 Hey, welcome back smart Christians of your ass being a recent live stream to go over this passage 1st John 3 9 and the question that would naturally come from this is Does this passage mean that we as Christians don't sin or we're not supposed to sin? So go to the passage says no one who is born of God practices sin Because his seed abides in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God now this word that's used here For practice is poyé and this word poyé is doing and it could be practice also So no one who is born of God practices sin So does that mean that if a person who is a Christian wanted to see sin? Well, obviously that can't be the case because if we go to 1st John 1h, let's look at this If we say that we have no sin Then we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us So we all have sin there's numerous passages indicate that as a matter of fact Paul himself says that The thing that he didn't want to do he do he does And so we can be safely assured that Christians will sin So how do we take this passage 1st John 3 9? Well before we go to verse 9 Let's back up a little bit and let's go to verse 4 Verse 4 says everyone who practices sin and there's that word Pasapoyan which is all those that are doing the sin And so this is a present active participle So this is a state of continual sinning and therein lies the the kind of the sticky part of this come back to that Just second but those who practice sin also practice lawlessness And sin is lawlessness And you know that he appeared in order to take away sins which is a key You know that he appeared in order to take away sins Which John says that look the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sins of the world and in him there is no sin No one who abides in him sins Now is that to mean that any christians in him will not sin Well, that would be a lonely group of people because there's nobody in in in the world Or ever that would qualify for that. So all those of us that are in him He said that that there is no sin. So how do we take that? Let's get that just a second. Let's finish reading He says that no one who sins has seen him or knows him also important to remember Little children make sure that no one deceives you the one who practices righteousness Is righteous just as he is righteous The one who practices sin is of the devil For the devil has sinned from the beginning the Son of God appeared for this purpose to destroy the works of the devil Which is part of that is taking away sin No one who is born of God practices sin because his seed Abides in him and he cannot sin Because he is born of God. So the question is this If you are born of God, does that mean that you cannot sin? Well, that would eliminate not just mean but you and everyone else Because we all do sin. Well, there's two ways to look at this One is how he looks at us. That is how God looks at us. Let me go back to a passage that he that he states here in verse Every let's go back to four uh, everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness and Sin is lawlessness. Remember in Matthew seven He says that not everyone says me lord lord shall enter the kingdom of God But the one who does my will I mean it was saying that day lord I've done many things in your name prophesied cast out demons and said I never knew you you who Practice lawlessness. And so there's two keys in there and then Matthew seven passage I never knew you you who practice lawlessness. And so let's go to verse six says no one who abides in him Sins and no one who sins has seen him or knows him. So a believer knows him Remember it cannot be that a believer used to know him and then no longer knows him because of the statement that Jesus makes In Matthew seven, I never knew you so if he knows you Then you won't sin If you are a believer He knows you But there's a problem. He knows me but I sin So maybe the key is how he views you because remember it says that he he comes to take away sin Go back to verse five. You know that he appeared in order to take away sins and in him there is no sin So that might be the key If you are in him what he sees in you is not sin He has taken away sin So when the lord looks at all of those that are in him When God sees a believer when he sees you he does not see sin What he does see is that he sees this redemption this blood bought Vessel that is you you have been atoned for by his blood And the sin that you have has been taken away. Remember how the the old covenant system was that there was a scapegoat There was a sacrificial animal whose blood was shed The scapegoat takes away the sins of the world Jesus is the same thing and he also sacrifices blood Just as in the old covenant. He sacrifices his blood to cover us. And so what does he see? He sees that those are in him. He sees those have been Redeemed by his blood and there is no sin Also this point of this poyeng or this go back to as a matter of fact verse nine Also, this issue of the one who practices sin Those of us who are in christ will we sin? Absolutely How often don't know and that becomes a little sticking point How often you sin now somebody might see your sin and think that hey this guy's practicing sin They might see your sin on day one 15 days later that same sin. They'll see it again 35 days later. They'll see it again Well from their vantage point because they're not walking with you all the time. They see you doing sin They see you're seeing your sin sticks out But you know At that sin in between those sins prior to that sin What your heart is like because you are practicing Righteousness it cannot be that you're practicing righteousness and practicing sin. There is no such thing There's no such category for the in between here You've got the one that's over