1 John 3:6
Verse
Context
Sermons







Summary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Whosoever abideth in him - By faith, love, and obedience. Sinneth not - Because his heart is purified by faith, and he is a worker together with God, and consequently does not receive the grace of God in vain. See on Jo1 3:3 (note). Hath not seen him - It is no unusual thing with this apostle, both in his gospel and in his epistles, to put occasionally the past for the present, and the present for the past tense. It is very likely that here he puts, after the manner of the Hebrew, the preterite for the present: He who sins against God doth not see him, neither doth he know him - the eye of his faith is darkened, so that he cannot see him as he formerly did; and he has no longer the experimental knowledge of God as his Father and portion.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
He reasons from Christ's own entire separation from sin, that those in him must also be separate from it. abideth in him--as the branch in the vine, by vital union living by His life. sinneth not--In so far as he abides in Christ, so far is he free from all sin. The ideal of the Christian. The life of sin and the life of God mutually exclude one another, just as darkness and light. In matter of fact, believers do fall into sins (Jo1 1:8-10; Jo1 2:1-2); but all such sins are alien from the life of God, and need Christ's cleansing blood, without application to which the life of God could not be maintained. He sinneth not so long as he abideth in Christ. whosoever sinneth hath not seen him--Greek perfect, "has not seen, and does not see Him." Again the ideal of Christian intuition and knowledge is presented (Mat 7:23). All sin as such is at variance with the notion of one regenerated. Not that "whosoever is betrayed into sins has never seen nor known God"; but in so far as sin exists, in that degree the spiritual intuition and knowledge of God do not exist in him. neither--"not even." To see spiritually is a further step than to know; for by knowing we come to seeing by vivid realization and experimentally.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Whosoever abideth in him,.... As the branch in the vine, deriving all light, life, grace, holiness, wisdom, strength, joy, peace, and comfort from Christ; or dwells in him by faith, enjoys communion with him as a fruit of union to him; and stands fast in him, being rooted and grounded in him, and abides by him, his truths and ordinances, takes up his rest, and places his security in him, and perseveres through him: sinneth not; not that he has no sin in him, or lives without sin, but he does not live in sin, nor give up himself to a vicious course of life; for this would be inconsistent with his dwelling in Christ, and enjoying communion with him: whosoever sinneth; which is not to be understood of a single action, but of a course of sinning: hath not seen him, neither known him; that is, he has never seen Christ with an eye of faith; he has never truly and spiritually seen the glory, beauty, fulness, and suitableness of Christ, his need, and the worth of him; he has never seen him so as to enjoy him, and have communion with him; for what communion hath Christ with Belial, or light with darkness, or righteousness with unrighteousness? Co2 6:14, nor has he ever savingly known him, or been experimentally acquainted with him; for though he may profess to know him in words, he denies him in works.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:6 continues to live in him (Greek menō): This indicates “abiding” and “remaining” (John 15:1-8) in contrast to departing into falsehood. To the extent that we live in continual, dependent fellowship with Christ and in faithfulness to the apostles’ teachings, we will not sin. • keeps on sinning: This verb denotes sin as an ongoing, repeated action. John was not saying that anyone who sins once does not know God (i.e., has no relationship with God). But if we persist in sin, we demonstrate a lack of relationship with God.
1 John 3:6
Children of God
5But you know that Christ appeared to take away sins, and in Him there is no sin.6No one who remains in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has seen Him or known Him.
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Abide in Christ
By Bill McLeod4.2K48:40AbidingPSA 1:2PSA 1:4JHN 15:5JHN 15:7COL 3:161JN 3:6In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of spending time with the Word of God. He highlights how many Christians nowadays spend more time in front of the TV than with the Bible. The speaker challenges the audience to examine their own lives and consider if God is satisfied with the amount of time they dedicate to studying the Scriptures. He shares a personal testimony of how he typed out the New Testament and parts of the Gospel of Matthew to ensure he could read and understand it clearly. The speaker concludes by stating that many of the problems in our lives stem from our ignorance of certain things in the Bible.
Marriage in the Scriptures
By Keith Daniel2.4K1:38:25MarriagePRO 31:12ROM 6:231JN 3:6In this sermon, the preacher expresses his astonishment at how the messages that were solely based on the Scriptures have spread worldwide. He sought God's guidance to deliver a message without compromise, filled with compassion and God's love, in order to draw people closer to Him. The preacher acknowledges that he has taken more time than usual to deliver the sermon, but assures the audience that the next day's sermon will be shorter. He then focuses on a passage from the Bible, specifically Proverbs 31:27, which summarizes the next twelve verses. The preacher emphasizes the importance of a woman looking after her household and not being idle. He also warns fathers to be careful not to provoke their children to anger, but to show them grace, mercy, and patience.
