Can a True Believer Commit Serious Sin?
1) Direct answer
Yes—in the sense that a true believer, still in this flesh, can fall into a serious wrong. No—in the sense that he cannot continue in it, excuse it, or be at peace with it. The life of God in him will drive him to repentance and restoration.
2) Scriptural explanation
- The Bible says, “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin… and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9; 5:18). That speaks of a nature that will not practice or live in sin.
- Yet it also says, “If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). So a believer may stumble, but he is not left there.
- David fell grievously, but cried out and was restored (Psalm 51). Peter denied the Lord, wept bitterly, and was restored (Luke 22:61-62; John 21).
- “Sin… because they believe not on Me” (John 16:9). Sin at its root is unbelief. The born-again heart believes the Word and cannot settle in unbelief.
- “Shall we continue in sin? God forbid… Sin shall not have dominion over you” (Romans 6:1,14).
- A real son is chastened when he errs (Hebrews 12:6-8). God corrects His own.
- If we confess, He forgives and cleanses (1 John 1:9). The Spirit seals unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30).
3) Simple clarifying logic
Now notice, the new birth activates God’s seed in the soul. That inner life says Amen to every Word and cannot deny it. The outer man may stumble, but the inside man cannot live in rebellion. A sheep may fall in mud, but it will not wallow there; it cries to be washed. If a person can live in willful, ongoing sin without conviction or chastening, the Scripture says that is not sonship (Hebrews 12:8). But if he is God’s, conviction strikes, godly sorrow works repentance, and he is restored to walk in the light.
4) Reinforcing statement
So a true believer may fall, even seriously, but he will not remain in sin. The seed of God in him breaks the dominion of sin, brings confession, correction, and a clean walk with God.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 9:E-41
"He is the Faithful and True Witness." Now we think of that word, 'witness.' Well, that word is the one we get the word 'martyr' from. The Bible speaks of Stephen and Antipas and others as martyrs. They were martyrs; they were also witnesses. Jesus was a faithful martyr. The Holy Ghost is the witness to that. The Spirit bears record of that. The world hated Jesus. It killed Him. But God loved Him and He went to the Father. The proof that He went to the Father is that the Holy Ghost came. If Jesus had not been recei...
Believing God
52-0224 §37
You get what I mean? Then in there is a spirit, and from there is your immortal life. Then, "A man that's born of the Spirit of God does not commit sin." You get the Scripture straightened out then. If he, if ... "The worshiper once purged has no more desire of sin, or no more conscience of it." In the Old Testament, the worshiper come in and offered his sacrifice, went back out with the same desire to sin. But here, here it is, get it, Hebrews said, "When the worshiper, in this case, who puts his hands on the Son...
Law
55-0115 §26
Now, Paul picks it up also in Hebrews 10:40, I believe it is, and said, "If we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for the fiery indignation. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. (No matter who he was) How much more sorer punishment, though worthy (minister, whoever he may be,) that's trod the blood of Jesus Christ under his feet, and counted the covenant wherewith he was sanctified...
Questions and Answers
59-0628E §54
...of Pentecost, and makes him act the same way and do the same things. If he's borned of the Spirit of God, Mark 16, Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." True! So he says, "I'm a believer," and them signs don't follow, then he's a make-believer, not a believer.
An Exposition Of The Seven Church Ages
CAB 9:E-69
...od does that. But listen ladies, they still sell yard goods and sewing machines. You don't have to buy what's in the stores and then use that as an excuse. This is a deadly serious matter that I am going into. Have you not read in Scripture that when a man looks on a woman and lusts after her in his heart, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart? And suppose you dressed in such a way as to cause that? That makes you his partner in sin, even though you would be absolutely unaware of it, being a true...