Do all men sin? Yes, as per I Kings 8:46 and others. No, true Christians, as children of God, cannot sin (I John 3:9). Yet, claiming sinlessness is self-deception (I John 1:8). Does Every Man Sin? Overview Scripture contains clear statements affirming that all people sin, as well as passages describing believers as born of God and thus free from ongoing sin. At first glance, these texts can appear contradictory. A careful look at their context, original language nuances, and overarching biblical teachings shows that they stand in harmony. While no human being (except Jesus Christ) is sinless, those regenerated by God receive new life that breaks the dominion of sin. The following sections explore these verses in detail. 1. Scriptural Testimony to Universal Sin Throughout the Old Testament, the reality of universal sinfulness is plainly asserted. Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 8:46 includes the parenthetical remark “for there is no one who does not sin.” The parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 6:36 repeats this statement verbatim. Proverbs 20:9 poses the rhetorical challenge: “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am cleansed from my sin’?” Likewise, Ecclesiastes 7:20 observes, “Surely there is no righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.” In the New Testament, 1 John 1:8 warns, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” Immediately, 1 John 1:10 reinforces this: “If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.” From Genesis through Revelation, the weight of Scripture highlights that every human being commits sin. Supporting this understanding, the earliest manuscripts and versions—such as those discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls for Old Testament passages—demonstrate the consistent belief that humanity is fallen and in need of redemption. This teaching is echoed in the New Testament manuscripts, which uniformly attest to the universal need for salvation (cf. Romans 3:23: “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”). 2. The New Birth and Victory Over Sin In apparent contrast, passages in 1 John 3:9 declare, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.” Similarly, 1 John 5:1 proclaims, “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God.” These statements emphasize the believer’s transformation and the new nature received through spiritual rebirth. God’s indwelling Spirit empowers a person to forsake sinful patterns. The epistle also speaks of believers as “children of God” (1 John 3:1) and “born of God” (1 John 4:7). The deeper meaning is not that a Christian never commits any transgression whatsoever, but rather that those who have truly experienced God's regenerating work do not remain in habitual, unrepentant sin. In the original Greek, the verb tenses often carry the sense of ongoing practice or persistent lifestyle. When John writes, “No one who is born of God will continue to sin,” it conveys the idea of refusing to abide in sin as a continuous way of life. Moreover, 1 John 2:1 offers essential balance: “I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.” The same letter asserting that those born of God do not continue in sin also provides for the reality that believers at times stumble and need Christ’s advocacy and ongoing forgiveness. 3. Reconciling 1 John 3:9 with 1 John 1:8 Some may wonder how 1 John 3:9—“No one who is born of God will continue to sin”—fits with 1 John 1:8—“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” The resolution emerges in recognizing the distinction between: • Claiming to be without sin by nature (which is self-deception). • Living in unbroken patterns of sinful behavior (which is inconsistent with the new birth). All believers still experience temptations and may lapse in sin (1 John 1:8–10), but they do not remain entrenched in sin as their defining habit or identity. They reject and turn from sin, seeking restoration and forgiveness from the Lord. This tension in 1 John underscores both the call to a life increasingly free from sin’s domination and the ongoing need for repentance whenever a believer falls short. 4. The Example of Jesus Christ Luke 2:52 records that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Although some may mistakenly cite this to imply that Jesus needed forgiveness, Scripture declares He was unique, fully God and fully man, yet sinless (cf. Hebrews 4:15). Nothing in Luke 2:52 mentions sin attributable to Jesus. Rather, it portrays His perfect development and continuous favor before His Father. Jesus’ sinlessness is also confirmed in passages such as 2 Corinthians 5:21: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf.” At no point does the Bible say that God forgave Jesus of wrongdoing or that Jesus needed charity for personal faults. Instead, He is the spotless Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19), whose sacrifice atones for the sins of humanity. Hence, He remains the only exception to the universal problem of sin. 5. Conclusion Taken as a whole, Scripture teaches that every man and woman sins. Passages like 1 Kings 8:46, 2 Chronicles 6:36, and 1 John 1:8–10 leave no doubt: sin is a pervasive reality for humankind. Yet believers, described as children of God, are called to forsake habitual sin through the transforming grace of Christ (1 John 3:9). They are new creations who cannot remain content in sin, for God’s Spirit dwells in them—a truth confirmed across the earliest manuscripts and upheld by church history. Thus, both “Yes” and “No” statements about sin appear when describing believers: • Yes, sin affects all people, including Christians who occasionally stumble. • No, those born of God do not continue in sin as a persistent pattern; they repent and return to righteous living by the power of the Holy Spirit. No contradiction exists. The overarching biblical message is that our Holy Creator redeems sinners through the atoning work and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While humanity’s sinful nature is universal, God’s grace in Christ makes genuine transformation and victory over sin possible. Broken creatures can become God’s children by faith in the risen Lord, who forgives our sins and empowers us to walk in holiness. |
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