 903.
“A regenerate person’s new nature is inherently sinless (v. 18) because God’s seed is in him.” Ibid, pg. 903.
Even though this author beautifully presents the fact that John is teaching the gift of real sinlessness to the believer, one small statement flaws his presentation. Here is the abomination worthy to be chased with sword and fire.
“The fact remains, that Christians do not experience the sinless life perfectly on this earth…” Ibid, pg. 894.
Christ truly dwells within the person, thus he partakes of His divine nature. (Gal. 2:16,20; 2 Pet. 1:4).
Thus God dwelling in the believer making His love perfect in him, thus makes him sinless. 1 Jn. 4:12.
Christ is sinless, and a sinless Christ in the person must render the believer sinless. (1 Pet. 2:21,22; Col. 1:27).
Christ within frees us from sin, makes us sinless because whosoever abides in Him sinneth not. (Eph. 3:17; Jn. 15:4; 1 Jn. 3:6).
Christ as our Righteousness in us causes us to be righteous and do righteousness even as He is righteous which is sinlessness. (1 Cor. 1:30; Eph. 3:17; 1 Jn. 2:29; 1 Jn. 3:7).
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