(1 John 3:4-9)
9. Avoiding Sin (1 John 3:4-9)
Everyone who commits sin also commits wickedness. No one can say that sin is one thing and wickedness is another. Nor can anyone say, "I'm a sinner but not wicked." Everyone who commits sin also commits wickedness; sin is wickedness. Listen to what John says: And you know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. A sinless one came to take away sin. If there had been sin in him, it would have had to be taken away from him too; he himself wouldn't have been able to take it away. No one who abides in him sins. Insofar as anyone abides in him, so far that one doesn't sin. No one who sins has either seen him or known him.
There is a problem here. No one who sins has either seen him or known him. This isn't surprising. We haven't seen him but we will see him someday; we haven't known him but we will know him. We believe in One whom we haven't known. Or is it that we have known him "by faith" but not yet "'by sight"? Yes, in faith we both see him and know him. If faith doesn't yet see him, why are we called "the enlightened ones"? There is enlightenment that comes from faith, and there is enlightenment that comes from sight. Now, while we are pilgrims, "we walk by faith, not by sight." Our righteousness also, then, comes from faith, not from sight, and it will be complete only when we shall see "'by sight." In the meantime, let us not forsake the righteousness that comes from faith, because "the righteous man lives by faith," as the Apostle says. No one who abides in him sins, for no one who sins has either seen him or known him. No one who sins believes, but those who believe, insofar as it depends on their faith, don't sin.
Little children, let no one deceive you. One who does right is righteous as he also is righteous. Should we, when we hear that we are
44 / LOVEONE ANOTHER, MY FRIENDS righteous as he also is righteous, think that we are God's equals? You have to understand what that as means. A little while back John said that everyone purifies himself as he is pure. Is our purity already equal to and identical with God's purity, and our righteousness equal to and identical with God's righteousness? Who would say this? The word as isn't always used to express identicalness. For example, if someone looks at this great church and wants to build one that is smaller but of the same proportions—say the length being double the width— anyone could look at it and say that it is as this one is. But this one is, shall we say, one hundred cubits in length and that one thirty. Thus, one is as the other is, but also unequal to it. You can see that as doesn't always express equality and identicalness. Another example: consider how different are a person's face and its image in a mirror. There is one face in the image and one in the body. The image exists as a likeness, and the body as a reality. And what do we say? There are eyes here as there are there; ears here as there. The realities are different, but as expresses a resemblance.
One who commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sins from the beginning. Do you know what John means when he says is of the devil? He means that someone is of the devil by imitation. The devil didn't make anyone or beget anyone or create anyone. But whoever imitates the devil is, so to speak, born of him. He becomes a child of the devil by imitating him, not by being literally born of him. How is it that you are a child of Abraham? Did Abraham beget you? Or is it the way that the Jews became children of the devil? They were Abraham's children, born of his flesh, but they didn't imitate his faith. If those who were born of Abraham were disinherited because they didn't imitate him, you, who weren't born of him, become his child by imitating him, But if you imitate the devil, who was proud and undutiful and against God, you will be his child—not because he created or begot you but by imitation.
For this purpose the Son of God appeared. Indeed, dear frietids, all sinners are born of the devil, inasmuch as they are sinners.
AVOIDING SIN /
Adam was made by God, but when he consented to the devil he was born of the devil, and all his descendants are like him. We were born of this condemnation. If we are born sinless, why do we run with our infants to baptism for their absolution? Dear friends, consider these two births, Adam's and Christ's: both are human; but one of them is only a man, the other a man who is God. Through the man who is God we are made righteous. One birth has cast us down to death; the other has raised us up to life. One drags sin along with it; the other sets us free from sin. Christ came as man for this reason: to destroy people's sins. For this purpose the Son of God appeared: to destroy the works of the devil.
There is a problem that I am trying to solve. We call ourselves sinners. Anyone who claims to be sinless is a liar. You must remember what came earlier in this letter of John's: "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." Yet in the present passage you are told that no one who is born of God sins... . No one who sins has either seen him or known him... . Everyone who commits sin is of the devil. Sin is not from God. John alarms us here! What are we to do, caught as we are between these two texts from the same letter? If we confess that we are sinners, we're afraid we'll be told we are not born of God. But if we call ourselves righteous and say that we are without sin, John's words strike us from the other side.
I'm keeping this difficulty before you, so that your exertion may be a prayer on behalf of us all and may lead God to free us and give us a way out. Otherwise, someone may find in John's word an occasion for falling away—the word that was preached and written down only for healing and salvation.
John says, No one who is born of God commits sin for his seed abides in him; and he cannot sin because he is born of God. He's bound us tightly. But perhaps this will help. Has he said "'cannot sin" with reference to one particular sin rather than to every sin? Accordingly, when he says that no one who is born of God commits sin, you should understand a certain sin which no one born of God can commit. That sin is one which, if anyone
46 /| LOVEONE ANOTHER, MY FRIENDS commits it, confirms all the others; but if it isn't committed the others are destroyed. What sin is it? To act against the commandment. What commandment? "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another." Note this well. This commandment of Christ's is called love; through this love sins are destroyed. If this commandment isn't kept, the sin of not keeping it is grave and is the root of all sins.
Consider this, my friends. I've proposed something that solves our problem. There is a sin that can't be committed by one who is born of God, and this sin is to act contrary to Christ's commandment, contrary to the new covenant: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another." No one who acts contrary to charity and neighborly love should dare to boast and claim to be born of God. There are certain sins that those who do love their neighbor cannot commit, and the chief of these is hatred of a sister or brother. And what of the other sins of which John says that "if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us"? Let us take confidence from another passage of Scripture: Love buries a multitude of sins." It's love, then, that Iam commending to you, and love that this letter commends.
And this is perfect love: to be ready to die for your sister or brother. The Lord showed us an example of this in himself. He died for all people, and as he died he prayed for those who were crucifying him, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." But if he was the only one who did it, then he wasn't a teacher because he had no disciples. But there were disciples who came after him and did the same thing. As Stephen was being stoned, he knelt and said, Lord, do not hold this sin against them." He loved the people who were killing him, because he was dying for them too. And listen to the apostle Paul: "I myself," he said, ''will be spent for your souls." Paul was among those for whom Stephen sought forgiveness when he was dying at their hands.
So this is perfect love. If someone's love is so great that hevor she is ready even to die for a sister or brother, then in that person love is perfect. But is it ever perfect when it is born? No, it is born in order that it may be made perfect. When it has been born, it is nourished; when it is nourished, it is strengthened; when it has been strengthened, it becomes perfect. And when it has reached perfection what does it say? 'To me to live is Christ and to die is gain. My desire is to depart and to be with Christ, for that is by far the best thing; but to remain in the flesh is necessary for your sakes." Paul was willing to live for their sakes, for whom he was willing to die. And this, as I've said, dear friends, is perfect love. A person who is born of God possesses it. Pay attention now, my friends, and see what I am saying.
A baptized person has received the sacrament of birth. That person has the sacrament, a sacrament that is great, divine, holy, and ineffable. Consider how great it is: it makes a new person by the remission of all sins! But those who are made new should look into the heart to see whether what was done in the body has been brought to perfection in the heart. Let them see whether they possess love, and then let them say, "I am born of God." Those who don't have love do indeed have the brand or mark which was set on them, but they are only wandering deserters. Let them have love! Otherwise they shouldn't claim to be born of God. But, someone may say, "I have the sacrament.' Listen to what the Apostle says: "If I know all mysteries' —this means sacraments—"'and I have all faith so as to move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."