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.
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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.
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.
The true and false vines
56-0311A §29
...and Eve. Now, remember, both boys tried to find favor with God. And they made an altar. Now, here's the shocking part, now. Get right down to the bottom. Cain was not an unbeliever. Cain was a believer. Oh, may the Holy Spirit now quieten us, get our attentions back in Genesis and let's live this picture. Cain was not an unbeliever. Cain was a believer. And if a believer is all that God requires, God was unjust condemning Cain and accepting another believer. Cain was not a communist. Cain was not an infidel. Cain...
God providing healing for this generation
54-0719E §26
Every type in the Old Testament was met in Him, and He was and is God's everlasting, provided Sacrifice for sin and sickness. In Him dwelt the powers to omit ... or, to forgive every sin that was ever committed. Sin... Sickness came, an attribute of sin. And when sin was brought into the world, sickness followed it. Death followed it. And Jesus come to make a riddance of sin, and when He ridded sin, He ridded every attribute that sin produces. I hope you see it tonight. When He killed sin, He killed everything that...
Hebrews, Chapter 6, part 3
57-0915M §42
...sted the heavenly gifts and things, to fall away again to renew himself to repentance" (absolutely, totally impossible). " For he that is borned of God, does not and cannot commit sin. For the seed of God remains in Him and he cannot sin." The seed of God is the Word of God. "Faith cometh by hearing, hearing the Word, 'The sacrifice was made, it's all over!'" Now, if you do wrong, God will make you pay for it; but if you do, you ... wrong, you don't do it willingly, 10th chapter, 47th verse, I believe, "For if we s...
It is I, be not afraid
59-0811 §16
And I believe that healing is a finished work that's been completed for two thousand years. When Jesus died at Calvary, He saved you from sin and healed your sickness. And every blessing, redemptive blessing is yours by faith in that finished work, see. It's yours if you can believe it. As one said some time ago, "I don't believe in divine healing. I don't care what you say." I said, "Certainly not. It wasn't given to unbelievers; it was given to believers. He that believeth..." There is a question mark. If you're...