“Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin.”  (1 John 3:9a)

I don’t know about you but this passage caused me tremendous trouble in the past.  If taken at face value, no one is born of God.  I don’t know about you but I struggle with certain sin (s) and have for many years.  On the other hand, by God’s Spirit I have overcome far more than I have not.  Many more sins have been mortified than have not.  More of my sins have been crucified than have not and more of my person has been crucified to the world than have not. Yet there are still a few sins that beset me.

This is not true of me only, but let us remember what Paul tells us in Romans 7.  The things he wants to do he doesn’t and the things he doesn’t want to do he does.  Paul confesses that with the mind he obeys the law of God, but with the flesh, the law of sin. We see Peter struggling with the right thing to do at times as well. Therefore, brethren, if you struggle with the flesh, the old man, the carnal nature, you are not alone.  Let us remember David and all his trials and he was a man after God’s own heart.

Reader, it is the fool that thinks himself to be one (1) that have completely overcome the sin nature.  The person that says he is sinless calls God a liar, Reader have you completely overcome sin, are you sinless, do you call God a liar?  So then again, I ask you to ponder this question, what doth John mean in his words, in his first (1st) epistle,  “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin?”

John has these meanings in mind:
*The Christ-ian is no longer overcome by all sin or the totality of the sin nature.
The unsaved, the unregenerate, the lost is completely overcome by the sin nature. The sinner doth not overcome sin in any way, shape, or form. The sin nature has overwhelmed him in every way. The lost man is totally depraved in his relationship and standing with and before God. The lost man has been corrupted in spirit, soul and body. Salvation has made the Christ-ian free from sins corrupting nature.

*Though the Christ-ian may still battle certain sins, he doth battle and he doth confess them before God and doth not hide them from God.  The Christ-ian, because of the Presence of the Holy Spirit, doth battle sin in his life.  The Christ-ian prays against the sin nature.  He seeks to be Christ-like and overcome all sin in his life.  The Christ-ian also seeks God’s forgiveness for his sins. The Christ-ian doth not abide sin gladly in his life but despises sin and it’s presence.

*The Christ-ian has overcome far more than he has not.  The Christ-ian because of Christ and the Power of the Holy Spirit has overcome far more than he has not.  This is true of all believers..this is true of you if you are Spirit dwelt.  This truth also betrays the false believer as well.

*The Christ-ian counts it all joy when he is tempted (James 1). What!!!???  How is this principle possible?  Why would the Christ-ian count it or consider temptation as joyful? The reason we should consider temptation all joy because it tells us we war against sin.  Sin has become temptation and is no longer pleasurable or rather we no longer pleasure in the pleasure of sin, but sin has become a temptation to the believer.  If sin is not a temptation it is a pleasure.  The lost man does not see sin as a temptation but as a normal way of life.

 

In closing, Are you overcome by all sin?  Do you battle sin in your life?  Have you overcome more than you have not? Do you count it all joy when you are tempted with sin? or is sin a way of life?  These are important questions and every person should seek to answer them…everyman…church goers and non-church-goers, ministers…everyone….children of ministers…everyone…you…everyone.