1 John 3:4-6

The Relationship of the Child of God to Sin

Those who are constantly involved in sin, so that it is a way of life, "commit lawlessness." Those involved in lawlessness, which Thayer says is "the condition of one without law, - either because ignorant of it, or because violating it", or "contempt and violation of law, iniquity, wickedness," and are sinners. Thus, one is a sinner when he disregards God's law out of ignorance or knowingly (1 John 3:4).

Jesus came to earth and took the form of man to rid man of the blight of sin (Matthew 1:21; Luke 19:10). While on earth, the Savior did not sin (1 Peter 2:21-23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 9:14). There was no sin in Him, thus those in Him should not be involved in the regular practice of sin (1 John 3:5). Actually, there is no sin counted against the credit of those in Christ, as we observed in 1:7.

John's mention of those abiding in Christ is reminiscent of the Lord's great parable of the vine and branches in John 15:1-10. One must abide in Christ to abide in His love, but such cannot be done by one who is continually sinning. Those who are abiding in Christ are not in the sinning business. Woods tells us, "The present tense, in Greek, indicates action in progress at the present time. It is thus distinguished from the aorist tense which is a single act indefinitely conceived of, without regard to time." Basically, the aorist indicates one time action while the present indicates continuing action. In this verse, the abiding and sinning are in the present tense. John knew Christians would commit individual acts of sin (1:8), but was saying here that it would not be his habit. At the point in the past when the Christian started to habitually sin, he ceased to have inner perception (see) of God and the intimate spiritual relationship (know) was broken off (1 John 3:6).