Anyone Who Keeps On Sinning - 1 John 3:4-9
“Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. Dear children, don’t let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous.”
ANYONE WHO KEEPS ON SINNING
What has shaped your understanding of sin? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Maybe your views have shifted over time—thanks to college classes, new friendships, or just life experience. Before we dive into what John is saying in today’s passage, let’s pause and ask: What voices and experiences have shaped how you understand SIN?
Personal Note: Hang in there for the next few moments. We’re about to unpack four different perspectives on sin. It might feel like we’re diving into theological trivia at first, but get ready—this will bring clarity to some of the mixed messages you’ve heard about sin. Let’s do this!
CATHOLIC
If you went to a Catholic school, you were taught that there’s a clear line between venial sins—smaller, everyday wrongs that weaken your relationship with God—and mortal sins, the big ones: willful acts that completely sever that relationship. For example, venial sins could be things like telling a small lie, losing your temper, or gossiping. They don’t break your connection with God but put a strain on it. Mortal sins, on the other hand, are severe offenses: murder, theft, perjury, or skipping Mass.
And if you’re wondering, "Really? In Catholic teaching, skipping church is a mortal sin?". The answer is—yes. If you deliberately choose to miss Mass—no valid reason, no illness, not caring for someone who’s sick—then yes, it’s considered a mortal sin. Now you understand why every Catholic church you pass has officers directing traffic for the crowds coming and going from Mass.
CALVINIST
Now, if you learned about sin in a Calvinist tradition, you were taught that sin is about missing the mark—God’s perfect standard. It’s not just what we do but who we are because of the Fall. We miss the mark daily—in our thoughts, words, and actions. Even the things we don’t do but should have? That’s sin too. Over and over, we sin because human nature is fallen and broken.
This is explained by the doctrine of total depravity. It doesn’t mean we’re as bad as we could possibly be, but that every part of us—mind, heart, will—is affected by sin. No matter how hard we try, sin seeps into our daily lives. Whether it’s a careless word spoken in frustration, a selfish thought, or a deed left undone, we’re constantly falling short. It’s not always the big, glaring moral failures. It’s the small, subtle ways we stray from God’s standard that reveal how deeply sin runs.
This is why Calvinists believe we sin daily in word, thought or deed. It’s not just about the obvious wrongs—it’s the constant, unavoidable ways we fall short of God’s glory. But here’s the thing: this daily sin doesn’t leave us hopeless. For Calvinists, we fall short, but through Christ’s death and resurrection, we are met with His redeeming grace. We sin daily, but His work on the cross covers those sins, secure in forgiveness and restoration.
HOLINESS
I’m a pastor in the Holiness tradition, where our Wesleyan-Arminian theology teaches that sin is a conscious choice to disobey what God has made clear. But here’s the difference: we believe that through the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, we’re not left to struggle alone. We’re empowered to overcome sin. Like the Calvinists, we emphasize grace—but it’s a sanctifying grace that doesn’t just forgive; it transforms and empowers. The Holy Spirit enables us to live beyond the pull of willful sin. We’re not only forgiven for our sins but also set free from the enslaving Adamic bent toward sin.
ATHEIST
How about atheists? For them, the word "sin" has no real meaning. It’s seen as a religious concept created by people to enforce moral codes or control behavior. Instead, atheists might talk about "wrongdoing" or "unethical actions," guided by human reasoning and philosophical principles. Morality, for them, is rooted in what promotes human well-being, fairness, and justice—in their varying opinions.
I’m briefly bringing atheism into this conversation because it’s everywhere—in our entertainment, in our classrooms, and it’s the loudest voice shaping the culture around us. The thing is, their approach to morality? It’s constantly shifting, always changing—defined by a small group of people who bend the rules to fit whatever they want to justify. They construct their own standards of ethics, using them to control behavior and consolidate power. And the irony? They accuse religious folk of doing the very same thing.
JESUS AND SIN
I know. I know that was a lot of denominational theology. But here's the thing: we can’t fully grasp 1 John 3:4-9 without first recognizing the tinted lenses we’re wearing as we read it. Each of us brings our background and understanding of sin to the table. So now, let’s dive into the text itself. Let’s see what John’s first readers would have understood. And for them? It was all rooted in what Jesus taught about sin.
Jesus defined sin as more than just outward actions—it was about the heart, intentions, and relationships with God and others. For Him, the real issue was often the internal motivations behind the actions. Take, for example:
Sin as a Heart Issue: In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), Jesus made it clear that harboring anger is akin to murder (Matthew 5:21-22), and looking at someone with lust is already committing adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Sin, for Jesus, wasn’t just about the act—it was about the thoughts and attitudes that led to it.
Breaking God’s Commandments: Jesus highlighted the importance of loving God and loving others as the greatest commandments (Matthew 22:37-40). Breaking these was, in His view, the essence of sin.
