Recently I was challenged by a student to respond to his statement that those who are truly born again do not sin. He cited the following verse to uphold his point.
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. 1 John 3:9 (NKJV)
My answer to his question required me to summarize an important teaching on spirit, soul, and body, which I will do here as well. If you wish to read the more detailed version, click here.
To begin, another passage seems to refute the argument made by the student and shows how important it is to take into account the entire Bible before making a claim.
If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:8–10 (NASB95)
Now we have a clear case of two passages which seem to make opposing claims, which requires us to dig deeper to find the solution.
The Bible says that God often conceals his truth, which requires us to search the Word of God while relying upon the guidance and revelation of the Holy Spirit. The Bible cannot be properly understood merely using our mental abilities.
Unless the Spirit of God opens our hearts and minds to his truth, we cannot understand it.
At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. 26 “Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. Matthew 11:25–26 (NASB95)
Since God does it this way, it effectively “levels the playing field” so that those who are more educated and intelligent have no advantage over a child. We all need the Holy Spirit, or we are lost.
Paul shared the following important passage in his first letter to the church in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass. 1 Thessalonians 5:23–24 (NASB95)
It is clear from these verses that we are a tripartite being.
Some claim that we only have a soul and body, but if that were the case, why did Paul distinguish between spirit and soul? Likewise, the author of the letter to the Hebrews wrote that the Word of God divides between soul and spirit, thus confirming the distinction.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95)
When Adam sinned, his spirit “died” the day he ate the forbidden fruit in the sense that he was cut off from his previous connection with God and his glory. He immediately became aware of his nakedness, guilt, and shame, all of which were unknown to him before. It was only years later that his body succumbed to death. Death began in the spirit of man eventually resulting in the death of the body. The soul, the combination of spirit and body, according to Genesis 2:7, was also damaged beyond repair.
Since death began in the spirit, it is only reasonable that our salvation should begin there.
The first step of our great salvation is the new birth, at which time our spirits, the innermost part of our being, are regenerated and joined unto the Lord.
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ John 3:6–7 (NASB95) Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NASB95) But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 1 Corinthians 6:17 (NKJV)
When we are born again, we are recreated or made new in the spirit.
It is readily apparent that we do not receive new bodies and our souls (mind, will, and emotions – our personalities) are not changed immediately either. God works from the inside out, making true Christianity completely different from other religions that seek to change us from the outside in, focusing on behavioral change instead of internal transformation. This internal work is done by the Spirit, whether we understand what he did or not, and it is based on our being joined to Christ and benefiting from his death and resurrection. (See my article on justification.) Justification is a once for all past work of God.
The body will not be saved until the resurrection upon Christ’s return. It will be the climax or fulfillment of our salvation, at which time these mortal bodies will be gloriously transformed. It is very much a future event. (See my article on glorification.)
This leaves the soul. God works in our souls in a very different way. Whereas justification and glorification are done to us and for us as once for all events, the salvation of the soul, which is called sanctification or transformation, requires our daily participation. It is an ongoing present work of grace. (See my article on transformation.)
Therefore, having been justified [past tense] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand [present transformation]; and we exult in hope of the glory of God [glorification at the future resurrection]. Romans 5:1–2 (NASB95)
What God does in our spirits is what makes us children of God. The new birth forever alters our identity. We are joined to God in our innermost being. That part of us does not sin.
Paul expressed this glorious truth in the seventh chapter of his letter to the church in Rome.
For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. 19 For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me. Romans 7:18–20 (NASB95)
Unless we understand the dynamic difference between spirit, soul, and body, these words are very strange. But once we do understand, they make perfect sense. Paul identified with his born again spirit, which does not sin. Nevertheless, he committed sin since he had not yet been glorified. There was still a sinful pull away from God generated by the residual connection with the old order of the adamic creation.
Paul was responsible before God for this sin, but it did not define him. His identity was in Christ, not in the flesh.
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 “I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” Galatians 2:20–21 (NASB95)
We all will have this relentless battle in the soul between the regenerated spirit and the adamic “flesh” until our bodies are resurrected.
For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Galatians 5:17–18 (NASB95)
After the resurrection, our souls will be unified in devotion to God, being the combination of a regenerated spirit and a glorified body.
The only way for us to experience Christ’s victory while we live in these mortal bodies is to reckon ourselves to be dead to the power of sin and to the condemning power of the law, but alive to the Holy Spirit who indwells us. (Romans 6-8)
So we see that our spirits do not sin, but we do, because we have not yet been fully saved or glorified, which will happen at the resurrection. Until then, we live by faith in the risen Lord, free from condemnation (Romans 8:1 and John 5:24), and completely dependent upon the help of God’s indwelling Spirit.
