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.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can’t sin, because he is born of God.
- BSB Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
- NKJV 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.
- NASB No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God.
- NLT Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Those born of God do not practice sin, because God's seed remains in them. The new birth produces a transformed life that cannot live in sin.
Overview
John teaches that regeneration brings a real change: God's 'seed', his life or word implanted by the Spirit, abides in the believer so that a life of ongoing sin becomes impossible for them. This describes the direction and pattern of a born-again life, not absolute sinlessness (compare 1:8). The new nature cannot coexist with habitual rebellion against God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- 1 Jn 5:18We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
- 1 Pet 1:23Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
- 1 Jn 5:1Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.
- John 1:13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- 1 Jn 2:29If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
- Matt 7:18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
- John 3:3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
- 1 Jn 5:4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
- Gal 5:17For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
- Rom 6:2God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
- 1 Jn 4:7Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
- Acts 4:20For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
- Titus 1:2In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
- Job 19:28But ye should say, Why persecute we him, seeing the root of the matter is found in me?
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Christ at the center
Jesus is the Word of life made manifest, the propitiation for our sins, the Son in whom is eternal life — 'that you may know that you have eternal life.'
How 1 John 3:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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