One of the biggest false doctrines in all of Christianity is the idea that we cannot help but sin, even after the cross. This doctrine was made popular via the protestant reformation. It's not that the Protestants were the first to believe and teach this, but through them it became the mainstream doctrine of sin outside the Roman Catholic Church. Since that time, very few churches have taught that a begotten of God son can live sin free and perfectly righteous. The history of this doctrine is too long to get into at this point and is not the focus of the article, but we will tackle the epistle of John to find the truth about whether or not a Christian can live sin free or can sin and still be saved.
1 John 1:6-10
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
This is a very crucial series of verses to understand concerning whether or not we cannot help but sin or whether we can be sin free. John says that those who are in fellowship with Jehovah God do not walk in darkness (verse 6). Anyone who says they have fellowship with Jehovah God and walk in darkness are liars in John's view. The darkness that John is talking about is sin as we will see as proceed in this study. However, if we walk in the light then we have fellowship with the saints and blood of Jehoshua, God's Son, cleanses us from all sin. Walking in the light is in keeping Jehoshua's commandments.
Basically, if you sin you are in darkness and have no fellowship with the Father no matter how much you say otherwise. If you keep Jehoshua's commandments then you are in the light and have fellowship with the saints and the blood of the Son of God cleanses you from all sin. Verses 6 and 7 make a clear distinction between what constitutes being in fellowship with God and what doesn't.
Verse 8, this is where most Christians usually trip up concerning this subject. John says if we say that we have no sin we are decieving ourselves and the truth is not in us. On the surface and as a stand alone verse, it certainly appears that there is no way we can be sin free, but is this what John is saying? Of course not, especially in light of the two verses that sandwich verse 8. In verse 7 and 9, John says we are cleansed from all sin if we walk in the light and we arw cleansed from all unrighteousness if we confess our sins. This shows that verse 8 is not aimed at those who are doing (walking in the light) and have (confessed sins), but rather it's aimed at those who are not doing (walking in the light) and have not (confessed sins) done those things.
Verse 10, "if we say that we have not sinned", this is a before Messiah and/or past tense statement by John. This would apply to those who are not living in the light and who have not confessed their sins per verses 7 and 9. However, John makes it clear that those who do those two things are cleansed of all unrighteousness and sin, hence they are sin free.
1 John 2:1-2
1 My little children, these things write I unto you that ye may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 and he is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.
Verse 1 of John chapter 2 makes it clear whether or not he is advocating that we, as begotten from above Sons, must still have sin in us and therefore can't be completely sin free. John commands the brethren to sin not. This is one of the main reasons for John's epistle. This is the same command Jesus gave, "go and sin no more". Modern Christians deny that this is possible, thereby contradicting the Son of God and his closest apostle. Remember, John's epistle is warning the brethren against antichrists so obviously the "we can't be free from sin" doctrine is part of what these antichrists are teaching.
The gnostics were justifying living in sin and attributing it to the flesh being inherently evil and said they were technically sin free because of their spirit being saved. The Judeans that rejected Jehoshua, denied they needed his blood atonement in the first place. Some of these antichrists were in the church then left it, denying that Jehoshua was the Son of God. John says they were never truly of the church in the first place. There seems to be a few different heresies that John is addressing in his epistle.
Verse 2 of 1 John 2, Jehoshua is the propitiation (mercyseat) for our sins and not for the ekkelsia that John is speaking to only, but all the world (Judah and Ephraim). This is important to understand because the mercyseat is where the high priest in the old covenant would sprinkle the blood of animals in the holy of holies on the day of atonement.
This shows that Jehoshua completely fulfilled the day of atonement when he ascended up to heaven on the day of his resurrection. The book of Hebrews clearly shows that Jehoshua is the once and for all sacrifice, proving that the law of Moses is done away with forever. You can't have the law of Moses without the sacrifical system and if the day of atonement is fulfilled, then there is no need to keep the other feasts as they are also fulfilled, being that they are part of the law. Remember, John is also warning against the Judeans who reject the Messiah and his ransom sacrifice, so his stating that Jehoshua is the mercyseat (propitiation) for our sins is directed at their denial of the new covenant.
1 John 2:3-6
3 And hereby we know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; 5 but whoso keepeth his word, in him verily hath the love of God been perfected. Hereby we know that we are in him: 6 he that saith he abideth in him ought himself also to walk even as he walked.
John echoes exactly what Jehoshua said in the gospel of John (chapters 14-16), which is that keeping the commandments is evidence that someone knows God and loves Jehoshua. Those who claim to know God and His Son, but don't keep the commandments are liars and the truth is not in them. This is exactly what is said of those who walk in darkness but claim to have fellowship with God (1 John 1:6). As stated above regarding 1 John chapter 1, those who claim they have no sin and are liars are the ones walking in darkness and have no truth in them. John is identifying these ones as the sinners of verses 8 and 10.
Conversely, those who walk in the light and have confessed (past tense) their sins are cleansed of all sin and unrighteousness. These are the ones that are cleansed by the propitiation blood of the Son of God. Unlike the ones who walk in darkness, they have fellowship with the saints. How can one have sin in them if they are keeping the commandments of Jehovah God and His love has been perfected in them? Of course they cannot have sin in them because they are walking in the light and thefore have been cleansed from all sin and unrighteousness. The fact that the love of God has been perfected in those who keep the commandments, shows that they are perfect as Jehoshua commaded his brethren to be (Mathew 5:48):
Jude 24-25
24 Now unto him that is able to guard you from stumbling, and to set you before the presence of his glory without blemish in exceeding joy, 25 to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, [be] glory, majesty, dominion and power, before all time, and now, and for evermore. Amen.