Definitive Sanctification Part 2
By John Murray1.8K00:00Sanctification1JN 3:6In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the teachings of John in a positive direction. John emphasizes the importance of faith in Jesus as the Son of God, which delivers believers from the influence of the evil one. The sermon also highlights the need for believers to live a life characterized by righteousness, love, and obedience to God's commandments. The speaker encourages the audience to have hope in the future manifestation of their conformity to the image of God the Father.
K-498 Resurrection Life (2 of 2)
By Art Katz1.4K43:18Resurrection LifePSA 27:1JHN 15:4ROM 6:14ROM 8:2GAL 2:20COL 1:271JN 3:6In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes that Jesus is not just a one-time Savior, but a continual Savior from sin. The speaker highlights the importance of searching one's heart to understand sin and how to bring it to Jesus. They express gratitude for Jesus being a Savior from sin and emphasize that having Jesus as the life principle is incompatible with sin. The preacher also discusses the concept of union with Jesus through baptism, stating that because Jesus is in us, he continues to save us from sin. The sermon concludes by emphasizing that sin is driven out and kept out through the continual presence of Jesus in our lives.
Surrendered to His Love
By David Wilkerson1God's LoveSurrenderPSA 34:18ISA 41:10MAT 11:28JHN 14:21ROM 2:5ROM 2:82CO 12:9EPH 3:17PHP 4:61PE 5:71JN 3:6David Wilkerson emphasizes the necessity of surrendering to God's love, highlighting that many troubles stem from our own disobedience and self-seeking behavior. He points out that the pain and heartache in our lives often arise from prioritizing our reputation over our relationship with Christ. Wilkerson encourages believers to recognize their need for God's love and to surrender fully to Him, as true obedience flows from love rather than fear. He reminds us that through surrender, we can experience the fullness of Christ and His promises, urging us to yield our sins and embrace His commandments. Ultimately, surrendering to God's love leads to a deeper revelation of who Christ is and a more profound peace in our lives.
The Cross and the Two Natures (Continued)
By L.E. Maxwell0Spiritual WarfareHoliness1JN 3:6L.E. Maxwell emphasizes the profound relationship between the believer's two natures and the necessity of living in fellowship with God, as outlined in 1 John 3:6-9. He warns against false liberties that lead to sin and stresses that true righteousness is evidenced by a life that does not sin, as believers are begotten of God. Maxwell illustrates that daily choices between the flesh and the Spirit require a continual process of dying to self and living in newness of life, akin to the Israelites taking possession of the Promised Land. He encourages believers to actively engage in spiritual battles, mortifying the deeds of the body, and to confess sins promptly, while also highlighting the urgent need for the church to engage in missions and occupy unclaimed territories for Christ. Ultimately, he calls for a commitment to holiness and obedience, reminding believers that they are empowered to overcome through the Spirit.
The Bent of the Needle
By Thomas Brooks0Spiritual StateHolinessROM 6:11JN 3:6Thomas Brooks emphasizes that a true state of grace cannot coexist with a continuous course of sin. He explains that while even the best saints may falter in specific actions, it is the overall direction of one's life—whether towards holiness or wickedness—that defines their spiritual state. Brooks illustrates that just as a compass needle may waver but ultimately points north, a genuine Christian's heart is inclined towards God, Christ, and holiness despite occasional missteps. He cautions against judging one's spiritual condition based solely on isolated actions, urging believers to consider the trajectory of their lives.
A Divine and Supernatural Light
By Jonathan Edwards01JN 3:6Jonathan Edwards preaches about the divine and supernatural light imparted to the soul by God, different from natural means, as seen in Matthew 16:17 where Jesus commends Peter for his faith revealed by God. The sermon delves into the spiritual light's nature, origin, and the evidence of God's revelation. Edwards emphasizes the scriptural and rational basis for this doctrine, highlighting the immediate impartation of divine knowledge by God, beyond natural means, and the transformative impact on the soul towards holiness and obedience.
Abiding - I John 2:28 (There Is a "Secret Place of the Most High," and "He That Abideth in Him Sinneth not.")
By Hans R. Waldvogel0Abiding in ChristOvercoming SinPSA 91:1ISA 40:31MAT 11:28JHN 14:23JHN 15:5ROM 6:14GAL 5:22PHP 3:101JN 2:281JN 3:6Hans R. Waldvogel emphasizes the importance of abiding in Christ, drawing parallels to Moses' desire to be close to God despite the backsliding of others. He highlights that true abiding leads to a life free from sin and filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, urging believers to reject earthly distractions and focus on their relationship with Jesus. Waldvogel encourages listeners to seek the 'secret place of the Most High' where they can find strength and renewal, reminding them that even in weakness, there is a place for them in God's heart.
They Arise From the Mind's Being Enlightened to Understand or Apprehend Divine Things.
