NTHIS CHAPMR we wish to give special, though brief, consideration to that much discussed and difficult portion, I John 3:6-9 (A.S.V.):

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither knoweth him.

My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that docth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous:

He that docth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning.  To this end was the Son of God manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Whosoever is begotten of God doeth no si'n, because his secd abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God.

We have never been satisfied with what we feel to be forced explanations of this passage.  Most all seem so colored by doctrinal preconceptions as to miss the purpose of the epistle.  John wrote this epistle in order to bring God's children into an experimental "fellowship with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.' The conditions of such a fellowship are practical as well as severe, and they center around proper believing and behaving.  John says: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.  An(! if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (I John 2:1).  The "holiness" man, so called, places most all his emphasis upon the first part of the verse; the rest of us on the latter.  Let us first clean up our own house before we throw stones.  We repeat the wise words of Dr. A. J. Gordon: "Divine truth as revealed in Scripture seems often to he between two extremes.... Almost all of the gravest errors have arisen from adopting some extreme statement of Scripture to the rejection of the other extreme. . . . If we regard the doctrine of sinless perfection as a heresy, we regard contentment with sinful imperfection as a greater heresy."

John says, "Let no man lead you astray (into a false liberty that leads to license) : he that doeth righteousness is righteous." John seeks to correct those believers who boast of righteousness "in Christ," while still, continuing in sin." "In Christ" and "in sin" do not go together.  John says, "in him is no sin," and therefore to be abiding in Him is not to be sinning.  He then climaxes this argument with the verse that "whosoever is begotten of God doeth no sin, because his seed abideth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is begotten of God." Would John be satisfied with our usual explanation that the general bent of the Christian life is rather characteristically good?  That is a general truth.  Yet a man may be a generally good Christian while still having no vital fellowship with God, such as John has in mind.  Such an explanation makes no point in keeping with the purpose of the epistle, viz., to bring the already regenerated into abiding fellowship with God.  Again, was John thinking of the suggestion that the believer sins not with his new man, but only with the old?  We believe not.  Finally, did John have in mind those who have been so eradicated ( ?) that they automatically do not sin?  Surely not.

First of all notice that the phrase, "is begotten," is in the present tense.  John refers not to the believer's past regeneration.  John does not say the believer "cannot sin, because he was born of God." John is dealing with the present tense and the condition upon which the already regenerated may experience fellowship.  But to be more practical, John says to me as I face a moral choice, that, if I "am begotten" with the living seed of God's Word, then I "cannot sin" in that given respect.  The phrase "cannot sin" had perfect illustration when Joseph faced the choice (Genesis 39) of walking after the flesh or after the Spirit.  He cried: "How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" God's word of promise Joseph so bid in his heart--"his seed remained in him"--that he "fled, and got him out"--"hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." In that given instance Joseph certainly "sinned not." Joseph said in substance, "I am begotten, I cannot sin."

Throughout life we shall be coming to similar forks of the road where we must daily choose between the