practicing righteousness And then you've got those that are over practicing sin and those in between that practice righteousness and sin No, there's either or so if you are in christ, what are you doing? You are practicing righteousness You are doing your very best. You are coming to him. You are submitted to him You are in a fall and then come back to him You are practicing righteousness. You are right before him. You are living a right lifestyle Because you have a right life. He views you that way Why because if you place your faith in him then you stand right before him not because you're doing something You're doing righteous things, but because he sees you as righteous How does he do that? Well, not because your actions He sees you as righteous because you are in rights and because you have placed your faith in him And that now you have been justified And so in this case, you are no longer Viewed as someone who is lawless as someone who is sinful now There are those who might be deceived. There are those who think they are And only they know how they're living. There's just there's just no other way to put it I can't dig into the mind or the heart of someone who looks to be sinning And say well, this person is clearly in sin now There are some times where it just it's pretty evident And it'd be difficult to say the person's not But even then you can't be a hundred percent sure because you just don't know what's going on. So Without being into the mind of that person without being God It's for you to figure out. It's for you to determine remember Paul makes a statement in chapter seven of romans Let's go to verse 14. We know that the law of spirit No, you know, let's go to verse 18 for I know that nothing good dwells in me that he is in my flesh Now this is Paul speaking For the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not so I want to do good But actually doing it. It's not For the good that I want to do I don't do but I practice the very evil that I want to do Well, what wait a second. Wait a second. Weren't we just told those who practice those things? Then that person doesn't know no God. Well, that clearly can't be paul. How could paul be paul? How could he be saved practice those things? Well, so there's got to be something that we're missing here So he says the things that I want the good that I want to do I don't do but I practice the very evil that I don't want to do But if I am doing the very thing that I do not want to do I am no longer the one doing it but sin which dwells in me I find the principle that evil is present with me The one who wants to do good for I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man But I see a different law in the members of my body waging war Against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin Which is in my members wretched men that I am who will set me free from the body of this death And I think that's the key right there Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord So then on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God But on the other hand with my flesh to law of sin Well, I think that's the key the key is that inwardly when you sin it's not really you It's your flesh and because you are in christ though you have submitted to him The things that you want to do you don't always do the bad that you want to stop doing Sometimes you will do the good that you want to do you don't always do when you're in him when you sin Remember his righteousness has been imputed to you. So that's the righteousness that God sees Your sin it was imputed to him on the cross And so as long as you're in him now only you know again and I get it It can be a bit tricky a bit difficult Which is why Unbeknownst to everyone else the way you walk the way you live how you live what you're thinking you yourself know if you have a repentant heart A repentant mind Does sin bother you? Does it break you? Does it grieve you? Does it make you just fall down? At least inwardly and just If it just burns you up on the inside. Well, then that's the issue The issue is do you sin? And not have a problem with it Do you practice sin and you're okay with it? Because the person that practices wants to do so the person who's living this lifestyle wants to do so without any sort of Grief about it But a true believer Is going to be grieved by the holy spirit and by that sin. So that's the question you're going to have to ask yourself And so his first john three nine saying that christians don't sin. No, it's not some that at all Uh first john three nine is not teaching that we are going to live sinless and in perfection No one who was born of god practices sin. You are not practicing sin. You it's not your desire Though you may do so It's not your desire and then if it happens to happen You are grieved by it There's no such thing as a christian who does not sin according to first john one eight If you say so the bops is your liar And so the issue is this make sure that you do have christ Make sure that you do live for him only, you know The person that's in christ will draw closer to christ the closer you get to christ because you're practicing righteousness You are desiring to get closer to him. You hate sin and so you're moving away from sin You're resisting sin. You're resisting the devil He flees it as according to james, but you draw closer to him the closer you get to him The further you are removed from the actual practice of it the actual doing Of sin and the closer you are the more you do or practice righteousness So I hope that helps. I know it can be a bit confusing, but rest assured if you are in christ Then christ god is not going to credit your sin against you You have been forgiven of all of your sins past present and future. Amen