Moved by the Unseen God

Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:9 NKJV).

Those who have been born again cannot sin? What is John saying here? When we are born again do we become incapable of sinning? John cannot be saying that because he also tells us what to do if we do sin! He says, “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). The NIV translation of 1 John 3:9 can help us here. According to the NIV, John is saying, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” This makes it clear that John is not talking about individual sinful acts, but an ongoing condition of the believer. The born again Christian indwelt by “God’s seed” cannot go on sinning because God will not let him rest in his sins.

The unbeliever can rationalize, saying things like, “Really it's not wrong, everybody’s doing it.” He can go on sinning, thus determining his own destiny apart from the God of the universe.

 But God loves His children too much to allow us to take that route.  The apostle Paul put it this way,       “…Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (1 Cor. 5:14-15) When we consider ourselves crucified with Christ and raised to new life with him, the life we continue to live in the body we live by faith in Christ. The reason we cannot go on sinning is that Christ’s love compels us to pursue righteousness.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. (Matt 5:6) That is why, if we do sin we suffer until we confess and get right with God. His love moves us; no it “compels” us.  We cannot be content in sin.