What is the meaning of 1 John 3:4? Everyone who practices sin • John begins with the word “Everyone,” sweeping every person—believer or unbeliever—into view (cf. Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned”). • “Practices” points to a settled, habitual lifestyle, not a single stumble. First John later contrasts this with believers who may sin yet are not characterized by it (1 John 1:8-9). • Scripture warns that repeated, unrepentant sin reveals the heart: “Truly, truly, I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). practices lawlessness as well • Sin is not merely a moral mistake; it is active rebellion against God’s revealed will. Jesus uses the same word when He will one day declare, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23). • Habitual sin therefore sets a person against God’s order, placing them outside the blessing of obedience (Deuteronomy 11:26-28). • Paul echoes this linkage: “the sinful mind is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law” (Romans 8:7). Indeed, sin is lawlessness • John tightens the definition: every act, attitude, or omission contrary to God’s commands equals law-breaking. Even actions society applauds can be “lawlessness” when they ignore God’s standard (Isaiah 5:20). • James underscores the same truth: “Whoever keeps the whole law yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it” (James 2:10). • This clarity drives us to Christ, whose sacrifice “takes away sins, and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5). Only in Him do law-breakers become forgiven sons and daughters. summary John’s sentence dismantles any casual attitude toward sin. A lifestyle of sin equals open rebellion against God’s law; no middle ground exists. The verse calls every reader to examine life patterns, flee lawlessness, and rest in the righteous Son who came to destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). |
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