[daniel1212]

John is providing a basic contrast btwn the with lost and believer, and as Martin stated in refuting Masters on the tape, John did not teach that born again Christian never sin, but as the Greek is in the continuous sense in 1Jn. 3:8-10; 5:18, and are contrasted with the lost, and as John told believers that they have forgiveness when they if they confess them, while those who deny they have sin are liars, then this refers to knowingly impenitently practicing breaking God's law. As the classic scholar Robertson stated long ago, The present active infinitive hamartanein can only mean “and he cannot go on sinning,” as is true of hamartanei in 1Jo_3:8 and hamartanōn in 1Jo_3:6. For the aorist subjunctive to commit a sin see hamartēte and hamartēi in 1Jo_2:1. A great deal of false theology has grown out of a misunderstanding of the tense of hamartanein here. Paul has precisely John’s idea in Rom_6:1 epimenōmen tēi hamartiāi (shall we continue in sin, present active linear subjunctive) in contrast with hamartēsōmen in Rom_6:15 (shall we commit a sin, first aorist active subjunctive). Other texts also confirm true born again believers sin, even if out of weakness, (Gal. 2:11) and may struggle with sin, such as of the heart. (Heb. 12:1) J. C. Ryle does a good job of describing the attitude of the born again believer: http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/rubornagain.html Scripture also refutes that being born again is a process of growth, but a regeneration of conversion that results in growth. Finally, John also taught that "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God," (1Jn. 5:1) and that Christ is God, (1Jn. 1:3) even the Lord whom Isaiah saw in His glory and said, "who shall go for US, (Jn. 12:34b-46; Is. 6:1-10) and he is faithful to record Thomas declaring so, as "my Lord and my God." (Jn. 20:28) "And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. " (1 John 5:20) Masters denies that Jesus is one in nature with the Father, sounding like an ignorant Muslim in objecting to it, and which denial is most consistent with cults who likewise mix a little key poison in with much truth. Masters is also akin to such in his wholesale denigration of Christian teachers - these being his competition - and the those who are born of God but must disagree with him, and exalting himself. Sounds more like Joseph Smith than John who said, that "we should love one another." As one interviewer said, In fact, he opposes any and all who claim to teach the truth, heal the sick, counsel the troubled, or lead the way to God. "Anyone who has a remedy, a pill or technique to gain health and sanity," he emphasized, "--all the problem solvers--will be out of business when my message reaches the general public." (www.fhu.com/articles/healers_book1.html) Thus rather than us guys needing to see Jesus as God to have one BIG excuse for sinning, Masters sins as he must in reducing Christ and Christians who dare oppose him, exalting himself.

[Mears]

Paragraphs and spacing please. It would make the post easier to read.