By Jonathan Edwards0PSA 43:3LUK 11:52JHN 6:45ROM 10:21CO 2:142CO 4:6PHP 1:9COL 1:9COL 3:101JN 3:61JN 4:7Jonathan Edwards preaches about how gracious affections arise from the mind being enlightened to understand divine things. Holy affections are not merely emotional but are rooted in spiritual knowledge and understanding of God and Christ. Affections that do not stem from spiritual enlightenment are not genuine. Spiritual understanding is a supernatural discernment of divine things that natural men do not possess, and it primarily involves perceiving the beauty and excellence of God's moral perfection.
Whosoever Abideth in Him Sinneth Not
By A.B. Simpson0Abiding in ChristSanctificationJHN 15:4ROM 6:112CO 5:17GAL 2:20EPH 4:24COL 3:31TH 5:23HEB 12:141PE 1:161JN 3:6A.B. Simpson emphasizes the transformative power of sanctification, explaining that while our old nature may still attempt to re-enter our lives, it remains outside as long as we abide in Christ. He reassures believers that they need not worry about the death of their old nature, as the focus should be on the presence of Christ within them. Simpson encourages a life of continuous abiding in Him, which empowers us to resist sin and walk in holiness. He reminds us that God has provided complete sanctification and calls us to embrace our identity in Christ, adorned in His holiness.
The Cross - Part 3
By Henry Blackaby0ROM 6:62CO 5:211JN 3:6Henry Blackaby preaches about the profound impact of the cross in the life of a Christian, emphasizing the radical nature of dealing with sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He highlights the need for believers to understand the depth of what the cross accomplished in defeating sin and the importance of living a life of righteousness in response to God's grace. Blackaby urges listeners to surrender all areas of their lives to God, allowing Him to shape them for His glory and to experience true freedom from the dominion of sin through Christ.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
- Tyndale
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Whosoever abideth in him - By faith, love, and obedience. Sinneth not - Because his heart is purified by faith, and he is a worker together with God, and consequently does not receive the grace of God in vain. See on Jo1 3:3 (note). Hath not seen him - It is no unusual thing with this apostle, both in his gospel and in his epistles, to put occasionally the past for the present, and the present for the past tense. It is very likely that here he puts, after the manner of the Hebrew, the preterite for the present: He who sins against God doth not see him, neither doth he know him - the eye of his faith is darkened, so that he cannot see him as he formerly did; and he has no longer the experimental knowledge of God as his Father and portion.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
He reasons from Christ's own entire separation from sin, that those in him must also be separate from it. abideth in him--as the branch in the vine, by vital union living by His life. sinneth not--In so far as he abides in Christ, so far is he free from all sin. The ideal of the Christian. The life of sin and the life of God mutually exclude one another, just as darkness and light. In matter of fact, believers do fall into sins (Jo1 1:8-10; Jo1 2:1-2); but all such sins are alien from the life of God, and need Christ's cleansing blood, without application to which the life of God could not be maintained. He sinneth not so long as he abideth in Christ. whosoever sinneth hath not seen him--Greek perfect, "has not seen, and does not see Him." Again the ideal of Christian intuition and knowledge is presented (Mat 7:23). All sin as such is at variance with the notion of one regenerated. Not that "whosoever is betrayed into sins has never seen nor known God"; but in so far as sin exists, in that degree the spiritual intuition and knowledge of God do not exist in him. neither--"not even." To see spiritually is a further step than to know; for by knowing we come to seeing by vivid realization and experimentally.
John Gill Bible Commentary
Whosoever abideth in him,.... As the branch in the vine, deriving all light, life, grace, holiness, wisdom, strength, joy, peace, and comfort from Christ; or dwells in him by faith, enjoys communion with him as a fruit of union to him; and stands fast in him, being rooted and grounded in him, and abides by him, his truths and ordinances, takes up his rest, and places his security in him, and perseveres through him: sinneth not; not that he has no sin in him, or lives without sin, but he does not live in sin, nor give up himself to a vicious course of life; for this would be inconsistent with his dwelling in Christ, and enjoying communion with him: whosoever sinneth; which is not to be understood of a single action, but of a course of sinning: hath not seen him, neither known him; that is, he has never seen Christ with an eye of faith; he has never truly and spiritually seen the glory, beauty, fulness, and suitableness of Christ, his need, and the worth of him; he has never seen him so as to enjoy him, and have communion with him; for what communion hath Christ with Belial, or light with darkness, or righteousness with unrighteousness? Co2 6:14, nor has he ever savingly known him, or been experimentally acquainted with him; for though he may profess to know him in words, he denies him in works.
Tyndale Open Study Notes
3:6 continues to live in him (Greek menō): This indicates “abiding” and “remaining” (John 15:1-8) in contrast to departing into falsehood. To the extent that we live in continual, dependent fellowship with Christ and in faithfulness to the apostles’ teachings, we will not sin. • keeps on sinning: This verb denotes sin as an ongoing, repeated action. John was not saying that anyone who sins once does not know God (i.e., has no relationship with God). But if we persist in sin, we demonstrate a lack of relationship with God.