For those who keep the commandments of God, love is perfected in them and they are presented before the throne of the Father's glory without blemish (perfect). Jude says this as a present reality for the saints. Again, John says this is dependent upon keeping God's commandments. Those who sin are outside this perfection as we will see in chapter 3 and as is already stated in verse 4 of this chapter, being that they are liars and the truth is not in them. Being liars and not having the truth is how John describes those who say they have no sin.
Verse 6 of 1 John 2, those that claim that they are in covenant with Jehoshua must also walk as he walked on this earth. Ask yourself this, how did Jehoshua walk when he was on this earth? He was sinless and perfect before the Father, Jehovah God. Abiding in Jehoshua is key and John says that if we abide in him, we must walk like him. This talk of abiding in the Messiah and doing righteousness fits perfectly with what Jehoshua taught in John chapter 15:
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and [so] shall ye be my disciples. 9 Even as the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you: abide ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father`s commandments, and abide in his love.
You will see from the above passage, that the Son of God equates abiding in him with keeping his commandments. Notice what Jehoshua says about those that don't abide in him yet don't bear fruit (Keep his commandments), they are cast forth as a branch and burned in the fire. These ones that don't abide in him, are the same ones that John the apostle is talking about that say they know him but don't keep his commandments (1 John 2:4). John calls these ones liars, therefore its these ones that claim they have no sin and are liars that John is addressing in verses 8 and 10 of John chapter 1.
1 John 2:12
"I write unto you, [my] little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name`s sake."
It makes no sense for John, on one hand, to say that of we have no sin we are liars and then on the other hand, say that are sins are forgiven. It makes no sense with the mainstream church interpretation, however if we divide the word rightly, then it makes perfect sense. The saying "we have no sins" is regarding either those not keeping Jehoshua's commandments or those saying that they don't need Jehoshua's propitiation blood, which was usually the Judeans still stuck in the old covenant. Those who walk in the light and bear fruit by keeping Jehoshua's commandments have their sin forgiven, therefore they are cleansed of all unrighteousness and sin.
1 John 2:13-14
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the evil one. I have written unto you, little children, because ye know the Father. 14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye know him who is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the evil one.
John says that we, who have the word of Jehovah, abiding in us have overcome Satan. Again, the proof that you abide in Jehovah and Jehoshua is that you keep the commandments. That and that only is how abiding in the Son of God is defined. John's statement that we, as believers in the Son of God, have overcome Satan is perfectly aligned with what Paul the apostle taught:
Romans 8:37
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us"
Paul says that we are more than conquerors and this is in the context of trials and tribulations. If we are more than conquerors of those things, why would sin be any different?
Hebrews 2:14-15
14 Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner partook of the same; that through death he might bring to nought him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver all them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
What brings death? Scripture tells us that the wages of sin is death. The bondage that we were subject to before Christ was sin. Jesus passion delivered us from these things as he bound the devil and brought him to nothing by spoiling his Kingdom. Scripture clearly teaches that Jesus bound and spolied the devil at his first advent, not his second. In other words, the devil has been brought to nothing. He has nothing in the children of Jehovah as John states later in his epistle. The devil still has influence in the world, but thankfully the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is not of this world.
To he delivered from the fear of death means that we are delivered (saved) from our sins, as it is sin that brings forth death.
Matthew 1:21
"And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins"
The angel didn't tell Joseph that Jesus would save Israel in their sins, but rather from their sins. Paul reiterates this:
Romans 6:22-23
22 But now being made free from sin and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto sanctification, and the end eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Verse 22 denotes a present reality for the saints, in that they are now free from sin. This clearly shows that Paul is not teaching that Christians can't help but still sin at times or that they have sin in them even though they are in Christ. Sanctification is immediate upon being begotten from above as being made free from sin sets us apart as true children of Jehovah God. Eternal life will be the end result for those who overcome and are without sin.
Why would Paul be advocating that Christians will still struggle with sin, even though they are begotten from above, when he says the wages of sin is death? It would make no sense if that was the case and it would be a fatalistic mindset as he clearly says that the wages (payment) for sin is death. Death in the lake of fire is obviously what he is talking about. This is the opposite of eternal life, which shows that to gain eternal life one must obey Jesus and go sin no more.
1 John 2:28-29
28 And now, [my] little children, abide in him; that, if he shall be manifested, we may have boldness, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. 29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one also that doeth righteousness is begotten of him.
John exhorts the brethren to abide in the holy vine of David, which Jesus teaches us to do in John chapter 15. If we abide in Christ then we will have boldness at his second Advent. The meaning of abiding in the Son of God is keeping his commandments (John 15:10) and doing works of righteousness (verse 29 of 1 John 2:29). The evidence of being begotten by Jehovah God, is that we do righteousness as Christ is righteous. Keeping Jesus commandments, and doing works of righteousness, makes you righteous the same way Jesus was. Those who sin are not righteous and therefore not begotten by Jehovah God, as sin is the opposite of being righteous.
