What does "all unrighteousness is sin" in 1 John 5:17 imply about human nature? Literary Context In 1 John The epistle contrasts two realms: light vs. darkness (1 John 1:5-7), truth vs. falsehood (2:21-23), love vs. hate (3:10-15). “All unrighteousness is sin” summarizes this binary worldview: humanity exists either in fellowship with God through Christ or under the dominion of sin. Creational Goodness And The Image Of God Genesis 1:26-27 affirms that humankind is created imago Dei. Thus, human nature originally possessed perfect righteousness. The doctrine of imago Dei explains why people retain moral intuition (Romans 2:14-15), creativity, relationality, and a capacity to worship. Yet the same passage in Romans shows that conscience is now conflicted, accusing and excusing. The Fall And Universal Depravity Romans 5:12: “Just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, so also death was passed on to all men, because all sinned.” Adam’s act transferred guilt and a corrupted inclination (inclinationis pravitas). Therefore, “all unrighteousness” is not occasional failure but the outworking of an inherited disposition. Human Nature: Total, Not Absolute, Depravity “Total” indicates breadth (every faculty affected), not intensity (people are not as evil as possible). Mind (Ephesians 4:17-18), will (John 8:34), affections (Jeremiah 17:9) all labor under sin. John’s statement demolishes any category of morally neutral actions—everything outside God’s righteousness is sin. Moral Antithesis: Righteousness Vs. Lawlessness 1 John 3:4 : “Everyone who practices sin practices lawlessness as well. Indeed, sin is lawlessness.” Combined with 5:17, we learn: 1. Righteousness is defined by God’s character, not cultural consensus. 2. Unrighteousness is comprehensive, covering both commission and omission (James 4:17). 3. Humans must measure themselves by divine perfection (Matthew 5:48). Conscience And Culpability Anthropological studies show a near-universal moral code—objecting to murder, theft, false witness—which aligns with Romans 2. Cross-cultural findings cannot explain this phenomenon by evolution-alone models because the code frequently counters survival instincts (e.g., altruistic martyrdom). The moral argument is strengthened: an objective moral law requires a Moral Lawgiver. Pastoral Implication: No Gradient Of “Minor” Sins While 1 John 5:16 distinguishes sin leading to physical death (e.g., Ananias and Sapphira, Acts 5) from sin not leading to death, v. 17 clarifies that every kind—respectable or scandalous—remains true sin needing the atonement of Christ (1 John 2:1-2). Believers must therefore repent of “small” resentments, half-truths, and lovelessness as earnestly as overt crimes. Christological Remedy 2 Cor 5:21 : “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” The transfer is double: our unrighteousness imputed to Christ; His righteousness imputed to us. Human nature is thus renewed (2 Peter 1:4) but still wrestling with residual sin (Galatians 5:17) until glorification. Sanctification And The New Birth Because “all unrighteousness is sin,” sanctification is holistic—intellectual (Romans 12:2), moral (1 Thessalonians 4:3), relational (Ephesians 4:32). The Spirit indwells (1 John 3:24), producing practical righteousness (5:18-21). The text’s implication: redeemed human nature progresses toward conformity to Christ but only through grace-enabled obedience. Harmony With Whole Scripture • Psalm 143:2: “No one living is righteous before You.” • Isaiah 64:6: “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” • Romans 3:23: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” These verses echo John’s axiom, weaving an unbroken biblical theme: the ubiquity of unrighteousness, the necessity of grace, and the centrality of Christ. Conclusion “All unrighteousness is sin” reveals that human nature, though created in God’s image, is universally marred by moral deviation following the Fall. Every thought, motive, and action outside God’s perfect righteousness is sin, rendering humanity culpable and incapable of self-redemption. The statement heightens the need for a Savior, directs believers toward comprehensive repentance, and reinforces the biblical worldview in which Christ’s atoning work is the sole remedy for the human condition. |
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