WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
OCTOBER 25, 2023
TOPIC: WHOEVER IS BORN OF GOD DOES NOT PRACTISE SIN
BY T. O. BANSO
“No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him” (1 John 3:9 Amplified Bible).
Romans 8:1-2 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (New King James Version). Whoever is born again belongs to Jesus. He will not be condemned along with the world because his sins, past, present, and future have been forgiven. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18 New King James Version).
God will correct His children but will not condemn them with the world. Sinners deserve condemnation but those born again have been exempted from condemnation. “FOR THE LORD DISCIPLINES and CORRECTS THOSE WHOM HE LOVES, AND HE PUNISHES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES and WELCOMES [TO HIS HEART] (Hebrews 12:6 Amplified Bible).
However, as a child of God, you are expected to live a life of holiness. “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life” (1 Thessalonians 4:7 New International Version). God wants you to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 11:44; 20:7; 1 Peter 1:15-16). You should avoid wilful sin – sinning deliberately. According to 1 John 3:4-6, “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him” (New King James Version).
Verse 9 says why the person born of God does not sin: “Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God” (New King James Version). The phrase “does not sin” means does not continue to sin or does not practise sin, as some translations put it. “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” (1 John 3:9 New International Version). Note the phrase: “No one who is born of God will continue to sin.”
Whoever is born again does not live a sinful life because the seed of God remains in him, and he has been born of God. He will not make a practice of sinning. “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God” (1 John 3:9 English Standard Version). In other words, no one born of God engages in wilful, deliberate, and habitual sin. Albert Barne’s New Testament Commentary says Paul, in this scripture, “refers to those who are habitually and characteristically righteous.”
The Amplified Bible puts 1 John 3:9 this way: “No one who is born of God [deliberately, knowingly, and habitually] practices sin, because God’s seed [His principle of life, the essence of His righteous character] remains [permanently] in him [who is born again—who is reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, and set apart for His purpose]; and he [who is born again] cannot habitually [live a life characterized by] sin, because he is born of God and longs to please Him” (1 John 3:9 Amplified Bible).
Furthermore, 1 John 5:18 says, “We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him” (New King James Version). This scripture also refers to wilful and habitual sin that a child of God must not commit, appreciating the fact that Jesus died on the cross to purchase forgiveness and salvation for him. He desires to please God.
The New International Version puts 1 John 5:18 this way: “We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him.” Similarly, the Living Bible says, “No one who has become part of God’s family makes a practice of sinning, for Christ, God’s Son, holds him securely, and the devil cannot get his hands on him.” A child of God should not play with sin because of the price Jesus paid to save Him. He died on the cross. Sin robs a child of God of the joy of salvation and hinders his fellowship with God (Isaiah 59:1-2).
No Christian can attain absolute perfection here on earth; that’s only possible in heaven. If a child of God sins by yielding to Satan’s temptation, it does not mean that he is no longer a child of God. Such a child of God should immediately repent and ask God for forgiveness, which He has actually promised.
1 John 2:1-2 says, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (New King James Version). Notice that this scripture says, “If anyone sins.” This is not a licence to sin.
You must allow the Holy Spirit to control you and avoid sin. Paul says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Romans 6:1-3 New King James Version).Â
In Galatians 5:16-21, he also says, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God”  (New King James Version).
Also, Ephesians 5:5 says no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ. Therefore, put sin to death in your life (Colossians 3:5). Salvation is free but not cheap. Thus, you should cherish your salvation, walk daily in obedience to the Word of God, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit. “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:12-13 New King James Version). Â
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Father, thank You for my salvation. Holy Spirit, I receive the grace to live above sin. I shall not deliberately, knowingly, and habitually practice sin. I shall walk in the Spirit and shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh in Jesus’ name.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947
Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
cedarministryng@gmail.com
Website: www.cedarministry.org
  
  
  
  
