How does 1 John 3:4 define sin in relation to God's law?

Setting the Verse in Context

• John is writing to believers, urging them to walk in the light and reject deceptive teaching.

• 1 John 3:4 sits in a section that contrasts the children of God with the children of the devil (vv. 4–10).

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The Straightforward Definition

“Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well; indeed, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)

• Scripture here equates sin with “lawlessness.”

• “Lawlessness” means living as though God’s moral law does not exist or does not apply.

• The definition is stated plainly and absolutely—no loopholes, no relativism.

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Breaking Down “Lawlessness”

• Transgression: crossing a fixed boundary God established (cf. Romans 4:15).

• Rebellion: willful refusal to submit to God’s authority (cf. Isaiah 53:6).

• Anarchy of the soul: acting on personal desires instead of divine order (cf. Judges 21:25).

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Complementary Scriptures

• Romans 3:23 — “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

• 1 John 5:17 — “All unrighteousness is sin.”

• James 2:10 — “Whoever keeps the whole law, yet stumbles at just one point, is guilty of breaking all of it.”

• Psalm 119:142 — “Your law is truth.” Sin, therefore, is rejection of truth.

• Romans 6:19 — Calls believers to present themselves as “slaves to righteousness” instead of lawlessness.

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Why This Matters

• Defines the problem the gospel solves: separation caused by violating God’s law.

• Shows the need for Christ’s atoning work (1 John 3:5 — “...He appeared to take away sins”).

• Clarifies that morality is objective, anchored in God’s revealed standards.

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Living Out the Truth

• Examine actions and motives against Scripture, not culture.

• Confess and forsake known sin (1 John 1:9).

• Depend on the Spirit for power to obey (Galatians 5:16).

• Cultivate love, because “love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).