Failure to Love: Sin, Jesus taught, is deeply tied to a failure to love—whether it’s not loving God fully or neglecting to love others. He pointed to ignoring the poor or harboring unforgiveness as examples of this (Matthew 25:41-45; Matthew 18:21-35). For Jesus, love was at the heart of the law, and failing to live that out was sin.
In short, Jesus defined sin as anything that damages our relationship with God or harms others. Sin is rooted in selfishness, pride, or a lack of love, both in action and in attitude.
CONTINUING IN SIN
So, when John writes these uncompromising words, “But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is,” he’s drawing a sharp line between committing a sin and continuing to live in sin.
Comedian Josh Billings said, "It is much easier to repent of sins that we have committed than to repent of those we intend to commit."
I love this joke because it captures human nature, highlighting how much harder it is to resist temptation when we’re already planning to give in.
It’s like the kid who grabs a freshly baked cookie off the sheet right before dinner. His mom turns from mixing the salad and starts scolding him for sneaking one. He nods, apologizing, but while she continues to scold him, he’s planning his next cookie grab when she takes the salad to the table.
Even the most committed followers of Jesus will sin, especially if you define sin as a Calvinist would—where it’s about missing the mark. But if you’re from a Holiness background, maybe by Jesus' definition you sinned, but you might rename it a "mistake" or say, "I should’ve done better"—to justify your entire sanctification (meant to be humorous, but there’s a bit of truth in that too).
Here’s the point: John isn’t aligning himself with any theological tradition that would be formed hundreds of years later. He’s being blunt—followers of Jesus don’t cling to sin. They don’t keep choosing it over and over again. They don’t live in it.
“But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.”
Verses 8-9 go on to say that we all have areas where we’re especially tempted and where breaking old, sinful habits is tough. These are our weak spots where the devil can find an opening to get a foothold in our lives. But the passage reassures us that if we’re struggling with sin—trying to resist it, even if we’re not always successful—John isn’t talking about us. He’s talking about people who make a practice of sinning and even try to justify their behavior. The point is that John isn’t condemning those wrestling with sin but those who have embraced it as a way of life.
In short, occasional sin is part of the human struggle as a follower of Christ, but the ongoing, habitual embrace of sin without repentance and change puts a person in opposition to God.
You lose your temper, say something hurtful, feel remorse, and seek forgiveness. Or do you lash out regularly, justifying your anger without any intention of changing?
You gossip about a friend, realize it’s wrong, and seek reconciliation. Or do you thrive on spreading gossip, enjoying the drama, and never feeling the need to stop?
You stumble into looking at inappropriate content online, feel convicted, and seek accountability. Or do you indulge regularly, justifying it as harmless and having no intention to quit?
You lie to cover up a mistake, eventually confess the truth, and work to rebuild trust. Or do you constantly lie to manipulate others, seeing dishonesty as just a part of how you operate?
You struggle with bitterness but eventually choose forgiveness. Or do you cling to a grudge for years, refusing to let it go, convinced your unforgiveness is justified?
Again, John isn’t condemning those wrestling with sin but those who have embraced it as a way of life.
A PERSONAL CHALLENGE FROM YOUR PASTOR
You see, at our church, I teach people from all kinds of theological traditions—Catholic, Calvinist, Holiness, even atheism. And occasionally, someone will try to push their tradition’s view of sin or ask me to back them up. But here’s the thing: I get to skip those debates. Not because they don’t matter—they do. Each tradition holds truths. And sure, they’re right in many ways and maybe wrong in a few. But here’s the reality: those views developed hundreds of years after 1 John 3:1-10. So, that’s where I bring the conversation back to.
Here’s the biblical, non-denominational truth: any sin—any sin—destroys something. It damages your relationship with God, harms others, or eats away at you from the inside. So, it doesn’t matter what tradition you come from. Why would you ever want to hold on to something that will harm?
When it comes to continuing in sin, it’s not that important to me whether you think someone needs to go to Mass, confess to a priest, and receive communion. It’s not that important to me if you believe a person continuing in sin was never saved in the first place or that they’re eternally secure. And it’s not that important to me if you believe they’ll lose their salvation or fall from grace. What is important—and what Jesus and John make clear—is this: when you become aware of sin in your life, why would you justify it? Why would you hold on to something that damages your soul, relationships, and connection to God?
So here’s the challenge: confess. Confess Jesus. Confess your sin. Receive His forgiveness. And then, work with God—continually, daily—to take that sin out to the trash where it belongs. Not because of theology. Not because of tradition. But because sin kills. And grace? Grace breathes life.
The beauty is that we’re not left to fight this battle alone. The Holy Spirit empowers us to live beyond the pull of sin. We find the power to overcome not by our own strength but through the Spirit. Grace doesn’t just forgive; it sets us free from the grip of sin and the habits and attitudes that destroy.
So, step into that freedom. Let grace transform you, and let the Holy Spirit empower you to live the life God intends.
For the closing of this teaching as we prepared to receive communion - below.
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