Continuing To Sin

Q

Re: 1 John 3:6-10. The Bible speaks clearly here that if a person continues to sin after having obviously made a genuine profession of faith and demonstrated it for years and who is deeply spiritual, that he is lost. How can that be since the person’s prior walk demonstrated very clearly that he was saved. In fact in spite of sexual immorality the person continues to preach the clear gospel. But since he keeps on sinning this passage says he has never known Christ and the man is positive that he has known him.

A

I don’t know if you’ve given me a hypothetical situation or not, but here’s what I do know.

The Bible says our inheritance (eternal life) was guaranteed when we believed, represented by the seal of the Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 1:21-22, 2 Cor, 5:5, Ephes. 1:13-14, Ephes. 4:30). It says the Lord has promised not to lose any of us (John 6:37-40) that no one can take us out of His hands (John 10:27-30), or separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39).

Paul and John were both writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Therefore the only way they could avoid contradicting each other is if they both believed that when we’re saved the Lord no longer attributes our sin to us but to the sin that dwells within us. This was Paul’s point in Romans 7:14-20.

This is also the only way 1 John 3:9 can be true ;

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.

Every born again believer still sins, and will continue to do so until he or she dies or is is perfected in the rapture.