1 John 3:9 (Continued Study) Difficult Scriptures Explained by Pastor Ralph Arnold
A more in depth and thorough Study of 1 John 3
In this Sermon message, Pastor Ralph Arnold Yankee expounds upon the passage of Scripture found in 1 John 3. Which is quite a difficult passage. Many Christians, preachers, teachers, ministers and Street Preachers stumble over the General Epistle of 1 John. And especially the passage in 1 John 3. And this is a sad reality. Many wrest, twist and take 1 John 3:9 out of its context to try to teach sinless perfection in this life. And they will teach that if a Christian sins, or is living in sin, then that Christian must not really be saved. They make this claim, because they do not understand who the apostle John is speaking about in 1 John 3 concerning the One who does not sin. John is making a contrast between our first birth (our Flesh Birth, Sin Nature, OLD MAN) and our Second Birth (New Birth, Spiritual Birth, NEW MAN), also called the New Nature.
It is the New Nature within the born again child of God which CANNOT SIN since the New Nature is divine, it is born of God (1 John 3:9) and born of the Holy Scripture (1 Peter 1:23). The Mighty and Most High God hath no sin or darkness in Him at all. Likewise, God’s blessed word, the Holy Scripture, the blessed King James Holy Bible hath no sin or darkness in it at all. And therefore our NEW MAN, our New Divine Nature which we received at the very moment of Salvation, also hath no sin or darkness in it at all. And so if a Christian wants to walk in the Light and have victory over sin, that Christian must Walk in the Spirit. He must walk after the New Man and not after the Old Man (the Flesh).
Therefore, This message by Pastor Ralph Yankee is very important, because it helps the born again child of God rightly divide the word of truth concerning this subject of the Christian life. It is important to understand that when we got saved, our Flesh (Old Man, Old Sin Nature) was not eradicated. God did not change our Flesh (Old Man), He simply gave us a New Nature (a New Birth). We still have the Old Man with us though. And this is why there is a constant battle in the born again Christian’s life. There is a inner war within the Christian between light (Spirit) and darkness (Flesh), between Good (New Man) and Evil (Old Man). And the Christian, the born again child of God must choose on a daily basis which Nature that He is going to yield to. It is a daily choice and a daily battle for the Christian.
To conclude, another truth which is also important to understand is this. The General epistle of 1 John is not about evidence of Salvation. But rather, it is about Evidence of Discipleship, Sanctification, and Walking in the Spirit. Therefore Living a Changed life is NOT evidence or proof of Salvation. Living a Changed life and living a holy life is Evidence and proof of Walking in the Spirit. Living a Changed and New Life is evidence of walking with God, having fellowship with God and Walking in the Spirit. But it is not evidence of Salvation since there are born again Christians, saved people out there who are not living a changed life, who are not walking in victory but rather, are walking after the flesh. And hence, those Christians which walk after the flesh, they live in sin and carnality. And a Christian that lives and walks after the flesh is walking in darkness, and therefore that carnal Christian is not walking with God, and he is not having fellowship with God, even though he is still God’s child. Furthermore, If a Christian wants to examine himself and look at his works or lack thereof to prove anything, then he should look at his works and the way he is living ONLY to prove whether or not he is walking in the Spirit and walking with God. But NOT to prove whether or not he is saved. If one wants to determine whether or not he is saved, then he looks to the word of God, the blessed King James Holy Bible, to see what it says about salvation. And that person examines what he has believed about Jesus Christ. And whether or not he has believed on Christ and fully trusted in His death, burial and resurrection for salvation. In other words, that person judges himself to see whether or not he is believing God’s word and the record which it gives of Jesus Christ, the True God and Eternal Life, and what it says about Salvation through Him.