If you have free will, then why can't you stop sinning?
Response to comment [from other]: [If you have free will, then why can't you stop sinning?]
You need a new
nature.
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].
"“Whosoever is born of God”—this is
the new birth we have been talking
about. This is what the Lord Jesus
spoke of when He said to a religious
ruler, “Marvel not that I said unto
thee, Ye must be born again” (John
3:7).
“Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin.” A child of God is given
a new nature, and that new nature
does not and will not commit sin.
The reason that the prodigal son
could not stay in the pigpen is that
he was not a pig. He was a son of
the Father, and he longed for the
Father’s house. If you are a child
of God, you will want to be in the
Father’s house, and you will long
for it.
“Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin”—unfortunately, this
gives a wrong impression here. The
idea is not just one act of sin; the
idea is that he does not live in
sin. John has said earlier in
chapter 2, “If any man [any
Christian man] sin, we have an
advocate with the Father”—the
believer will sin. However, John
makes it very clear that it is God’s
will that we live without sin: “My
little children, these things write
I unto you, that ye sin not” (1 John
2:1). Sin is anything contrary to
the will of God, but when sin comes
into our lives, John says that we
have an advocate with the Father,
and “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).
Again, John is talking to believers,
and he is saying that believers will
sin. Therefore, when John says,
“Whosoever is born of God doth not
commit sin,” he is saying that that
new nature will not continue to live
in a pigpen—never, under any
circumstances will it do that.
“For his seed remaineth in him.” If
you are a child of God, you have a
divine nature.
“And he cannot sin.” Why? Because he
“is born of God.” John is talking
about something that is real and
genuine. He is not talking about
some little profession which you
made when you went down to the front
of a church and shed a few tears.
The question is: Have you been born
of God? I believe in the security of
the believers, but I also believe in
the insecurity of make–believers. It
is well for us to take an inventory
and to look at our lives. We must
examine ourselves and see whether we
are in the faith or not. Are you
really a child of God? Do you long
after the things of God? That is the
important thing.
Someone might say of this young man
who is a homosexual, “He cannot be a
child of God.” I say that he can be;
but if he is a child of God, he is
going to give up that sin. A
prodigal son ought not to be in a
pigpen, and he will not live there.
He is going to get out. The day will
come when he will say, “I will arise
and go to my Father.” And his Father
is not anywhere near that pigpen—He
is as far from it as He possibly can
be.
Whosoever is born of God does not
practice sin. He does not go on in
sin. When we received a new nature,
we did not lose our old nature—that
is the problem. No wonder Paul cried
out, “O wretched man that I am! who
shall deliver me from the body of
this death?” (Rom. 7:24). Only the
Spirit of God can deliver you, my
friend. If you recognize that you
are helpless and hopeless, if some
sin binds you down, spoils your
life, robs you of your joy, and you
are miserable, then may I say to you
that He can and He will deliver
you—if you want to be delivered. If
you want to get rid of that sin, if
you really want to serve Him, if you
mean business with Him, He means
business with you. “For his seed
remaineth in him: and he cannot sin,
because he is born of God.”" McGee,
J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible
commentary: The Epistles (1 John)
(electronic ed., Vol. 56, pp.
96–98). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
"God promised to make it worth you're while if you do what is right and he promised to make you regret it if you do what is wrong. We defeat sin by persuading our soul to believe those promises. That's how you walk by faith. Whatever sin you are struggling with there are promises in scripture that will help you gain victory over that particular sin. Whatever virtue you are striving for there are promises in scripture that will help you gain that virtue...Use the promises of God to bring about victory in your fight against Satan." ~ Daryl Ferguson, Imitating Jesus
See:
Imitating Jesus Pt 3 by Daryl Ferguson
Response to comment [from a Christian]: "So your responsility then is to bring all your thoughts into the captivity of God, right?"
That's what we do (2 Co 5:14, 10:5, 1 Co 9:16,
Col 1:29, Ro 12:11, Ps 16:11).
The Power of Christ Compels You
[Appeal to word] "Which is how Jesus overcame in His own wilderness experience."
Yes, we can believe his
promises.
See:
Bible Promises of Hope
Response to comment [from a Christian]: Luke
1:6 They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking
blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord.
Who is correct, you or Luke?"
Are you perfect?
1 Jn 2:1
"That depends on what you mean by perfect."
Can you sin?
1 Jn 2:1
"No."
You are perfect now and
do not sin?
1 Jn 1:10
"I was a sinner before I was saved, but when I confessed my sins I was cleansed from all unrighteousness (1Jn 1:9). Now I walk in the Spirit and do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:16)."
You are perfect now and
do not sin?
1 Jn 1:10
"You should see that I've already clearly answered the question you are asking."
SD: Are you perfect? 1 Jn
2:1
Elohiym: "That depends on what you mean by perfect."
SD: Can you sin? 1 Jn 2:1
Elohiym: "No."
SD: You are perfect now and do not sin? 1 Jn 1:10
Elohiym: "I was a sinner before I was saved, but when I confessed my
sins I was cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). Now I walk
in the Spirit and do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:16)."
SD: You are perfect now and do not sin? 1 Jn 1:10
Elohiym: "You should see that I've already clearly answered the
question you are asking."
It's a yes or no question.
You are perfect now and do not sin?
1 Jn 1:10
"...[T]hat's not all I wrote, was it?"
That's exactly what you
wrote (Eph 4:14).
[Are you perfect?
1 Jn 2:1] "Who even knows what you mean by perfect?"
SD: Are you perfect? 1 Jn
2:1
Elohiym: "That depends on what you mean by perfect."
SD: Can you sin? 1 Jn 2:1
Elohiym: "No."
SD: You are perfect now and do not sin? 1 Jn 1:10
Elohiym: "I was a sinner before I was saved, but when I confessed my
sins I was cleansed from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9). Now I walk
in the Spirit and do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:16)."
SD: You are perfect now and do not sin? 1 Jn 1:10
Elohiym: "You should see that I've already clearly answered the
question you are asking."
SD: It's a yes or no question. You are perfect now and do not sin? 1
Jn 1:10
Elohiym: "...[T]hat's not all I wrote, was it?...Who even knows what
you mean by perfect?"
If you say you have no sin, you lie (1 Jn 1:10). All obeyers are
knowers of God (1 Jn 2:3). All knowers are obeyers of God (1 Jn
2:4). If you know him, you love the brethren. That is proof of your
having passed from death to life (1 Jn 3:14, Mt 25:40).
Ferguson, Knowing and Obeying
My little children, these things I write to you [not to them], so
that you [not them] may not sin. And if anyone sins, we [not them]
have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (1 Jn
2:1).
See:
Knowing and Obeying (right click, open) by
Daryl Ferguson
